Natasha

Portrait of Shtember's daughter Natasha who documented and maintained an album of her father's work once she moved to America.  Her album has provided the majority of the photos for this website.

Natasha (Natalie) is age 3 in this painting.  The family story is that Natalie always had a strong character and surely did not want to be called away from playing outside (hence the disheveled look of her hair, stockings and clothes) to sit for her father to do this painting. The family loves this painting because it shows the 'real' Natalie and her personality.

Two years after this painting was done, Natalie turned 5 and then her father used her hands as the models to finish her sisters painting (Ksenia) who died at age 5 of diphtheria. painting # 91)