Napoleon III, upon seeing it, struck it with the whip he held in his hand. Even Courbet's friends, particularly Eugène Delacroix, criticized it, hinting at the “blatant vulgarity of the forms”. The painting is painted with broad strokes, the background is almost not drawn, and it does not distract from the main thing - the beauty of the girl.

The attitude to what was acceptable in nudes also changed. Female nudity was considered aesthetically pleasing and acceptable, no one had any questions, which artists actively used. But male nudity was more difficult.

He was not afraid to change his life abruptly. Today he could do translations, tomorrow he could quit the academy and make copies of popular stories. Open-minded, characterized by sincerity and impulsiveness, with a touch of fearlessness. Dante did not accept criticism, even tried to take his own life.

But with Somov's personal life, everything was complicated. Like Russian wonderful actor Yuri Bogatyryov Somov was a representative of non-traditional orientation. He had an affair with the sitter Methodius Lukyanov, and it lasted until his death

Был везунчиком и выходил целым и невредимым из самых опасных ситуаций. Скафандр в открытом космосе раздулся и войти в тесный шлюз было невозможно. Пришлось скидывать давление в скафандре, заходить не как положено.

Однажды на одну эпиграмму он отправил обидчику запечённую в духовке коровью лепёшку. В итоге был объявлен коммунистом, и это тяжело сказалось на его финансовом положении. И Кент решился — подарил советским музеям свыше 80 своих картин и около тысячи рисунков.