Portrait of the Unknown Woman

The identity of the model is unknown and depicts a woman of "quiet strength and forthright gaze". It is one of Russia's best-known artworks, although a number of critics were indignant when the painting was first exhibited and condemned what they saw as a depiction of a haughty and immoral woman. Its popularity has grown with changes in public taste. Some art historian states that the painting supposedly inspired Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina character, but further notes the book was published about ten years prior to the painting. The painting has been used as the cover for some editions of the book. Pavel Tretyakov at first refused to buy the painting for his gallery. However, its popularity quickly grew, in part as the beauty of sin became a popular theme amongst the following generation of Russian artists. It has been described as "unusually bright, densely painted, and relaxed. Kramskoi clearly tried to shine with his outstanding painterly mastery." In 2008, Guggenheim curator Valerie Hillings observed that "Many people just think she's sort of like Anna Karenina. She has that kind of special feel, that special Russianness".