Olga's Gallery

        Vasily Tropinin was one of the major Russian artists active in the first half of the XIX century. He was born as a serf of Count A. Munich and then was given as a part of Munich's daughter's dowry to Count I. Morkov. Although his artistic talent and desire to paint were expressed early, he was sent by Count Morkov to St. Petersburg to learn to be a confectioner. During those years Tropinin managed to attend now and then free drawing lessons in the Academy of Arts, until in 1799, at the age of 23, he was sent by his owner to study art in the Academy. He took lessons from S. S. Schukin. In 1804 his work Boy Grieving for a Dead Bird was exhibited in the Annual Academy of Arts exhibition and was noted by Russian Empress. The President of the Academy of Arts Count Stroganoff was going to intercede on behalf of Tropinin to get him freedom. Count Morkov, afraid of losing such a valuable possession, urgently recalled Tropinin from St. Petersburg to his Ukrainian estate Kupavka. There the artist was crudely reminded that he was only a slave. He was appointed a confectioner and a lackey, also he had to copy the works of European and Russian painters and produce portraits of the Morkovs. During the following years (1804-1821) in Ukraine, with occasional travels with the Morkovs to Moscow Tropinin continued to study art. He created a lot of portraits, landscapes and genre pictures. The most notable works of this period are Portrait of A. I. Tropinina, the Artist's Wife (1809), Head of a Boy. Portrait of A. V. Tropinin (About 1818), Portrait of the Writer and Historian N. M. Karamzin (1818).

        In 1821, Tropinin with the family of Count I. Morkov moved to Moscow. Although Tropinin was still a serf, he was well known as a talented artist and his friends continued to persuade Count Morkov to give him freedom. In 1823, at the age of 47, Tropinin was finally released from bondage. In the same year he submitted the pictures The Lace-Maker (1823), Old Beggar (1823), Portrait of E. O. Skotnikov (1821) and later Portrait of K. A. Leberecht (1824) to the Academy of Arts and was nominated an academician.

        The following years were the most prolific for Tropinin. He settled in Moscow and opened up his own art studio. Already the well known artist he continued to paint portraits. His models ranged from peasants to the members of the most noble Russian families. The best of his works are Portrait of K. G. Ravich (1823), Gold-Embroideress (1826), Portrait of Alexander Pushkin (1827), Portrait of Countess N. A. Zubova (1834), Woman in the Window (Wife of a Treasurer) (1841), Self-Portrait with Brushes and a Palette Against a Window Facing the Kremlin (1844), Portrait of Yu. F. Samarin in a Hunting Dress (1846), Girl with a Pot of Roses (1850), Old Woman with a Hen (Portrait of the Artist's Wife) (1856). Tropinin died on 3rd of May, 1857 and was buried in Moscow.

Prince Peter Bagrateon (1765-1812) is a prominent Russian commander, hero of the Napoleonic Wars. He was a descendant of the House of Bagratidae, an old ruling family of Georgia. He entered military service in 1782. He took part in the war against Turks (1787-1892), in the battles with France in Trebia and Novi, battle at St. Gottard under the command of Alexander Suvorov, the great Russian commander, who was Bagrateon's teacher. He held Napolean's general Murat in a rearguard action at Schongraben. He fought at Austerlitz, Eylau, Friedland. At the Battle of Borodino he commanded the 2nd Western Army. During the battle he was mortally wounded.

Nickolay Karamzin (1766-1826) - Russian writer, translator, and historian. Born into the provincial gentry, Karamzin studied in Moscow and spent most of his life in that city. His enthusiasm for England and English literature was immense, he translated into russian Shakespeare, Milton, Young, and Thomson. In 1781-1784, he was in military service, in 1789-1791 traveled abroad and in 1791 started publishing  his first novel The Letters of a Russian Traveler (1790-1792), in which he described his disillusionment with the English and their 'sluggish blood', but his fascination with English eccentricity. He wrote  several novels, including Poor Lisa (1792), which was very popular. From 1809, he studied old Russian chronicles and started to write his great work History of Russia (1816-1829), which became a manual for many following generations of Russians. His influence on Russian literature and language was considerable. He modernized literary Russian language, made it closer to the spoken language. See also his portrait by Alexey Venetsianov.
Poor Lisa is the main character of a sentimental novel by Karamzin. Lisa, a girl from a common family, was seduced by a gentleman. When he left her for an advantageous marriage, she committed suicide.
See: O. Kiprensky Poor Lisa

Ivan Lazarev was the founder of the Institute of Oriental Languages in Moscow.

S. K. Sukhanov - the famous stonemason and self-taught sculptor.

Karl Leberecht (1749-1827) - engraver. From 1779, he was the engraver of the St. Petersburg Mint. He was not a very good engraver and only known because of his portrait by Tropinin.

Countess Nataly Zubova (1775-1844) - daughter of the great Russian commander Alexander Suvorov and wife of Count Nicholas Zubov, brother of Platon Zubov, the last favorite of Catherine II, the Great .

Ivan Dmitriyev (1760-1837), poet, author, state official, son of Ivan Gavrilovich Dmitriyev and Ekaterina Afanasyevna, nee Beketova. Began his service in 1774 in Semenovsky guard regiment, in 1787 got the rank of lieutenant, in 1796 - of captain. Since 1777, was engaged with writing, published his works in 'Moscow Vestnic'. Retired in 1796 in the rank of colonel, but next year Pavel I appointed him the chief prossecutor of Senate. In 1799, he retired again, but in 1806 was again called for service, first as a senator and from 1810 as the Minister of Justice and a member of the State Council. In 1814, finally retired and wholly devoted himself to writing. His literary works made a remarkable phenomenon in Russian literature. See also his portrait by Dmitry Levitzky.

Nicholas Rayevsky Jr. (1801-1843) - Russian soldier, younger son of the famous Russian General Nicholas Rayevsky Sr. As a 9-year old boy he and his elder brother Alexander took part in the Battle of Smolensk, where his father held Napoleon's army for 12 hours to give time to 2 parts of Russian army to unite. Later N. R. Jr. was in military service in 1813-1841 and resigned in the rank of Lieutenant-General. He was a friend of Alexander Pushkin. See his other portrait as a young military officer.

Vasily Karatyghin (1802-1853) - famous Russian tragic actor. He was renowned for his parts in classical plays and in Shakespeare repertoire. The competition between Karatyghin and other great tragic actor Pavel Mochalov was well known and widely publicized in Russian society.

Yuri Samarin (1819-1876) - Russian philosopher and journalist, public figure. He was active in the group which prepared the Reform of 1861, the Emancipation of the Serfs.

Mikhail Fyodorovich Protasyev (1778-1849) was a State Councillor, served in Preobrazhensky regiment. His wife Elizaveta Petrovna Protasyeva, nee Dubowicki (1791-1847). Their daughter Nadezhda Mikhaylovna Behr, née Protasyeva, was married to Nikolay Ivanovich Behr. The data was kindly provided by their descendant Yevgeny Geiderikh, who is looking for other descendants of the family. Please visit his Web site Protasyev Ugol.

Bibliography:
Tropinin by E. Petinova. Russian Painters of the XIX century. Moscow. 1987.