The works of Valentin Serov 1865 1911 mark the beginning of modern Russian painting He presented them at the Secessions in Munich Berlin and Vienna and at the World Fair and Salon d Automne in Paris as well as at the Venice Biennial and the International Exhibition in Rome He was involved in the progressive magazine Mir iskusstva and later enjoyed success as a stage designer for the Ballets Russes along with its founder Diaghilev At the art academy in Moscow he taught Petrov Vodkin Sapunov Saryan Kuznetsov Mashkov Larionov and Tatlin The author goes on a journey through Serov s life as an artist in diverse cities movements in painting collections aesthetic theories and theater stages and makes the artist s processes for creating pictures come alive