Василий Андреевич Тропинин (1776 57)

Vasily Andreevich Tropinin (Russian: Василий Андреевич Тропинин; March 30 March 19 1776 May 16 May 4) 1857) was a Russian Romantic painter. Much of his life was spent as a serf; he didn t attain his freedom until he was more than forty years old. Three of his more important works are a portrait of Alexander Pushkin and paintings called The Lace Maker and The GoldEmbroideress. Vasily was born as a serf of Count Munnich in the village Korpovo of Novgorod guberniya and then transferred to Count Morkovs as a part of the Munich s daughter s dowry. Soon he was sent to Saint Petersburg to study the trade of a confectioner. Instead of learning his trade Tropinin secretly attended free drawing lessons in the Imperial Academy of Arts. In 1799, his owner allowed Tropinin s to study at the Academy as a nondegree student (Postoronny uchenik). He took lessons from S. S. Schukin and was supported by the President of the Academy Alexander Sergeyevich Stroganov. In 1804 Tropinin s wo