![]() ![]() It's easy to forget how the portraits that emerged in the final years of Chekhov's life – the consumptive, primly dressed, prematurely aged invalid of Yalta – have come to dominate our sense of the writer. You can see in this casual portrait just how attractive a man he was – just what made him so appealing to women. ![]() What makes the image memorable is that, because of the relaxed nature of the shot, we gain a glimpse of the private Chekhov. In 1892 Chekhov was 32 and entering the years of his mature fame and success. The festivities took place between the 26 and 30 June 1892. The Chekhov family had gathered with friends at Anton's country estate, Melikhovo, to celebrate his father Pavel's name-day. You feel he might be about to say to the photographer, "Get a bloody move on, will you?" And indeed it's quite possible that he could have uttered such words, as we know that the photographer was his older brother, Alexander, a fact that probably explains the easy, unposed nature of the snapshot.Īnd we can date the photo with some precision. His thick hair is tousled and uncombed and his eyes look a little tired. Chekhov appears to be sitting at a cluttered desk or a table, resting his head on his left hand. It's such an informal shot that it looks surprisingly modern. I keep a photograph of Anton Chekhov on my mantelpiece. ![]()
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