Boris Chaliapin (1904-1979)

Artist Boris Chaliapin is best known in Russia as the son of the famous singer, as a Russian émigré who donated a significant quantity of Chaliapin memorabilia to help found the Chaliapin House-Museum, and as a realistic portraitist of actors, musicians, and Russian émigrés. He is best known in the United States for his over 550 covers for Time Magazine (414 published), produced from 1942 to 1970.  Known as “Mr. Time,” he created portraits based on breaking-news stories in as little as seven hours. In addition to his “commercial work,” as he described it, he created not only privately commissioned portraits, but hundreds, perhaps thousands of paintings, drawings, and caricatures “for himself.”  An extremely prolific artist with diverse interests, he painted nudes, portraits, caricatures; landscapes; and created several sculptures. Chaliapin’s primary genre was the portrait;  he painted almost everyone he knew, creating dozens of paintings and drawings of close family and friends. The subjects of his portraits came from all walks of life, ranging from sketches of his wailing infant daughter, to film stars, to the Empress of Iran. 

Below you can view just a few of his many paintings and drawings.