Karl Pavlovich Bryullov
(1799-1852)
The only Russian artist who was honored during the lifetime of a laurel wreath and a diamond ring from the hands of the emperor. For the "Last Day of Pompeii" he was called "the first brush of the state." Bryullov created more than 200 ceremonial and chamber portraits and painted the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral covering 800 square meters.
Youthful years
Karl Pavlovich Bryullov was born on December 12 (23), 1799, in St. Petersburg, in the family of the Germanized Russian Brullo. My father was a skillful sculptor-carver and wrote interesting miniatures.
Love to drawing manifested in Charles as a child. Adults often thought the pencil was a natural extension of the hand.
When the boy was ten years old, he was accepted into the Moscow Art Academy. Within its walls, Bryullov Karl Pavlovich spent twelve years.
The beginning of a creative way
After completing his studies as “excellent,” the young artist demonstrated his independence. He refused to remain within the walls of the academy and in 1819 settled in the workshop of his elder brother, who was an active participant in the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral.
At this time, Karl Pavlovich painted portraits to order. Its main customers were patrons A. Dmitriev-Mamonov and P. Kikin. At their request, Bryullov painted such paintings as “Oedipus and Antigone” and “Remorse of Polynique”.
These paintings enjoyed great success. For them, the young artist was awarded a four-year retirement trip to Italy
In Italy
In Italian museums, Bryullov studied painting by prominent artists of the past. Most of all he was struck by the “Athenian school” of Raphael. For 4 years Bryullov worked on her copy. The final result struck not only “colleagues in the brush,” but also critics. The artist's work in these years was quite fruitful. In 1827, the painting “Italian Midday” was created, in 1832 - “Bathsheba”. As an outstanding painter, Bryullov created many secular portraits. One of the brightest portrait works is “Horsewoman”. Bryullov was recognized during his lifetime. He returned to his homeland as a living classic
Most Famous Paintings