Olga's Gallery

            The name of this artist became known after a discovery made in the 1970s in the small town of Soligalich, Russia. 14 portraits signed and dated by the artist were found, all of them came from the estate of Nerovo, situated near Soligalich, which in the 18th century belonged to the noble family of Cherevins.
            Nothing, but the name, is known about the painter. Was he a serf of the Cherevins, or just executed the portraits for their family gallery? His manner shows that he, at least for sometime, studied iconography.

Dmitry Cherevin (1768-1818), son of Piotr and Maria Cherevins, brother of Elizaveta; he was aide-de-camp to the Emperor Pavel I, was married to Varvara Rayevskaya. Their son Pavel (d.1824) was a member of the secret societies, The Prosperity Union (Soyuz Blagodenstviya) and The Northern Society (Severnoye Obshestvo); the aim of the societies was the change of the political system of Russia.

Mikhail Ivanovich Yaroslavov (1713- ?), father of Maria, the wife of Piotr Cherevin and mother of his children Elizaveta and Dmitry. The Yaroslavovs were related to the Orlov brothers, Catherine II the Great’s favourites, and through Fiodor Orlov became intimate with the Court.

Anna Sergeevna Lermontova (1771 -?), daughter of Sergey Lermontov, Marshal of Nobility of the Soligalich District; his estate was near Neronovo. On her father’s side Anna was a relative to the famous Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov. She was married to a nobleman Telepnev from Chukhloma.

Prokofy Ivanovich Akulov (1713-?), Brigadier and husband of Elena Ivanovna Cherevina, daughter of Ivan Grigoryevich Cherevin.

Bibliography:
Russian Portrait of the 18th and 19th centuries in Russian Museums. Moscow. 1976.
De l’histoire du realisme dans la peinture russe. Moscow. 1982.
Rescued Beauty By Savely Yamszhikov. Moscow. 1986.