Exhibition 'The Life and Works of I. P. Pozhalostin'

About exhibition

I. P. Pozhalostin entered the history of Russian art as one of the last significant masters of classical burin engraving. The artist lived a hard, deprived life. He studied at the Troitsko-Zotikov orphan school, and after graduating became a scribe in Solotchino. He enrolled in the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. His teacher was the distinguished engraver F. I. Iordan. From him Pozhalostin adopted the classical technique of burin engraving, which is based on a flawlessly accurate drawing from life. In 1871, for the engraving 'The Carrying of the Cross' Pozhalostin received the title of Academician. The artist occupies an honored place in the history of Russian classical engraving. He created an entire portrait gallery of outstanding personalities, the greater part of which is presented in the main exhibition opened in 1992 in the House-Museum. Visitors will see such unique works as 'The Test of Strength of Yan Usmar', 'Empress Maria Feodorovna', 'Portrait Sketch of Tsesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich' (the future Emperor Nicholas II), 'Portrait Sketch of General Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev', 'Portrait Sketch of Pauline Viardot', and 'Portrait Sketch of Mikhail Mikhailovich Speransky'.