St. Alexander Nevsky

Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky: A Life in Portraiture

Early Life and Training

• Born: July 24, 1757, in Myrhorod (present-day Ukraine).
• Family Background: His father, Luka Borovyk, was a Ukrainian Cossack and an amateur icon painter. This early exposure significantly influenced young Vladimir’s artistic beginnings.
• Initial Artistic Pursuits: Borovikovsky began his career painting icons for local churches, honing his skills in religious art before transitioning to portraiture.

Rise to Prominence and Imperial Patronage

• Key Moment: A pivotal moment arrived when Borovikovsky’s friend, Vasyl Kapnist, commissioned him to create allegorical paintings for Empress Catherine II's visit to Kremenchuk.
• Imperial Recognition: The Empress was deeply impressed by his work and requested he relocate to Saint Petersburg, marking a turning point in his career.
• Move to St. Petersburg: After September 1788, Borovikovsky established himself in the imperial capital, adopting the more aristocratic surname “Borovikovsky.”

Artistic Style and Influences

• Stylistic Characteristics: Borovikovsky’s portraits are known for their intimacy, sentimental quality, and delicate rendering of textures.
• Influences: He was influenced by Dmitry Levitzky and Johann Baptist Lampi, receiving private lessons from both. The ideas of Prince Nikolay Lvov also profoundly shaped his artistic vision.
• Artistic Movement: His work bridges the Rococo and Romanticism movements, exhibiting elements of both styles.

Notable Works and Major Achievements

• Key Portraits: Some of his most celebrated works include portraits of Catherine II, Count Razumovsky, Dmitry Levitzky, Morteza Qoli Khan Qajar, and the iconic portrait of M.I. Lopukhina.
• Portrait of Catherine II (1794): This work secured his appointment as an academician by the Academy of Arts.
• Prolific Output: Borovikovsky created approximately 500 portraits during his lifetime, with around 400 surviving today.

Later Life and Legacy

• Freemasonry: In 1819, Borovikovsky became a Freemason, which influenced his later artistic focus.
• Return to Icon Painting: He increasingly dedicated himself to icon painting in his later years, including the creation of an iconostasis for the Smolensky Cemetery Church.
• Death and Burial: Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky passed away on April 6, 1825, and was interred in the Lazarus Cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in Saint Petersburg.
• Historical Significance: He is considered Russia’s leading portraitist of the Romantic era, capturing the essence of Russian nobility and society at a pivotal moment in history.