Alexander Brulloff (Brullo until 1822, when the family name was changed according to Russian pronunciation) was a prominent architect, but also a very talented artist. Among others, he designed and built the following buildings in St. Petersburg: Mikhaylovskiy Theater (now Maliy Theater, 1831-1833), Lutheran Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (1833-1838), Pulkov Observatory (1834-1839), the Headquarters of Guard Corps on Palace Square (1837-1843). He was the elder brother of great Russian painter Karl Brulloff and was born in 1798 in St. Petersburg into the family of painters: his great grand-father, his grand-father, his father and his brothers were artists. His first teacher was his father Paul Brulloff. He attended the Academy of Arts' architect class in 1810 - 1820 and graduated with honors. Along with his brother, Karl, he was sent to Europe to study art and architecture as a pensioner of the Society for the Promotion of Artists.
Alexander Brulloff spent 8 years abroad since 1822 till 1830, in Italy, Germany and France, studying architecture and art. He painted a lot of watercolor portraits at that time. Among the best were the portraits of V. A. Perovsky (1824), C. P. Bakunina (1830-1832), I. A. Capo D'Istrias (1920s), C. I. Zagryazhskaya (1820s) and others.
In 1831, after his return to Russia, he was appointed a professor of the Academy of Arts and these were the years when he created his best architectural projects. One of the best portraits created by A. Brulloff at this period was a portrait of N. N. Pushkina (1831). Alexander Brulloff also made illustrations for the books and magazines.
Notes
Diocletian (245-311 AD) - Roman emperor
(284-305). During his reign, enormous baths were built in Rome, which are
called the Baths of Diocletian.
See: Alexander Brulloff. Rome. View
of the Baths of Diocletian.
Count Ionnes Antonios Capo D'Istrias
(1776-1831)
- Greek statesman, president of the Greek Republic, was born on Corfu.
In 1809-1822 was on diplomatic service in Russia. In 1828 he became the
president of Greece, but was assassinated in 1831 in a church at Nauplia.
See: Alexander Brulloff. Portrait
of Count I. A. Capo D'Istrias.
Princess Natalia Golitzina (1796-1890)
- wife of Prince S. S. Golitzin. She was very wealthy, but childless, beautiful
and well-known for her charitable contributions.
See: Alexander Brulloff. Portrait
of the Princess N. S. Golitzina.
Natalia Pushkina (1812-1863), née
Goncharova, wife of the famous Russian poet Alexander
Pushkin (1799-1837). She was involved in the society intrigue, which
brought about the duel between her husband and Baron D'Anthes de Heckern,
in which her husband was mortally wounded and died in three days.
See: Alexander Brulloff. Portrait of
N. N. Pushkina, nee Goncharova.
Catherine Zagryazhskaya (1779-1842) -
aunt of Natalia Pushkina.
See: Alexander Brulloff. Portrait
of C. I. Zagriazhskaya.
Catherine Bakunina (1795-1869) - an
amateur painter, took lessons from Alexander Brulloff. See her self-portrait.
See: Alexander Brulloff. Portrait of
Catherine Bakunina.
Bibliography:
Alexander Bruloff. by G. Ol. Leningrad. 1983. (in Russian)
Karl Brulloff. by G. Leontyeva. Leningrad. 1986. (in Russian)
Famous Russians in the 18th and 19th centuries. St. Petersburg.
1996. (in Russian)
Russian Painters. St. Petersburg. 1998. (in Russian)
The
Art and Architecture of Russia (Pelican History Art) by George
Heard Hamilton. Yale Univ Pr, 1992.
A
Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Artists 1420-1970 by John
Milner. Antique Collectors' Club, 1993.