Name Alexander Varnek | ||
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Alexander Grigoryevich Varnek (born St. Petersburg, 1782 - died 1843) was a Russian painter.
Biography
He was a pupil of Dmitry Levitzky and Stepan Shchukin at the Imperial Academy of Arts. He went abroad (1801–1809) as a representative of the Academy and later returned as professor and advisor. Varnek's specialty was portraiture. He was particularly noted for his masterful drawing, his harmonious, if not particularly vivid coloring, the ability to capture a close resemblance, appropriate lighting, and in general for his conscientious execution without embellishment. Contemporaries highly rated his portraits, consequently he created many works of this sort. Particularly striking are his many self-portraits, a portrait of Madame Khatova (the wife of General Alexander Ilich Khatov), a life-size portrait of Count Alexander Stroganov, a portrait of the former president of the Academy, Alexey Olenin, and the paintings "Head of a Young Turk", "Boy with Dog", and "Fiddler". In addition, Varnek painted icons representing the Annunciation and the Four Evangelists. These latter are in the chapel of the Academy of Arts.