The Writer and His Quiff: How Young Gogol’ Sought To Shape His Public Image

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W hen describing Gogols physical appearance, biographers have traditionally awarded pride of place to writer's long, pointed nose, usually adding that nosological motif his works doubtless stems from this facial peculiarity. During early St. Petersburg years (1829-36), however, acquaintances were quite as struck by another aspect of young writer's appearance. Thus, when Sergei Aksakov first set eyes on Gogol' it was a quiff (khokhol) of hair perched over a clean-shaven face which caught his attention.' Similarly, M. N. Longinov, then eight-year-old pupil of young Gogol', later recalled tuft of hair (khokholok) on top of his head, which, he unkindly added, was in no way distinguished by elegance of its coiffure.2 No less critical was Longinov's better known contemporary P. V. Annenkov, who remarked upon the tall, curled and whipped up quiff of hair, which adorned Gogols forehead, and which gave him look of a rooster.3 Not to be outdone, P. P. Karatygin recalled, perhaps hyperbolically, a shortish blond young man sporting a huge tuft of hair.4 Confirming existence though not excessive size of quiff is A. G. Venetsianov's portrait (Fig. 1, 1834), which depicts a dandified young man with a well-groomed, clean-shaven face, topped off by a generous tuft of curly, blondish hair. Two points regarding this cosmetic affectation deserve mention. The first is that, unlike Gogols nose, quiff was an artificial construct. As Annenkov's description and Venetsianov portrait make clear, elevated tuft was studied product of scissors, brush, and comb. The second (related) point is that it was a temporary phenomenon: a likeness of Gogol' as a lycee student shows a youth with hair plastered closely to his head.