We feel a bit guilty that the works of Ukrainian-born artist Zinaida Serebriakova (Зинаида Евгеньевна Серебрякова) never caught our attention. She was born near Kharkov in a family of artists. (Actor Peter Ustinov came from this same family.)
At age 40 she moved to Paris, which must have been a bold move, and there she became further more influenced by impressionism. In many works, however, even those made in Paris, Russian folk art bleeds through. One of the main reasons why we love her works that much. It is the kind of authenticity that really moves us.
You will find more biographical information about her on Wikipedia.