Vasily Egorovich Raev (; 1808–1871) was a Russian painter and 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

He was originally a

serf Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed du ...

, belonging to a Mr.Kushelev, who later gave him his freedom. He received his initial training at a private painting school in

Arzamas Arzamas (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Tyosha River (a tributary of the Oka River, Oka), east of Moscow. As of 2024, it has a population of 103,629. History Arzamas ...

, operated by

Alexander Stupin Alexander Vasilyevich Stupin (; February 1776 in Arzamas – in Arzamas) was a Russian painter and art teacher. He founded and led the Arzamas School of Painting, Russia's first provincially based art school. Biography He was the illegit ...

. He continued his studies at the

in St. Petersburg, with Mikhail Matveevich Ivanov. In 1837, he made a trip to the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

, bringing back numerous sketches of the Ural and Altai mountains. In 1840, the Academy awarded him the title of "Artist" (no-class). In 1842, he was sent abroad as a pensioner of the Academy. While in Rome, in addition to painting, he studied

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

s. In 1849, he was forced to return to Russia, due to continuing political unrest in Italy. For two years, he worked on creating mosaics. He was recognized as an Academician in 1851. He went abroad again in 1854. In the last years of his life he was engaged in painting in the

Byzantine Style Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire, usually dated from 330 AD, when Constantine the Great established a new Roman capital in Byzantium, which became Constantinople, until the fall of the ...

. He was also a sought-after teacher. His students included

Ivan Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (; ) was a Russian Romantic painter who is considered one of the greatest masters of marine art. Baptized as Hovhannes Aivazian, he was born into an Armenian family in the Black Sea port of Feodosia in Crime ...

and

Alexey Bogolyubov Alexey Petrovich Bogolyubov (; 16 March 1824 – 3 February 1896) was a Russian painting, Russian landscape art, landscape and seascape painter. Biography Bogolyubov was born in the Pomeranie village of Novgorod Governorate. His father was r ...

. Among his best known works are a view of Rome from

Monte Mario Monte Mario (English: Mount Mario or Mount Marius) is the hill that rises in the north-west area of Rome (Italy), on the right bank of the Tiber, crossed by the Via Trionfale. It occupies part of Balduina, of the territory of Municipio I, Munici ...

and the "Vision of Alypius". His works may be seen at the

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 ...

, the

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 ...

, and the .

Selected paintings

File:RaevVE BlazhennyyAlipiy.jpg, The Vision of Alypius Раев Василий Егорович - Вид пруда, церкви и дворца Шереметьевых в Останкино при утреннем освещении (1850-е).jpg, View of the Church at

Sheremetev Palace The Fountain House is a palace in Russia built by the Sheremetev family, named after the nearby Fontanka river. Since its erection in 1712 the building was reconstructed several times by famous architects G. Dmitryev, Savva Chevakinsky, Fyodor Arg ...

Raev-Column of Alexander I.jpg,

Alexander Column The Alexander Column (, ''Aleksandrovskaya kolonna''), also known as Alexandrian Column (, ''Aleksandriyskaya kolonna''), is the focal point of Palace Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The monument was raised after the Russian victory in the w ...

in a Thunderstorm Раев Василий Егорович - Итальянский пейзаж в окрестностях Рима (1844).jpg, Italian Landscape Near Rome Раев Василий Егорович - Портрет И. А. Балашова.jpg, Portrait of Ivan Alexandrovich Balashov Раев Василий Егорович - Вид на Рим с Монте-Марио (1845).jpg, View of Rome from

Раев Василий Егорович - Демидовские рабочие (1837).jpg, Workers for the

Demidov The Demidov family (Russian: Деми́довы), also known as Demidoff or Dimidov, is a prominent Russian nobility, Russian noble family that rose to immense wealth and influence during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Demidovs became a wealth ...

Family

References

External links

Vasily Raev - Artworks
@ the Athenaeum
Vasili Egorovich Raev
@ AskArt {{DEFAULTSORT:Raev, Vasily 1808 births 1871 deaths People from Kholmsky Uyezd (Pskov Governorate) Painters from the Russian Empire

Biography

Selected paintings

References

Further reading

External links