Grigory Gagarin
(1810-1893)

GG Gagarin was born into an aristocratic family, was the son of a diplomat. Art education he received, but, living since 1816 in Italy, the advice and lessons KPBryullov .

 Returning in 1832 to St. Petersburg, continued to dabble in art. In the years 1834-36. He made a trip to the brig "Themistocles" from Athens to Constantinople, where he was sent to the diplomatic service.

In 1839, after his return to Russia, he had to go to the writer VA Sollogub in Kazan. Impressions from a trip Sollogub were used for writing the novel "The carriage," and Gagarin - to create illustrations for it (opublikovany. in 1845). Witty, performed in a satirical vein, these figures are among the best works of Russian book graphics.

Friends with Lermontov, Gagarin in 1840, followed him to the Caucasus, where he participated in military operations (even was awarded for bravery in battle) and played a lot of portraits, landscapes, battle scenes, sketches of historical monuments. Part of it is in the first half of 1840. used for paintings devoted to the Caucasus ("Camp at the second river crossing Muganlinskoy Alazan", "group of mountaineers," "The battle between Russian troops and the Circassians in Ahatle May 8, 1841", etc.).

 Since 1848 Gagarin lived in Tiflis, went on Transcaucasia, capturing a vision. The range of his creative work of this period is unusually broad: he built a theater in Tbilisi on his own project, restored murals of ancient Georgian churches, painted in "Byzantine" style of Tiflis, Sioni Cathedral, led by the artistic part of Lapidary Works. His house was a kind of cultural center of Tbilisi.

 Since the mid-1850s. Gagarin continued his activities in St. Petersburg: participated in the drafting of a new charter of the Academy of Fine Arts, has published albums "scenic Caucasus" and "Costumes of the Caucasus", painted the church, ready to work on the history of art. In 1859, he was elected vice-president of the Academy of Arts. Not wanting to, and unable to withstand the onslaught of conservative and bureaucratic forces, was forced to leave the post in 1872

 And the talent and professionalism of Gagarin did not concede many major artists, but aristocratic prejudices prevented him to devote himself to creative work, and because the contribution of the artist in his art was more modest capabilities.