Fedor Slavyansky, a serf of the landlady
Avdotya Nikolayevna Semenova, was born in the village of Vyshkovo in Tver
Guberniya (region). He became Venetsianov’s
student in 1839 in his estate of Safonkovo. Venetsianov did his best to
buy freedom to Slavyansky. In 1840, he asked the Academy to allow his student
to visit lessons in drawing. Slavyansky studied in classes of professors
Varnek and Markov, and simultaneously worked with Venetsianov. In 1845,
he got the title of a freelance artist. Slavyansky was not a very talented
painter; he was grateful to his teacher for everything, but failed him
in his works.
Note
Self-Portrait with
the Family. On the Balcony. On the painting are the painter, his wife
Alexandra Bogdanovna, née Bekman (1820 - ?), his mother-in-law and
his children: Cronid, Eugeny and Lidiya.
Biography:
Painters of Venetzianov’s School by T. Alexeeva. Moscow. Iskusstvo.
1982.
De l’histoire du realisme dans la peinture russe. Moscow. 1982.
