Alexey Bogoliubov Biography

Alexey Petrovich Bogoliubov, a Russian landscape painter, was born into the family of a retired military officer; by mother he was the grandson of A. N. Radischev.

In 1841, Alexey graduated from a military school, served in the navy and travelled with the fleet to many countries. From 1849, he started to visit classes at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, where he was a pupil of Maxim Vorobyev and B. P. Vivalde. But mostly the young painter was influenced by Ivan Ayvazovsky.

In 1853, he finished the Academy with a Major Gold medal. Simultaneously he retired from the Navy as a military officer and was appointed an artist to the Navy headquarters. In 1854-60, he traveled around Europe and worked much, never losing an opportunity to study from outstanding painters. In Rome, he got acquainted with Alexander Ivanov, who liked his paintings and recommended to pay more attention to drawing. In Düsseldorf, Bogoliubov took lessons from the painter Andreas Achenbach (1815-1910). In Paris, he admired the artists of the Barbizon School, and simultaneously criticized them. French painters, in their turn, appreciated the originality of their Russian colleague, his unwillingness to compose landscapes, and devotion to nature. Camille Corot (1796-1875) loved to visit Bogoliubov’s studio, Charles François Daubigny (1817-78) exchanged works with the Russian painter.

He returned in 1860 to Russia with many finished paintings, sketches and studies. He exhibited his works in the Academy and received the title of professor and special gratitude from the Board of Directors. For some time he taught in the Academy. In the 1860s, he traveled along the Volga again with abundant output. Romanticism, influenced by Ayvazovsky, disappeared from his works and only the beauty of nature remained. He painted landscapes with big spaces and light effects, depending on time of the day.

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  Pisa. View Of The Baptistery And The Cathedral.
  

  1863. Oil on canvas. The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

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  Battle Of Gangut On 27 July 1714.
  

  1876. Oil on canvas. The Central Naval Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.