Andrey Yefimovich Martynov (Андрей Ефимович Мартынов; 1768–1826) was a

painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

and engraver from the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. Member of the

Imperial Academy of Arts The Imperial Academy of Arts, informally known as the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts, was an art academy in Saint Petersburg, founded in 1757 by Ivan Shuvalov, the founder of the Imperial Moscow University, under the name ''Academy of th ...

Biography

Born in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

to the family of a sergeant in the Preobrazhensky Guards regiment, Martynov graduated from the

in 1788. In St. Petersburg Martynov studied landscape painting under Semion Shchedrin. From 1788 to 1794 he studied in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and painted the landscapes of Rome and its surroundings. These works for art were highly appreciated, by Martynov’s return to St. Petersburg. He was awarded the title of Academician in 1795. He worked on commissions from the Imperial court, and he participated in the decorating of several royal palaces and became a councilor of the Academy in 1802. He travelled throughout southern Russia from 1804, primarily creating idealized watercolour of rural towns and landscapes. The beauty of the area around Lake Baikal especially captivated him, “it is surrounded by the

Sayan Mountains The Sayan Mountains (, ; ) are a mountain range in southern Siberia spanning southeastern Russia (Buryatia, Irkutsk Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Tuva and Khakassia) and northern Mongolia. Before the rapid expansion of the Tsardom of Russia, the mou ...

, whose endless chain and picture-like diversity bring to the traveller’s gaze the infectious grandeur of nature”. His works of art is comparable to the present pair in its idealised panoramic vision of nature, with its vast expanses of water and sky. Like View of Irkutsk, Martynov’s Irkutsk, focuses more on the surrounding landscape than the city itself. These very Classical compositions are entirely devoted to the celebration of the beauty of nature. In 1805 he was the official artist of the Russian

embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a Sovereign state, state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

by Earl A. Golovkin. Martynov moved gradually away from painting into the newer media of

etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other type ...

and

lithography Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...

, which he is primarily known for, because of his lithographic techniques. His series of lithographs of the lands and peoples of

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

(entitled "Views of Russia and Mongolia" and "Peoples Types of Russia and Mongolia") were greatly admired. A later set of lithographs, made while touring the

Baltic region The Baltic Sea Region, alternatively the Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states, refers to the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, including parts of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Un ...

s ("Views of the Baltic Countries"), was similarly lauded in 1810. Martynov died in Italy in 1826.

Works

Andrey Martynov - View of the Nikolsky Monastery on Lake Baikal.JPG, View of the Nikolsky Monastery on

Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is a rift lake and the deepest lake in the world. It is situated in southern Siberia, Russia between the Federal subjects of Russia, federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast, Irkutsk Oblasts of Russia, Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...

(1806–1810) Church of St. Simeon. Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.jpg, Church of St.

Simeon Stylites Simeon Stylites or Symeon the Stylite ', Koine Greek ', ' (Greek language, Greek: Συμεών ό Στυλίτης; ; 2 September 459) was a Syrian Asceticism#Christianity, Christian ascetic, who achieved notability by living 36 years on a s ...

Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin () is a fortress (Kremlin (fortification), kremlin) in the Historic centre of Nizhny Novgorod, historic city center of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. History The first attempt to replace the wooden fort with a stone Krem ...

Martynov Summer Palace of Peter I 1809.jpg,

Summer Palace of Peter the Great The Summer Palace of Peter the Great () was built in Saint Petersburg between 1710 and 1714 in the northeast corner of the Summer Garden, located on an island formed by the Fontanka River, Moyka River, and the Swan Canal. Its northern perimet ...

Martynov View of Moika River by Imperial Stables 1809.jpg, View of the

Moyka River The Moyka (, also latinised as Moika) is a short river in Saint Petersburg which splits from the Neva River. Along with the Neva, the Fontanka river, and canals including the Griboyedov and Kryukov, the Moyka encircles the central portion ...

References

Literary sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Martynov, Andrey 1768 births 1826 deaths Painters from the Russian Empire People from Sankt-Peterburgsky Uyezd Engravers from the Russian Empire