Василий Андреевич Тропинин (1776-57)

Vasily Andreevich Tropinin (Russian: Василий Андреевич Тропинин; March 30 [O.S. March 19] 1776 – May 16 (O.S. May 4) 1857) was a Russian Romantic painter. Much of his life was spent as a serf; he didn’t attain his freedom until he was more than forty years old. Three of his more important works are a portrait of Alexander Pushkin and paintings called The Lace Maker and The Gold-Embroideress. Vasily was born as a serf of Count Munnich in the village Korpovo of Novgorod guberniya and then transferred to Count Morkovs as a part of the Munich’s daughter’s dowry. Soon he was sent to Saint Petersburg to study the trade of a confectioner. Instead of learning his trade Tropinin secretly attended free drawing lessons in the Imperial Academy of Arts. In 1799, his owner allowed Tropinin’s to study at the Academy as a non-degree student (Postoronny uchenik). He took lessons from S. S. Schukin and was supported by the President of the Academy Alexander Sergeyevich Stroganov. In 1804 Tropinin’s wo