Lebedev Vladimir is a Russian and Soviet painter, graphic artist, a recognized placard master, book and journal illustrator founder of the Leningrad school of book illustration. In 1966 he got the title of People’s Artist of the RSFSR and a Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Arts from 1967.

The artist was born in Sanct-Petersburg in a family of a mechanic. He graduated from Petrovsky Commercial School, then in 1909 from a private studio of A. Titov, and studied at a studio of battle painting by Franz Roubaud from 1910 to 1911. In 1912-1914 he studied at a private art school of M. Bernstein.

The portrait genre was always interesting for the artist. He depicted only those people, who seemed attractive in their individuality. One of them was a heroine of the painting A Portrait of a Girl with a Fringe in a Blue Dress from the museum collection.