Roslin, Alexander (1718-1793)

When, in 1776, Alexander Roslin, at the invitation of Catherine the Great came to St. Petersburg, he was already one of Europe's leading portrait painters of the official painter of several European courts, including Swedish and French.

Alexander Roslin, painter and portraitist, born into a family physician in the Swedish city of Malmo. He started with naval architecture, but became interested in painting. From 1736 to 1739 he studied at the Roslin known portrait painter Gerhard Schroeder in Stockholm. After graduation, he worked in Sweden, and since 1745 - in Brandenburg. In the years 1747-1751 the famous painter lived in Italy.

In 1752, Alexander Roslin settled in Paris. He became known in high society and his portraits soon attracted the attention of scholars of his brilliant virtuosity that stood out even in the cutthroat competition of Paris. He is particularly able to convey the texture of velvet, sparkle of jewelry that sometimes make up for the lack of likeness. Gradually, he became one of the most respected portrait painters of the aristocracy.

In 1774 the crown prince, the future Gustav III, Roslin invited to Sweden to create portraits of members of the royal family. In January 1776, Roslyn was invited to Russia to write a formal portrait of the Empress Catherine II.

Gustav Adolf Reyterholm, court Swedish King Gustav III, in his notes on the journey to St. Petersburg in 1776-1777, the workshop described the Roslin: "During his visit I had the opportunity to see most of the decorations of the Empress, which he wrote, costing not less than 4 million rubles as well as one of the dresses worn by a mannequin, with all the ornaments and symbols of power, placed on top of the imperial mantle and juxtaposed. " However, do not like the portrait of Catherine: in a letter to Baron Grimm, she noticed that Roslin painted her "Swedish cook, rough and simple."

In St. Petersburg, where he spent two years, Roslyn has written more than a hundred portraits. The artist worked quite truthfully, but without boring protokolizma inherent in the works of German artists. His portraits of the rulers were to repeatedly copy, including Russian portraitists such as Rokotov . After Russia, he went back to Paris, where he died in 1793.