Pyotr Sokolov (painter)

He was the eldest son of the watercolor portraitist Pyotr Fyodorovich Sokolov.

Although he received lessons from his father, he was largely self-taught until 1840, when he entered the Imperial Academy of Arts.

He studied there for three years with his uncle, Karl Bryullov, as well as Pyotr Basin and Fyodor Bruni.

Among the events he participated in were the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia and the Exposition Universelle (1889), after which he was named an honorary member of the Société des Artistes Français.

He is, however, best known for his book illustrations; notably a collection of poems by Nikolay Nekrasov and Sketches from a Hunter's Album by Ivan Turgenev as well as Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol, a popular work for illustrators.