Fyodor Mikhaylovich Matveyev (; 1758–1826) was a Russian classicist landscape painter, most recognizable for his Italian landscapes. He was one of the first Russian landscape painters.

Biography

Matveyev was a son of a soldier of the

Izmaylovsky Regiment The Izmaylovsky Regiment (), also Izmailovsky, was one of the oldest regiments of the Imperial Russian Army, a subdivision of the 1st Guards Infantry Division of the Imperial Russian Guard. It was formed in Moscow on 22 September 1730 as Empres ...

. He was admitted to 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 ...

, where he graduated from in 1778 with a Grand Gold medal. One of his professors was

Semyon Shchedrin Semyon Fyodorovich Shchedrin (1745–1804) was a Russian landscape painter, the uncle and mentor of Sylvester Shchedrin. Member of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Biography He was born in St. Petersburg into the family of a life guard. In 1 ...

. Matveyev specialized from the very beginning as a landscape painter and became the first landscape artist graduated with a gold medal. He was subsequently awarded a fellowship to travel to Europe, as was common at the time for talented graduates of the Academy. In 1779, Matveyev travelled to

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 eventually settled there. He never returned to Russia and died in Italy in 1826. Matveyev travelled back and forth in Italy and surrounding countries, painting landscapes. Initially, he had commissions from Russian nobles residing in Italy. Eventually, the commissions thinned out, and Matveyev wrote letters to the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1789 and 1795, asking to subsidize his return to Russia. Apparently, he did not receive any reply. In 1806, he sent his painting ''View around Naples'' to the Academy and was awarded the title of the academician. He created oil paintings as well as a number of graphic works. Most of the paintings are made according to the strict rules of

classicism Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aesthe ...

, meaning the image is similar to the theater scene, with buildings or trees at the sides. There are always people present in the landscape, to indicate the scale. Landscapes by Matveyev never represent original landscapes with photographic precision. In contrast, his drawings are much more skewed towards

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

, and may actually be first Russian Romantic landscapes. Matveyev tivoli.jpg, A landscape in the vicinity of Tivoli

Tretyakov Gallery The State Tretyakov Gallery (; abbreviated ГТГ, ''GTG'') is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, which is considered the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. The gallery's history starts in 1856 when the Muscovite merchant Pavel ...

(1819) Fyodor Matveyev 1.jpg, View of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Colosseum The Colosseum ( ; , ultimately from Ancient Greek word "kolossos" meaning a large statue or giant) is an Ellipse, elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphi ...

(1816) Forum of Rome.jpg, View of Rome. Ruins of the Forum (1816) Матвеев. Швейцарский пейзаж.jpg, Swiss landscape (1818) Cascades of the Papal Palace by F Matveyev.JPG, Cascades of the Papal Palacein the vicinity of Rome (1818) Fedor Matveev Vodopad Imatra 1819.jpg, Imatra Falls in Finland

Russian Museum The State Russian Museum (), formerly known as the Russian Museum of His Imperial Majesty Alexander III (), on Arts Square in Saint Petersburg, is the world's largest depository of Russian fine art. It is also one of the largest art museums in ...

(1819)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matveyev, Fyodor Russian neoclassical painters Landscape painters from the Russian Empire 1758 births 1826 deaths