Portrait of K.P.Bryullov Vasily Tropinin (1776-1857)

Description of Vasily Tropinin’s painting "Portrait of Bryullov".

When an artist portrays people far removed from the theory of art, it is customary. But when a master of the brush takes on work on a portrait of a fellow painter, the ability to impress a colleague comes at a high price. Such is Tropinin’s painting: on it the Russian sculptor of realism and romanticism painted a ceremonial portrait of Karl Bryullov.

At the end of 1835, having completed his European journey, Karl Bryullov visited the Russian capital. Moscow greeted his native painter with magnificent cultural receptions. As for his compatriot and friend in fondness for fine art - Vasily Tropinin, his fame as a stunning portrait painter went beyond the country and was already known to our visiting artist.

Having won the attention of local aristocrats and other art connoisseurs, Briullov already in 1836 went to meet Tropinin’s creative studio.

The talks between the two hearts in love with painting resulted in a fruitful friendship. Vasily Andreevich adopted some artistic skills and techniques prevailing in Europe. The main fruit of their partnership - a beautiful painting - a portrait of Karl Bryullov.

The artist painted a colleague in a beautiful suit. Black jacket, snow-white shirt underneath and a tied puffy bow - the elegant clothing of the intelligentsia of the time. With his right hand the portrayed man holds a brush and with his left, a half-open folder of canvases. The master seems attentive and always ready to work on the next masterpiece.

An antique landscape occupies the background of the painting. This is a kind of echo of Bryullov’s famous painting about the fall of Pompeii: the stone ruins and the blazing volcano peak.

Karl Pavlovich looks at the audience with dignity and nobility. The painting reflects the author’s grateful pride in his friendship with such a famous and beautiful painter and his involvement in the single cause of capturing reality to immortalize moments.