Karl Pavlovich Bryullov was a famous Russian portrait and genre painter. He descended from the French family of Bruleau, and was a contemporary of Ingres and Delacroix. Karl Bryullov was a proponent of Romanticism; he created large-scale compositions for churches, as well as outstanding ceremonial and chamber portraits. Karl Bryullov was famous and popular in Europe — he was a member of the Milan, Parma and Roman Academies. His key works included the monumental “Last Day of Pompeii”, “The Rider”, and “Bathsheba”, as well as the portraits of Vasily Zhukovsky, Ivan Krylov, and Alexey Tolstoy.
The portrait of Pavel Vasilyevich Kukolnik was painted during the famous evening receptions in Saint Petersburg. Pavel’s younger brother, the poet and playwright Nestor Vasilyevich Kukolnik, hosted the soirees in his apartment (Bryullov painted Nestor as well — this portrait is housed in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow). Aspiring and famous writers, artists, painters and composers met on “Kukolnik’s Wednesdays.” Dozens of cartoons, caricatures and figurines depicting Mikhail Glinka, Pyotr Vyazemsky, Mikhail Shchepkin, Vladimir Odoevsky and Karl Bryullov were created then. These objects have survived.
Pavel Vasilyevich Kukolnik also participated in these evenings. He was a historian, a professor at the Vilna (Vilnius) University and a playwright. Being a tireless debater, Pavel Kukolnik made deep and witty remarks during conversation. He was fond of poetry, translations and dramaturgy, and devoted most of his life to the study of Lithuanian history and culture.
The portrait of Pavel Kukolnik displays Karl Bryullov’s talent of being instantly carried away by his model’s personality and completely surrendering to his inspiration. The picture was painted impromptu. A few confident brush strokes convey the sitter’s character and mood. His hands, which are kept behind his back, render his restrained excitement, and the position of his shoulders denotes his inner strength. The thoughtful look, the barely noticeable fatigue in the model’s posture and tilt of the head fill the image with a deep and complex meaning. Karl Bryullov captured not only the likeness of Pavel Kukolnik, but also the whole range of the professor’s emotions and feelings.
The portrait of Pavel Vasilyevich Kukolnik was painted during the famous evening receptions in Saint Petersburg. Pavel’s younger brother, the poet and playwright Nestor Vasilyevich Kukolnik, hosted the soirees in his apartment (Bryullov painted Nestor as well — this portrait is housed in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow). Aspiring and famous writers, artists, painters and composers met on “Kukolnik’s Wednesdays.” Dozens of cartoons, caricatures and figurines depicting Mikhail Glinka, Pyotr Vyazemsky, Mikhail Shchepkin, Vladimir Odoevsky and Karl Bryullov were created then. These objects have survived.
Pavel Vasilyevich Kukolnik also participated in these evenings. He was a historian, a professor at the Vilna (Vilnius) University and a playwright. Being a tireless debater, Pavel Kukolnik made deep and witty remarks during conversation. He was fond of poetry, translations and dramaturgy, and devoted most of his life to the study of Lithuanian history and culture.
The portrait of Pavel Kukolnik displays Karl Bryullov’s talent of being instantly carried away by his model’s personality and completely surrendering to his inspiration. The picture was painted impromptu. A few confident brush strokes convey the sitter’s character and mood. His hands, which are kept behind his back, render his restrained excitement, and the position of his shoulders denotes his inner strength. The thoughtful look, the barely noticeable fatigue in the model’s posture and tilt of the head fill the image with a deep and complex meaning. Karl Bryullov captured not only the likeness of Pavel Kukolnik, but also the whole range of the professor’s emotions and feelings.
