Sergey Zaryanko was a well-known portrait painter of the mid-19th century, a master of scenography, an outstanding teacher and art theorist. His painting style was distinguished by the accuracy in painting the artist’s model and high draughtmanship. For his portraits, the Imperial Academy of Arts awarded Sergey Zaryanko the title of Professor of painting. In 1856, he began working at the Moscow school of painting and sculpture as an inspector and senior professor of painting. Being a mentor at the school, Zaryanko paid much attention to the development of young artists. Among them were Vasily Perov, Illarion Pryanishnikov, Vasily Pukirev, Leonid Solomatkin, Vladimir Makovskiy and others. Many of Zaryanko’s students became famous masters of the second half of the 19th century. A significant event for Sergey Zaryanko was the academic exhibition in 1849, where he presented portraits of General Pyotr Lomnovsky and opera singer Osip Petrov.
The artist created about 100 portraits. Among his artworks there are some which are particularly famous: portraits of Grand Dukes Nikolai Nikolaevich, Vladimir Alexandrovich and the portrait of the future Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, the portrait of a prominent state figure Alexander Taneev, Vice-President of the Academy of Arts Fedor Tolstoy, adjutant general Fedor Litke.
Arseniy Zakrevsky was a adjutant general, minister of internal affairs in Russia, Governor-General of Finland, member of the State Council. And this was not a complete list of his titles and positions. Zakrevsky was also a well-known public figure and hero of the Patriotic war of 1812, he participated in the Battle of Borodino.
A custom-made ceremonial portrait of Arseniy Zakrevsky was painted by Zaryanko at the peak of his artistic career. In this portrait you can see an elderly man with a soldier bearing and wearing a uniform with orders. Distinctions and awards are painted thoroughly and in fine details, so that the artist’s contemporaries could immediately understand the merits of the character in the portrait. And the background, on the contrary, is depicted only conditionally, so that nothing distracts attention from the character Portraits like this were usually created for public places: they had to accurately describe the appearance of a famous figure and his social status.
The artist created about 100 portraits. Among his artworks there are some which are particularly famous: portraits of Grand Dukes Nikolai Nikolaevich, Vladimir Alexandrovich and the portrait of the future Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, the portrait of a prominent state figure Alexander Taneev, Vice-President of the Academy of Arts Fedor Tolstoy, adjutant general Fedor Litke.
Arseniy Zakrevsky was a adjutant general, minister of internal affairs in Russia, Governor-General of Finland, member of the State Council. And this was not a complete list of his titles and positions. Zakrevsky was also a well-known public figure and hero of the Patriotic war of 1812, he participated in the Battle of Borodino.
A custom-made ceremonial portrait of Arseniy Zakrevsky was painted by Zaryanko at the peak of his artistic career. In this portrait you can see an elderly man with a soldier bearing and wearing a uniform with orders. Distinctions and awards are painted thoroughly and in fine details, so that the artist’s contemporaries could immediately understand the merits of the character in the portrait. And the background, on the contrary, is depicted only conditionally, so that nothing distracts attention from the character Portraits like this were usually created for public places: they had to accurately describe the appearance of a famous figure and his social status.
