- Year of birth: 1735
- Date of death: 17 APR 1822
- Country: Russia
Biography:
Levitsky Dmitry Grigoryevich – Russian artist of the second half of the 18th century, was born in 1735. He is a native of simple people, from a family of Ukrainian village priest Gregory of the Nose, later changed his name to Levitsky.
The ability of Dmitry for painting manifested itself in his childhood – with the help of his father, who also was a famous master in engraving portraits, illustrations, on religious themes, carried out orders of Kiev Spiritual Academy.
To twenty three years of primary art school for young men is to work with the father and with the artist by Antropov Alexei Petrovich. The latter had a huge impact on the professional formation of the future artist. Great experience received, Dmitry Grigorievich, participating with his father in painting the walls of Andrew’s Cathedral in Kiev, under the leadership of Antropov.
In the future, Levitsky-portrait can be called a follower Antropov in creating a chamber portrait of the father, who is Alexei Petrovich. A fine example of camera portrait the “Portrait of M. A. Dyakova”, who will write Levitsky in the distant 1778.
Friendship and discipleship with antroponym does not stop after the move, Dmitry G. in 1758 in Saint-Petersburg. Enrolling in the Imperial Academy of arts, he continues to take lessons from his main master, as his assistant involved in the artistic preparations for the coronation of Catherine II in Moscow, says the painting, is dedicated to the members of the Imperial family.
Before you come to its main vocation, the writing of portraits, Dmitri is trying different activities and genres: it can be set up to do prints, paintings, deal with the iconography.
By 1769, thoroughly settled in St. Petersburg, Levitsky became an independent and already quite well-known portrait painter.
His portraits of ordinary people, for example, a farmer Sezemova, or famous public figures of the time, such as Stroganoff, Kozlov, he graduated from the Demidov are truthfulness, vitality, and social often emphasize, but they all share the desire of the author to the naturalness and individuality of each character.
Thirty-five years Levitsky awarded the title of academician of arts. In 1771, Dmitry Grigorievich engaged in teaching (by the way, one of his disciples Kiprensky, Orest Adamovich). From 1786 to 1788, and then since 1807 Levitsky, member of the Board at the Academy of fine arts.
In 1790-ies Levitsky enters a Masonic Lodge, make friends with “free Mason” Latinum A. f, with the well-known illuminator of the time Novikov N. And, with the figure of Russian culture, Lvov N. A., with the poet G. R. Derzhavin
Artist inspired painting portraits of influential people of the 18th century – count Vorontsov and his family, Bakunina E. A., Denis Diderot, a magnificent series of paintings by students of the Imperial educational society for noble maidens, Empress Catherine II and many, many others.
In the last years of his life, the artist almost didn’t paint, he started having eye trouble. Died Dmitry Grigoryevich in 1822 and was buried at the Smolensk cemetery.
Fifty years took place in St. Petersburg, leaving generations of his brilliant creations.
The work of Levitsky know at once, softness and at the same time, the saturation of colors in the famous Sunny Golden shades, to unique characters, beautiful your inner light, which is the talent of the author certainly is released in each canvas.