Pyotr Basin was born in 1793 in Saint Petersburg. He served in the Budget Revenues Department of the Ministry of Finance. Starting from 1811, he attended the drawing classes in the Academy of Arts as a non-credit student; in 1813, he became a full-time student of the Academy. In 1818, for his painting Christ Expels Moneylenders from the Temple he received a pension for studying abroad, so in 1819–1830 he lived in Italy.
After returning to Saint Petersburg, Basin painted the religious themes mainly. He performed a number of compositions for Kazan and St. Isaac’s Cathedrals. For the latter, Basin painted up to forty images of religious nature, he completed the largest scope of work out of all the artists working in the Cathedral. For Kazan Cathedral Basin painted Presentation in the Temple; for the church of the Academy of Arts – the altarpiece Descent of the Holy Spirit over the Apostles and several images for the iconostases; for the library of the Academy – the dome ceiling. He painted several portraits including the one of Mikhail Kutuzov of Smolensk. In the end of his life, in 1860-s, Basin created the cardboard sketches for the frescoes in Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. However, due to losing his eyesight, Basin could not perform the frescoes himself; therefore, Nikolay Koshelev did that based on Basin’s sketches.
Starting from 1831, Basin taught in the Academy of Arts, he became the Professor in 1836. It was in the same year that he created the portraits of Pyotr Valuyev and his first wife Maria Petrovna, nee princess Vyazemskaya, the elder daughter of Pyotr Vyazemsky, the poet. Pyotr Valuyev was the Minister for Internal Affairs in the government under Alexander II, he chaired the Cabinet. He was also engaged in literature work and wrote several novels and stories about the ‘high life’.
In Rome, he made copies from Vatican frescoes by Raphael Releasing Peter the Apostle from Dungeon and Mass in Bolsena. In 1826-1828, Basin created the painting Socrates Defends Alcibiades in Potidaea Battle.
After successfully exhibiting this painting in Rome, it was shipped to Saint Petersburg, but the transporting vessel went through a shipwreck, and the painting was severely damaged. When Basin was called back to Russia, he restored the painting and granted it to the Academy of Arts as a gift. In 1831, he received the title of the member of the Academy for that painting.
After returning to Saint Petersburg, Basin painted the religious themes mainly. He performed a number of compositions for Kazan and St. Isaac’s Cathedrals. For the latter, Basin painted up to forty images of religious nature, he completed the largest scope of work out of all the artists working in the Cathedral. For Kazan Cathedral Basin painted Presentation in the Temple; for the church of the Academy of Arts – the altarpiece Descent of the Holy Spirit over the Apostles and several images for the iconostases; for the library of the Academy – the dome ceiling. He painted several portraits including the one of Mikhail Kutuzov of Smolensk. In the end of his life, in 1860-s, Basin created the cardboard sketches for the frescoes in Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. However, due to losing his eyesight, Basin could not perform the frescoes himself; therefore, Nikolay Koshelev did that based on Basin’s sketches.
Starting from 1831, Basin taught in the Academy of Arts, he became the Professor in 1836. It was in the same year that he created the portraits of Pyotr Valuyev and his first wife Maria Petrovna, nee princess Vyazemskaya, the elder daughter of Pyotr Vyazemsky, the poet. Pyotr Valuyev was the Minister for Internal Affairs in the government under Alexander II, he chaired the Cabinet. He was also engaged in literature work and wrote several novels and stories about the ‘high life’.
