Fyodor Yakovlevich Alekseyev is famous as one of the founders of Russian landscape painting and the great master of Russian vedute. And it’s not for nothing that the very term “vedute” (which is translated as “the view” from Italian) is used in connection with him. This term is usually used by art historians for marking the particular type of European city landscapes, mostly the Venetian ones. Fyodor Alekseyev took his art courses in Venice. After graduating from The Russian Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg in 1773, he got an opportunity to continue his studies abroad as a pensioner of the Academy. In Venice Fyodor Alekseyev worked on landscapes and also as a stage designer.
Alekseyev returned to Russia in 1777 and since 1779 he continued to work as a stage designer of the Imperial theatres. However, it didn’t inspire the artist, the landscapes remained his main passion. From 1787 the artist started to copy the works of Italian vedute artists from the Hermitage collection such as Giovanni Antonio Canaletto, Bernardo Bellotto, Claude-Joseph Vernet. This work was commissioned by Catherine the Great. Thanks to these works Fyodor Alekseyev became famous and was able to leave his job at the theatre. The first city landscape ‘View of the Palace Embankment from the Fortress’, completed by the artist in 1794, was a great success. Since that time Alekseyev got a lot of commissioned works for the city landscapes.
In 1790s he used to paint the views of Saint Petersburg, in the middle of 1790s he visited the south of Russia for making the watercolor sketches which he could later use for making full scale paintings. In 1800 he made a series of city landscapes in Moscow commissioned by Paul I.
‘View of the Stock Exchange Building and the Admiralty from the Peter and Paul Fortress’ was painted in 1810s and is referred to so called ‘second Saint Petersburg period’ in the artist’s career. Here he proves himself as an experienced master of the city landscape, showing his craft and applying all skills of a landscape painter. This is the way Saint Petersburg could have been painted by the Venetian painters. It is seen in the angle’s choice, in the perspective, and color combinations used by the painter. The viewer sees the architectural ensemble of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island as if from the water. This point opens up a view to the Stock Exchange Building and the rostral columns framing it. Nowadays this view is one of the architectural landmarks of Saint Petersburg, but back at the time the architectural ensemble completed by the French architect Thomas de Tomon in 1810 was a novelty for the locals. The boats and the sailing-ships sail along the Neva river and the Northern capital resembles Venice. From the distance one may see the Admiralty’s wing with the flag and its spire behind it.
Fyodor Alekseevich made a great contribution into Russian art. He inspired many other painters in 1820s-1830s to work in the genre of city landscape, therefore leaving for the future generations the historical view of the cities.
Alekseyev returned to Russia in 1777 and since 1779 he continued to work as a stage designer of the Imperial theatres. However, it didn’t inspire the artist, the landscapes remained his main passion. From 1787 the artist started to copy the works of Italian vedute artists from the Hermitage collection such as Giovanni Antonio Canaletto, Bernardo Bellotto, Claude-Joseph Vernet. This work was commissioned by Catherine the Great. Thanks to these works Fyodor Alekseyev became famous and was able to leave his job at the theatre. The first city landscape ‘View of the Palace Embankment from the Fortress’, completed by the artist in 1794, was a great success. Since that time Alekseyev got a lot of commissioned works for the city landscapes.
In 1790s he used to paint the views of Saint Petersburg, in the middle of 1790s he visited the south of Russia for making the watercolor sketches which he could later use for making full scale paintings. In 1800 he made a series of city landscapes in Moscow commissioned by Paul I.
‘View of the Stock Exchange Building and the Admiralty from the Peter and Paul Fortress’ was painted in 1810s and is referred to so called ‘second Saint Petersburg period’ in the artist’s career. Here he proves himself as an experienced master of the city landscape, showing his craft and applying all skills of a landscape painter. This is the way Saint Petersburg could have been painted by the Venetian painters. It is seen in the angle’s choice, in the perspective, and color combinations used by the painter. The viewer sees the architectural ensemble of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island as if from the water. This point opens up a view to the Stock Exchange Building and the rostral columns framing it. Nowadays this view is one of the architectural landmarks of Saint Petersburg, but back at the time the architectural ensemble completed by the French architect Thomas de Tomon in 1810 was a novelty for the locals. The boats and the sailing-ships sail along the Neva river and the Northern capital resembles Venice. From the distance one may see the Admiralty’s wing with the flag and its spire behind it.
Fyodor Alekseevich made a great contribution into Russian art. He inspired many other painters in 1820s-1830s to work in the genre of city landscape, therefore leaving for the future generations the historical view of the cities.
