Portraitist of the Silver Age

The evolution of creativity of Lion Bakst (1866-1924) in a genre of a portrait is traced back to the memoirs and the archival sources, and also on the basis of the author's analysis of the Silver Age characters gallery. The best portraits of the artist of the second half of 1890s develop traditions of Russian realistic art. Impressionistic tendencies are not alien for Bakst either. Stylistic changes are found out on the boundary of the XIX-XX centuries: features of a modernistic style. The creativity of Bakst, continuing to develop in a channel of a modernistic style as well as creativity of other members of creative association "The world of arts" the first generation, the reference to the previous traditions of art has prepared that direction in art culture of the beginning of the XX century, which has received the name neoclassicism. Bakst is submitted as the portraitist, able to transfer individuality through person's plastics that has made Bakst the outstanding artist of a scenic and secular costume.