Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 15 works by Anton Losenko in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Anton Losenko left, the most famous is The Miraculous Draught Of Fishes, (1762). Close behind it come Justice (off Raffaello) (1700) and The Ten Commandments of Moses. Our catalog holds 15 works by Anton Losenko; the gallery has kept the 15 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes is a significant work by Anton Losenko, dating to 1762. In this composition, the artist captures a profound moment from the New Testament, specifically the narrative of the miraculous catch of fish found in the Gospel of Luke. The scene unfolds along the banks of the Sea of Galilee, a setting that grounds the spiritual event in a specific, recognizable landscape.
In the delicate interplay of light and shadow within Anton Pavlovich Losenko’s Justice (off Raffaello), we encounter a profound meditation on the nature of balance and moral clarity. This evocative work, rooted in the neoclassical tradition, presents a figure of monumental grace, draped in classical attire that speaks to the timelessness of her purpose. As she stands poised with scales in one hand and an ostrich by her side, the…
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 3 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Anton Losenko | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Tretyakov Gallery |
Moscow | 2 | Fyodor volkov, Hector and Andromache |
 Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts named after P. S. Gamzatova |
Makhachkala | 1 | Justice (off Raffaello) |
 The State Russian Museum |
St. Petersburg | 1 | Vladimir and Rogneda |
Barely a decade, 1762 to 1769, gave the world every dated Anton Losenko original in this selection: here it is, year by year.
Pick a year to see its originals.
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes is a significant work by Anton Losenko, dating to 1762. In this composition, the artist captures a profound moment from the New Testament, specifically the narrative of the miraculous catch of fish found in the Gospel of Luke. The scene unfolds along the banks of the Sea of Galilee, a setting that grounds the spiritual event in a specific, recognizable landscape.
The Miraculous Draught Of Fishes, (1762). Justice (off Raffaello) (1700) and The Ten Commandments of Moses come next.
25 years old: The Miraculous Draught Of Fishes, dates from 1762, and Anton Losenko was born in 1737.
The Miraculous Draught Of Fishes,, Justice (off Raffaello), The Ten Commandments of Moses, The Sacrifice of Isaac,, Zeus and Thetis,, Chekhov, St. Andrew The Apostle, Shumsky yakov danilovich, Portrait of Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov President of and Portrait of the poet and playwright Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 15 works by Anton Losenko, dated from 1762 to 1769.
Mostly in Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow), Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts named after P. S. Gamzatova (Makhachkala) and The State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg). The museum table above lists them all.
On this page, the earliest is The Miraculous Draught Of Fishes, (1762) and the latest Zeus and Thetis, (1769).
Chiaroscuro (2), Portraits (2) and Royalty (2), across the 15 works on this page.
Baroque, judging by the originals on this page.
Fyodor volkov and Hector and Andromache: the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow holds 2 of the works on this page.
In the grand tapestry of eighteenth-century art, few figures loom as large or as foundational as Anton Pavlovich Losenko. A pioneer who bridged the gap between the decorative elegance of the Baroque and the disciplined moral clarity of Neoclassicism, Losenko did more than merely paint; he helped forge a visual language for a burgeoning empire. Born in 1737 in Hlukhiv, within the vibrant Cossack heritage of what is now Ukraine, his early life was defined by a profound sense of resilience. Orphaned at the tender age of seven, his path led him to the Saint Petersburg Court Choir. While it was here that he first encountered the structured harmonies of music, it was also where a loss of voice redirected his creative spirit toward the silent, powerful medium of the brush.
Losenko’s ascent from an orphaned choirboy to a titan of the Imperial Academy of Arts is a narrative of extraordinary discipline and talent. Under the mentorship of Ivan Argunov, he underwent a rigorous apprenticeship that laid the groundwork for his technical mastery. By 1759, his admission to the Imperial Academy marked the beginning of a meteoric rise. His early portraits, including those of luminaries such as Ivan Shuvalov and Alexander Sumarokov, revealed an artist capable of profound psychological depth, capturing not just the physical likeness of the Russian elite but the very essence of their character and status.
The true expansion of Losenko’s artistic soul occurred through his travels across the great art capitals of Europe. In 1760, the Academy dispatched him to Paris, where he immersed himself in the teachings of Jean II Restout. This period was transformative; the French Neoclassical influence infused his work with a new sense of structural order and clarity. It was during this time that he tackled monumental biblical themes, such as the miraculous catch of fish, utilizing dramatic chiaroscuro to breathe life into sacred narratives. These works demonstrated an ability to marry the theatricality of the previous era with the emerging preference for balanced, rational composition.
His journey continued to Rome between 1766 and 1769, a pilgrimage that allowed him to commune directly with the ghosts of antiquity. Studying the divine proportions of Raphael, Losenko refined his ability to depict human emotion through idealized forms. His biblical series featuring Cain and Abel stands as a testament to this period, showcasing a mastery of light and shadow that echoed the humanist ideals of the Enlightenment. These years in Italy were not merely about learning technique; they were about absorbing the classical vocabulary that he would eventually translate into a uniquely Russian context.
Upon his return to Saint Petersburg, Losenko achieved what few artists of his era could: he elevated historical painting from a secondary genre to the highest tier of academic prestige. His masterpiece, Vladimir I of Kiev and Rogneda of Polotsk, was a watershed moment for Russian art. By selecting an episode from Kievan Rus' history, Losenko provided the Russian people with a visual connection to their ancestral past, grounding the Neoclassical style in local historical significance. This work earned him not only the title of Academician but also a professorship, placing him at the helm of artistic education in the Empire.
Losenko’s influence extended far beyond the canvas. As a director and educator, he shaped the minds of future generations, even authoring a vital textbook on human proportions that served as a standard for decades. His legacy is characterized by several enduring contributions:
Though his life was tragically short, ending in 1773, Anton Losenko left behind an indelible mark on the cultural landscape. He transformed the Russian Academy from a recipient of Western influence into a creator of its own profound artistic tradition, ensuring that the history of his people would be told through the lens of beauty, dignity, and truth.
