Vladimir Borovikovsky

Vladimir Borovikovsky was born in Mirgorod, Cossack Hetmanate, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) on July 24, 1757. His father was a tailor and an amateur icon painter. He showed an early talent for drawing and painting, and was admitted to the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1786, where he studied under Maxim Vorobiev, a renowned landscape painter. He also served in the Imperial Russian Navy and traveled with the fleet to many countries, such as Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, and England. He painted many views of the ports, coasts, and ships he saw during his voyages. He was greatly influenced by Ivan Aivazovsky, a master of marine painting, and became his friend and collaborator. He also admired the works of the Barbizon School, a group of French painters who painted realistic landscapes in the open air. He won several medals and awards for his paintings, such as "The Jewish Tailor" (1786), "The Miser" (1787), "The Judas Kiss" (1788), and "Christ Before the People" (1796). He became an academician in 1795 and a professor in 1802. He retired from the navy in 1802 and devoted himself to painting. He traveled extensively in Russia and Europe, painting the landscapes and seascapes of different countries and regions. He also painted some historical and religious scenes, such as "The Battle of Sinop" (1853), "The Coronation of Alexander II" (1856), and "The Resurrection of Christ" (1862). He was one of the founders of the World of Art movement, along with his friends Sergei Diaghilev, Leon Bakst, and others. The World of Art aimed to promote the aesthetic values and individuality of the artists, and to revive the traditions of the Russian art. He died in Saint Petersburg in 1825, at the age of 67. He is regarded as one of the most influential and versatile Russian painters of the 19th century.