Pavel Fedotov

One of my favourite painters is Pavel Fedotov. He was a great master of genre painting. He elevated, the household theme to the level of drama. He understood his task in raising the moral standards of the people by unmasking the vices of the society in his art. The soldier's son of Catherine's army, Fedotov served as an officer in the Body-Guard Finnish Regiment. In his free time he was drawing. At the end of 1834 he began to attend evening classes of the Academy of Arts. At the end of 1843 Fedotov retired from the army and devoted his life to painting. Fedotov was a prolific painter. For nine years he created a great number of perfect works of art, such as "A Newly Awarded Officer", "The Fastidious Bride'1-, "The Aristocrat's Breakfast", two versions of the "Mayor's Proposal", three versions of "The Yoting Widow", "Encore", "Once more Encore", "The Gamblers". Fedotov also created portraits, made water-colours and drawings. Fedotov worked very hard. His legacy was great. The movement initiated by Fedotov soon became known as Critical Realism. It laid the foundation for the democratic painting of the "Wanderers" in the second half of the ninetieth century.