Alexander Brullov

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Alexander Brullov (self-portrait), 1830.

Alexander Pavlovich Brullov (Russian: Александр Павлович Брюллов) (Brulleau until 1822, when the family name was changed according to Russian pronunciation, sometimes also spelled Brulloff (November 29, 1798 - January 9, 1877) was a Russian artist associated with the latest phase of the Russian Neoclassicism.

Alexander Brullov was the elder brother of great Russian painter Karl Brullov and was born in 1798 in Saint Petersburg into the family of French artists: his great grandfather, his grandfather, his father and his brothers were artists. His first teacher was his father Paul Brulloff. He attended the Imperial Academy of Arts' architect class in 1810 - 1820 and graduated with honors. Along with his brother, Karl, he was sent to Europe to study art and architecture as a pensioner of the Society for the Promotion of Artists.

Alexander Brullov spent 8 years abroad from 1822 to 1830, in Italy, Germany and France, studying architecture and art. He painted a lot of watercolor portraits at that time. Among the best were the portraits of V. A. Perovsky (1824), C. P. Bakunina (1830-1832), John Capodistria (1820s), C. I. Zagryazhskaya (1820s) and others.

Natalia Pushkina

In 1831, after his return to Russia, he was appointed professor of the Imperial Academy of Arts and these were the years when he created his best architectural projects. Among others, he designed and built the following buildings in St. Petersburg: Mikhailovskiy Theater (now Maliy Theater, 1831-1833), Lutheran Church of St. Peter and St. Paul on Nevsky Prospekt (1833-1838), Pulkovo Observatory (1834-1839), the Headquarters of Guard Corps on Palace Square (1837-1843). He was one of the main architects of the reconstruction of the Winter Palace after the fire of 1837. He designed many striking interiors there including the Pompei Hall, the Malachite Hall the White Hall.

Alexander Brullov was a prominent architect, but also a very talented artist. One of the best portraits created by A. Brulloff at this period was a portrait of Natalya Goncharova-Pushkina (1831), wife of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Alexander Brulloff also made illustrations for the books and magazines.

Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, 1823-1826	E.M. Bakunina, 1830s	Woman with a book, 1839	"The horsewoman"
"Italian midday"	"Shishmarevy"	"Pskov siege"	"Ivan Krylov"