Beggrov Karl Petrovich
(1799-1875)

KP Beggrov doing lithography, watercolors and paintings. In the years 1818-21. studied in the landscape class at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts M.N.Vorobeva. He worked in the lithographic workshop of his older brother's IP Beggrova, where he acquired the skills of drawing on the stone. Along with that, he served from 1825 lithographer at the General Directorate of Communications and public institutions.

 In 1828 he was invited to execute paintings of the Winter Palace. In 1831, KP Beggrov received from the Academy of Fine Arts degree appointed, and in 1832 - a promising academic painting for "Michael Palace." They are filled with portraits of Emperors Alexander I, Nicholas I, Academician X. Vostokova.

 The versatile talent K. Beggrova allowing it to manifest itself not only in the different genres of art (portrait, interior, household sketches, urban scenes, battle songs), but also in different techniques. Successfully engaged in painting, he did not stop at the same time to paint watercolors, and about 1818 turned to lithography. The artist was fascinated by this new technology to Russia, and throughout the 1820s. He established himself as an outstanding lithographer.

 In the 1820s and 30s. the most common genre in lithography became portrait. K. Beggrov performed a number of interesting images of his contemporaries - F. Glinka, A. X. Vostokova, IA Dmitrevsky etc. As a rule, translating into stone works of other artists, Beggrov often allowed himself to "correct" the original - almost imperceptibly changing the rotation of the head, emphasizing the characteristics portrayed. All this is reported image vividness and increased the resemblance. However, the greatest fame brought Beggrova lithographed views of St. Petersburg, which he carried out for the edition of "Views of St. Petersburg and the surrounding area", carried out in 1821 - 26 years. OPH. This series belongs to the most remarkable phenomena of the early Russian lithography. It was printed in different lithographic workshop in the form of four leaf notebooks (1821-23), as well as individual sheets (1822-26). In its creation, except K. Beggrova participated SF Galaktionov, A-Briullov, AA Tone, SP Shiflyar, KF Sabat, A. Toselli. "Common looking" over the publication of this FF Shubert. Originals for translation into stone prepared under the direction of FP Tolstoy. In most cases, each sheet is the result of the work of two authors, one executed original form from nature, the other takes him to a lithographic stone. K. Beggrov nalitografiroval 28 sheets of 46 that make up the publication. This image ceremonial areas of St. Petersburg - Nevsky Prospekt, Palace Embankment, Vasilevsky Island, and the outermost parts - the Fontanka embankment, the Kryukov Canal. All lithographs are made with great skill and understanding of the architectural landscape and love for their city.

 One of the best sheets throughout the series, the artist who brought considerable success - the image of the arch of the General Staff (1822), full of the drawing Rossi. For most of the lithographs K. Beggrova drawings created by KF Sabat and SP Shiflya-set, and the first to draw the architecture, the second - staffazhnye figures of passers-by, rather enliven the image. Black-and-white lithographs and then painted with watercolors. Especially prized specimens with the author of the coloring K. Beggrova. In addition to participating in the production of this famous series, the artist has worked for "Album of lithographs by 1820" (St. Petersburg, 1820), nalitografiroval album "The people who live between the Caspian and Black Seas" (St. Petersburg, 1822), as well as two albums and a few sheets on military history. All these publications are somehow connected with the activity of OPH, very much for the development of lithography in Russia.

In the 1830s. Activity K. Beggrova as a lithographer markedly reduced. By this time is only released to them a series of lithographs "Merchants, peddlers" (St. Petersburg, 1834). Now the artist is mainly engaged in drawing and watercolor. The most significant works of the late period belongs the famous album of watercolors "Types of Finland" (1857), as well as numerous landscapes of St. Petersburg.