Aleksey Antropov

Alexei was born to the family of a government official who worked in the Armory and in the "Канцелярия от строений" (Chancellory of Buildings).

From 1757 to 1759 Antropov returned to Saint-Petersburg and obtained further instruction from court painter Pietro Rotari of Italy.

After the palace revolt, the new Empress, Catherine II had a much lower opinion of Antropov's talents.

At that time, artists preferred a soft combinations of colors and some flattering for the ceremonial portraits.

Antropov preferred the traditional icon and parsuna portraits, based on a sharp contrast of colors with a dark background.

In 1789 Antropov made a personal sacrifice, transferring his only house to the Department of Education for organizing a Free School there.

In 1795 Antropov died of a fever and was buried in the Lazarevskoe Cemetery at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, in Saint Petersburg.