Kiprensky Orest Adamovich (13 (24) .03.1782 – 10.05.1836) – a portraitist and history painter, one of the finest artists, when something is in Russia. He was the son of a serf rights Brigadier A. Diakonova, A. Schwalbe. Born in county Oranienbaum S. Petersburg province, 13 (24) March 1782, and baptized in the village Koporie, from which he received the nickname "Koporskaya", then changed to the name "Kiprensky.
Even in childhood he showed a great liking for drawing, which prompted Diakonova let him go out and determine in 1788, students in the Imperial. Academy of Arts. While studying in her own extraordinary artistic abilities and their rapid development Kiprensky acquired a special patronage of the then president of the Academy, gr. Stroganov. The main mentors him here were sullen and G. D. Levitsky.
In 1802, for the picture: Philemon and Baucis, awarded him a small gold medal, and in addition, for the painting project of the monument Professor G. Kozlov, he was one of the great gold medals, donated by gr. Stroganov. After graduating in the next year academic course with the title of the artist XIV cells. Is left with the Academy as a boarder.
In 1805 he was awarded a large gold medal for the written program now: "Dmitry Donskoy in Kulikovo (nahod. Museum Acad. Thin.), And thus acquired the right to travel to foreign lands, with the content from the Government, but by the then political circumstances, sending him there had to be postponed.
Once he went to Moscow and was in Tver, in the court led. Princess Catherine Pavlovna. In 1812, a few male portraits, including a portrait of guerrilla-poet D. Davydov (nah. Museum Acad. Thin.) Erected in the title of Academician, and in 1815 recognized as an advisor of the Academy. In the following year went, finally, in a journey abroad, at the expense of the Imperial. Elizabeth Alexeyevna, visited Germany, Switzerland and Italy, and the last one of these countries acquired their portraits so well known that honored that his portrait, painted by himself at the suggestion of the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts, was placed in the Uffizi Gallery, the collection of portraits by famous artists.
Returned to St. Petersburg. in 1823, but not for long, and in 1828 again went to Italy, where he attracted the love of a young Roman woman, model Anna Maria Falkuchchi which, thanks to him, was given to education in one of the female schools of this city . During his absence from St. Petersburg. Was due to receive the Academy of Arts of the new state, renamed from advisers to be a professor, in 1831
In 1836 he married Falkuchchi, but 3 months later he died in Rome on 5 October that year. Contemporaries called Kiprensky "Russian Van Dyke," but this name determines the nature of his talent is not quite accurate. Starting out with a follow his teacher, Ugryumova and Levitsky, he then took me for examples of Rubens and Rembrandt, and tried, in his works, to merge the best qualities of their painting, but soon left these artists and created his own style, which sought may complete transmit the nature of life, not only the strict accuracy of drawing and the naturalness of the colors, but mostly well crafted, varied, depending on the kind depicted substances – such as to completely concealed by the brush work and receive full illusion of reality. In many cases Kiprensky solves this problem perfectly, but not all of his works have the same value.
Especially strong, he was part of portraits, which are written to them a lot and who, besides other qualities, in general is remarkably similar. With regard to his historical paintings, they suggest that, for all his skill, he did not possess the gift of great songs. In addition to painting, Kiprensky engaged in painting on stone and published several lithographs. As for the best among his works, you can specify the portraits of the famous sculptor Gorvaldsena and father of the artist (in Imperial. Hermitage), the "Young Gardener" (ibid.), "readers of newspapers" and "Tiburtinskuyu Sybil" (in the Moscow Public Museum) portraits fabulist Krylov (in counts. Acad. Sciences) and "gr. Pototskaya" (in the estate of Count. Potocki), "Tomb of Anacreon" (in years.Briullov, in St. Petersburg.) And a few portraits collected, the Tretyakov Gallery, which he founded in Moscow.