Serov’s early creativity was sparked by the realistic art of Repin and strict pedagogical system of Chistyakov.
The greatest works of Serov’s early period were portraits: "The Girl with Peaches".
From 1890 on, the portrait became the basic genre in Serov’s art. Serov’s favorite models were actors, artists, and writers. Initially abstaining from the brightly colored painting style of the 1880-s, Serov often preferred black-grey or brown tones.
At the same time, he developed a contrasting direction: he frequently produced intimate, heartfelt portraits, mainly of children and women. In portraits of children Serov aspired to capture pose and gesture, to reveal and emphasize a spontaneity of internal movement, sincere cleanliness and clearness of attitude of the child: "Mika Morozov".
Serov used various graphic techniques - watercolors, pastels, lithographs and so forth. Figures in Serov’s portraits gradually became more and more graphically refined and economical, particularly during the late period.
From 1890 to 1900 Serov produced many landscape compositions on country themes, in which the artistic direction took a romantic turn.
At the turn of the century, Serov was at a stylistic turning point: features of impressionism disappeared from his work, and his modernistic style developed. In the early 1900-s Serov focused on the dramatic depiction of creative artists, writers, actors, and musicians of import: The portrait of Maxim Gorky.
The last years of Serov’s life were marked by works on themes from classical mythology. While addressing images from the ancient tradition, Serov endowed classical subject matter with a personal interpretation.
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