Olga's Gallery

        Andrey Matveev's gift for painting was first noted by Peter the Great and in 1716 he was sent to Holland and Flanders to study art. He spent 11 years there and was the first Russian painter educated exclusively in Europe. On his return to Russia, he became the leading painter of St. Petersburg and took part in all important architectural projects. It is believed that hard work was the reason for his early death in 1739, at the age of 37.

        Only several of his works survived and the most notable are Allegory of Painting (1725), Self Portrait with Wife (1729), Portrait of the Princess A. P. Golitzina (1728), Portrait of the Physician Ioann Azaretti (1728-1729). Also the wall paintings in several historical buildings in St. Petersburg are attributed to Matveev.

Princess Anastasia Golitzina (1665-1720) - wife of Prince I. A. Golitzin, a lady-in-waiting for the Russian Empress Catherine I. She was arrested and punished by beatings, as she was suspected in participating in the conspiracy of Tzarevich Alexey Petrovich (son of Peter the Great from his first wife) against Peter I, the Great, but in 1722 she was returned to the court.

Ioann Azaretti (d. 1747) - a doctor of Italian origin, was educated in the University of Padua and received a diploma of Doctor of Medicine. Since 1721, was in service in Russia, taught anatomy in the St. Petersburg Hospital. Since 1733, he was in Russian military service.  In 1742, he was arrested, but only for a short while. He then continued practicing medicine in Moscow.

Bibliography:
Russian Art of Peter I the Great Period. Leningrad. 1990.