Alexey Venetsianov

Born into a Moscow merchant family of Greek descent in 1780, Alexey Venetsianov's artistic journey began in St. Petersburg, where he moved in the early 19th century. Initially, he honed his skills by copying works from the Hermitage and painting portraits of friends, eventually apprenticing with the renowned Vladimir Borovikovsky. His talent was recognized early, earning him the title of Academician from the Board of the Academy of Arts in 1811 for works like his "Self-Portr…