A portrait of a girl just coming into adolescence, by a well-known Russian artist. I purchased this out of an estate, and was told that the model for this painting was actually the artist's daughter. And what I love about it is that he apparently understands the complexity of girls at this age (I myself have two teenage daughters). So you can clearly see the guardedness mixed with the innocence in her expression; obviously symbolic are the pink balloons of her childhood in her hands, and the roses of passion behind her, awaiting. I like this so much better than if he had painted an artificially smiling young beauty in her perfect world. Following is a biography of this prominent artist created by Art Gallery of Russia: "Valery Kosorukov is a prominent Russian fine artist, born in Moscow. Kosorukov is an art professor and member of the Union of Artists of Russia. The artist completed, with honors, the graduate and post-graduate fine arts degree programs at Moscow State Surikov Fine Arts Institute, one of the world's most prestigious fine art schools, where he later taught painting and drawing for over 25 years. Ballet has been a main creative theme of Kosorukov's art since the time of his studies at the art institute. During his studies, the young artist created a visual chronicle of the Bolshoi Theater in a series of original artwork. Based on the foundation of that artwork, Kosorukov's first art book, Ballet, was published by Soviet Artist Publishing in 1966. Professionals and press noted the originality and bright individuality of the artist, who was able to capture the essence of ballet. The splendid pastel N. Bessmertnova - Giselle became not only the artist's personal logo, but a symbol of his homeland's ballet. Since the mid-1970's, the artist has gained world-wide recognition. He had personal exhibits in Moscow, Novosibirsk, Jackson, Varna, Cairo, New Orleans, Madrid and Milan. Kosorukov's artwork and his loyalty to the ballet theme became widely noticed in the art world, and he began to be called the "Russian Degas" by those who appreciated his art. Many of his works from the 1970's and 1980's became a part of his art book, Images of the Ballet, published by Fine Art Publishing in 1988. Another book, Mystery of Terpsichore, illustrated by Kosorukov, was published in an edition of 100,000 copies in 1989. Kosorukov won the design contest for the Moscow International Ballet's Logo for the U.S.S.R. Ministry of Culture. For many years, Kosorukov's personal exhibits in the legendary White Foyer of the Bolshoi Theater were the culmination of his success with the ballet competition's program. The artist's versatile and impressive talent found its expression through images of the theater. For a number of years Kosorukov worked closely with the great American dancer Fernando Bujones. For Bujones' Orlando Ballet Company, Kosorukov created stage scenery for nine ballets, including La Bayadere, Giselle, Don Quixote and Nutcracker. Various periodicals in Russia, the U.S. and Europe published articles about Kosorukov's artwork. In 2003, Kosorukov's paintings were extensively chronicled in an edition of International Artist magazine, which covers trends and events in the world of fine arts. The artist uses Impressionistic methods, filling his artwork with a refined play of light and colors. Precise brush strokes combined with softer, elegant ones create colorful, jewel-like patterns - both attractive and fascinating. While he continues to develop his ballet theme, Kosorukov successfully works in other genres - including portraiture, landscapes, and nudes. Many fine art experts associate Valery Kosorukov with Valentin Serov, the great, 19th century Russian master of drawing. Kosorukov's drawing distinguishes itself from other artists, however, by its expressiveness. His drawing ranges from a fanciful play of lines to a very simplistic design. At other times, the artist might just use a simple stroke of the pen to reveal a shape, reproduce a movement, or create a mood. For the last several years Kosorukov has maintained his art connection with Russia. His work is exhibited in many public collections in Russia and throughout the world, such as the Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum, Museum of the Bolshoi Theatre, Ministry of Culture (Russia), Artists' Union of Russia, George Bush Presidential Library, Chevron USA, Inc., as well as in various private collections in Russia, Austria, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Egypt, Italy, Switzerland, Spain and the United States."