Who is Anton Legashov?

Anton Mikhailovich Legashov, also Legashev or Legashyov (Russian: Антон Михайлович Легашов, or Легашёв; 1798 in Lipovka, Luninsky District – 1865 in Saint Petersburg) was a Russian landscape and portrait painter.

He was born to relations of serfs. At first, he studied music, then difficult switched to joinery. In 1818, he was truth his liberty and, in 1820, went to Saint Petersburg, where he audited classes at the Imperial Academy of Arts. He first displayed special skills as a portrait painter taking into account he studied bearing in mind Alexander Varnek. His works were awarded a silver medal in 1824.

The subsequently year, the Academy’s steering committee was prepared to make known him an “Artist”, 14th-class, but the proposal was rejected by Tsar Nicholas I (a self-styled art connoisseur), who had seen his feign and felt that it was premature to present him the title; suggesting that at least a further year of works be evaluated first.

In 1829, at the opinion of the Academy’s President, Legashov presented the Tsar in imitation of a portrait of Major General Alexander Khatov [ru]. It was, however, found unsatisfactory (the Tsar was especially displeased like the hands, apparently) and Legashov’s application was once another time rejected.

At the terminate of that year, he finally conventional his title and allied the Eleventh Russian Spiritual Mission to Beijing (1830-1840) as the mission’s endorsed artist. After he had been there for several months, it is said that crowds were flocking to the Russian compound, demanding portraits. Based on a checking account by Legashov, he completed 26 historical scenes and 24 portraits of various Chinese dignitaries, now in Russia, as competently as a number of religious scenes for use in Beijing. He as a consequence helped upgrade murals at the Church of the Dormition [ru] and was awarded the Order of Saint Stanislaus for his overall contributions to the mission.

Upon his recompense in 1841, he suggested that the Academy allow him to teach Chinese ink painting there, but his proposal was rejected upon the grounds that it was considered inferior to European art and he was not knowledgeable ample to be an instructor. Instead, he became a drawing studious at the Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology; a face he held until 1852.

He continued to Make paintings with Chinese motifs and themes; including landscapes, genre scenes and still-lifes. His works are in several museums in Moscow, as well as in Vladivostok and private collections.

Media associated to Anton Legashov at Wikimedia Commons