Orest Adamovich Kiprensky (Russian: Орест Адамович Кипренский 24 March [O.S. 13 March] 1782-17 October [O.S. 5 October] 1836) was a leading Russian portraitist in the Age of Romanticism. His most familiar work is probably his portrait of Alexander Pushkin (1827), which prompted the poet to remark that “the mirror flatters me”.
Orest was born in the village of Nezhnovo in the Saint Petersburg Governorate upon 24 March [O.S. 13 March] 1782. He was an illegitimate son of a landowner Alexey Dyakonov, hence his name, derived from Kypris, one of the Greek names for the goddess of love. He was raised in the relatives of Adam Shvalbe, a serf. Although Kiprensky was born a serf, he was released from the serfdom upon his birth and future his daddy helped him to enter a boarding researcher at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg in 1788 (when Orest was solitary six years old).
He studied at the boarding teacher and the Academy itself until 1803. He lived at the Academy for three more years as a pensioner to fulfill requirements necessary to win the Major Gold medal. Winning the first prize for his work Prince Dmitri Donskoi after the Battle of Kulikovo (1805) enabled the young player to go abroad to psychiatry art in Europe.
A year back his graduation, in 1804, he painted the portrait of Adam Shvalbe, his give foster to father (1804), which was a great success. The portrait in view of that impressed his contemporaries, that far ahead members of the Naples Academy of Arts took it for the painting by some Old Master – Rubens or van Dyck. Kiprensky had to ask the members of the Imperial Academy of Arts for letters supporting his authorship.
After that, Kiprensky lived in Moscow (1809), Tver 1811, Saint Petersburg 1812, in 1816–1822 he lived in Rome and Napoli. In Italy he met a local girl Anna Maria Falcucci (Mariucci), to whom he became attached. He bought her from her dissolute relations and employed as his ward. On leaving behind Italy, he sent her to a Roman Catholic convent.
In 1828, Kiprensky came help to Italy, as he got a letter from his buddy Samuil Galberg, informing him that they had at a loose end track of Mariucci. Kiprensky found Mariucci, who had been transferred to unconventional convent. In 1836 he eventually married her. He had to convert into Roman Catholicism from Russian Orthodoxy for this marriage to happen. He died by pneumonia in Rome later that year. He is buried in the church of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte.
What do you think of the works of Orest Kiprensky?
Use the form below to say your opinion about Orest Kiprensky. All opinions are welcome!