At birth his surname was “Bryullo”
Karl Bryullov was born into the family of a painter of French origin, Paul Georg Bryullo. Upon arriving in Russia, Paul changed his name to Pavel but kept the French surname. Karl himself changed his surname in his youth, before leaving for Italy.
He was raised by a despotic and demanding father
The course of young Karl’s creative life was determined from early childhood. His father was a well-known painter who taught at the Academy of Arts, and his brothers studied there as well. As a child Karl was frequently ill and hardly left his bed until the age of seven, but his father forced him to draw on the same terms as the other children. If the boy for some reason could not or did not complete a drawing assignment, he could be deprived of food. Once his father struck him so hard that Bryullov became deaf in one ear.
Graduated from the Academy of Arts with honors
Karl, even at a young age, surpassed all fellow students in skill and could compete in drawing and painting with well-known instructors. In his senior years he helped his classmates for a small fee and corrected their exam works. In 1821 Bryullov graduated from the Academy with honors and joined the Society for the Encouragement of Artists.
Lived in Italy for more than twelve years
After graduating from the Academy, Bryullov traveled to Italy with his brother Alexander. Later the painter visited many cities in Europe but remained living in Italy. It was there that he refined his style and established himself as a master.
He enjoyed the patronage of Countess Yuliya Samoylova
Yuliya Pavlovna Samoylova was a Russian aristocrat, heiress to the great fortune of the Skavronsky family and a patroness of the arts. She met the young Bryullov in Rome, and a close relationship quickly developed between them. Yuliya Pavlovna was the love of his life and his main muse, and she supported him until her death.
A short marriage to Emilia Timm made him an outcast
Bryullov was married to Emilia Timm, the daughter of the Riga burgomaster. The couple lived together for only a month before parting forever. The divorce proceedings dragged on for several years and brought public censure and slander upon the artist. The alleged reason for the breakup was the bride’s affair with a close relative, which continued after the wedding. In this difficult time Yuliya Samoylova returned from Italy to support Bryullov.
Emperor Nicholas I gave him a diamond ring
The painting “Italian Morning,” painted in 1823, brought Bryullov fame in Italy and Russia. The Society for the Encouragement of Artists presented the canvas to Nicholas I’s wife, Alexandra Feodorovna. The Emperor was so impressed by the gift that he awarded the artist a diamond ring and commissioned a companion painting. That is how the well-known canvas “Italian Afternoon” came into being.
Received the title of Professor of the Academy of Arts for the painting “The Last Day of Pompeii”
The painting “The Last Day of Pompeii,” presented in 1833, was enthusiastically received by European and Russian audiences. Yevgeny Baratynsky wrote the famous lines about it: “And the ‘Last Day of Pompeii’ became the first day for the Russian brush.” The painting won the first prize at the 1834 Paris Salon and was gifted to Nicholas I, who placed it in the Imperial Hermitage and later presented it to the Academy of Arts. It is currently housed in the Russian Museum.
Participated in the painting of St. Isaac’s Cathedral
Bryullov prepared sketches featuring apostles and evangelists and a series of paintings on the theme of the Passion of Christ for the large cathedral dome, after which he began the painting work. However, working in the damp conditions took a toll on the artist’s fragile health, and he was forced to request release from the job. The painting was completed by the artist Pyotr Vasilyevich Basin.
Died in Italy
Karl Bryullov died in the town of Manciana near Rome, where he was undergoing treatment with mineral waters. He was 52 years old. The artist was buried according to Lutheran rites in the Protestant cemetery of Monte Testaccio.
