Dimitrii Grigorievich Levitskii Paintings

Dmitrii Grigorievich Levitsky (also spelled as Dmitry Levitzky) was a prominent Russian artist who is considered one of the greatest portraitists of his time. Born on May 9, 1735, in Kiev, then part of the Russian Empire, Levitsky was the son of a Ukrainian Cossack and a Russian noblewoman. His father, Grigory Levitsky, was an icon painter, which allowed young Dmitrii to be exposed to the world of art from an early age.

Levitsky began his formal education in art in Saint Petersburg, where he initially studied under Aleksey Antropov, a leading Russian portraitist of the era. His talent was recognized early on, and he became a part of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Over time, Levitsky developed a distinct style that blended the grandeur of the Baroque with the emerging sensibilities of the Enlightenment and Neoclassicism.

His career flourished in the 1770s and 1780s, during the reign of Catherine the Great, a period often considered the Golden Age of Russian culture. Levitsky became the unofficial court portraitist, capturing the likenesses of Russian nobility, intellectuals, and the Empress herself. Among his most famous works are the portraits of Catherine the Great in various allegorical guises and the series of portraits of the students of the Smolny Institute, Russia's first educational institution for women.

Levitsky's work is characterized by its fine detail, psychological depth, and the use of light to enhance the character and mood of his subjects. Despite his success, he faced financial difficulties later in life, partly due to his generosity and leniency in payment matters with his clients. He died in poverty on April 17, 1822, in Saint Petersburg. Today, Levitsky is remembered as a master of Russian portraiture, and his works are held in high esteem, featured prominently in museums across Russia and beyond.