Serov was the official portraitist for the Romanovs TRUE But he wasn't a "yes-man." While other court painters produced sugary, idealized versions of the royals, Serov captured their actual personalities—flaws and all. Serov had a very weird nicknameTRUEAs a kid, his parents called him Valentosha or Tosha. But once he started hanging out with the Mamontov family (especially at their Abramtsevo estate), that name evolved into Antosha, and eventually just Anton. Repin, Korovin, and Benois all called him by that nickname in their letters. Even Serov signed letters to his wife as "Yours, Anton" and even named one of his sons after the nickname., Serov had a very weird nickname. TRUE. As a kid, his parents called him Valentosha or Tosha. But once he started hanging out with the Mamontov family (especially at their Abramtsevo estate), that name evolved into Antosha, and eventually just Anton. Repin, Korovin, and Benois all called him by that nickname in their letters. Even Serov signed letters to his wife as "Yours, Anton" and even named one of his sons after the nickname., Valentin Serov was an A student at the Academy and got a golden medal FALSE. Despite being recognized for his talent at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, Serov dropped out at age 22. He refused to follow academic canons and chose to work independently, acknowledging only one mentor, Pavel Chistyakov, as a true authority., Serov was a self-made artist FALSE. When Serov was 9, his mum who paid attention to his art works, hired a teacher, Ilya Repin, who noted his striking gift and advocated for entering the Academy., Serov’s mum was just a regular woman who did see her son’s gift FALSE. Serov’s mother was way ahead of her time. Valentina Semionovna was Russia’s first female composer and a fierce feminist who fought for women’s rights. Because she was so busy being a trailblazer, young Valentin often grew up in the homes of relatives and friends rather than with her. Anyways, she would always support him in his most drastic decisions., Serov was never married. FALSE. He met Olga Trubnikova, when they were 14. They spent several years in correspondence and then got married. They were together for 22 years and had 6 children., Serov was a really straightforward person who would showcase his political views. TRUE. In 1905, following the "Bloody Sunday" events, Serov officially resigned from the Imperial Academy of Arts as a protest against the government's actions., Serov was a massive perfectionist. TRUE. Sometimes a single portrait would take up to 90 sessions. For example, he spent two whole years painting Princess Yusupova. The model used to joke, "I don't know how this is going to turn out—I keep gaining and losing weight!"To get a 12-year-old girl to pose for his famous Girl with Peaches, he had to bribe her with promises of horse rides after every session, Serov couldn’t stand animals and was allergic to cats FALSE. He was obsessed with animals, especially horses, and you'll see them all over his work. He also spent 15 years illustrating Krylov's fables. He'd travel to find actual wolves and skinny cows, and he even climbed a high spruce tree just to get a "bird's-eye view" for his sketches for "The Crow and the Fox.", Serov built a spacious non-standard studio that truly stood out and attracted lots of clients FALSE. Serov didn't have his own studio. Instead of making people come to him, he went to their homes to paint them in their own space. He had a way of seeing people as they truly were—even when their own families didn't—and he used to jokingly call himself a "doctor.", Serov was a lone wolf FALSE. Among his friends were Repin, Korovin, Vrubel,Shaliapin, Savva Mamontov, Sergei Diagelev, Serov lived a long life. FALSE. Serov was only 46 when he passed away from a heart attack. At the time, the family was broke—down to their last 80 kopeks—but they were saved from ruin by his friends, as the value of his paintings skyrocketed.

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