Mariia Lagorio, born of Russian parents of French and Italian descent, was a member of the 'World of Art' group studying under Bilibin and Lanceray. Her early works were principally graphic, concerned with book illustration, these were reproduced in the periodical Town and Country. After the revolution, she moved to Finland where she married the painter and architect Nicholas Iszelenov, she subsequently lived in Germany and France. Her later works are devoted to more personal themes.