Russian Personalities

People well-known in art, sport, film, fashion

Silvestr Shchedrin – landscape painter

Silvestr Shchedrin. Self-portrait

Silvestr Shchedrin. Self-portrait


Silvestr Shchedrin stood at the origins of the Russian romantic landscape. Despite the fact that his life was short, he left behind a lot of wonderful works. The most famous cycle of the artist is The New Rome. Castle of the Holy Angel. Thanks to his works, the landscape in Russia became an independent genre.
Biography of the artist was mainly connected with Italy, where he created his best paintings. In Russia he spent only his youth. Despite the years spent abroad, the artist always felt like a Russian person and was interested in the fate of his homeland. He was born in February 1791 into the family of the rector of the Academy of Fine Arts, Feodosiy Fedorovich Shchedrin. His uncle, Semyon Fedorovich, was a professor at the Academy.
At the age of 9 Shchedrin became a pupil at the Academy. When it was time to choose a specialization, he entered the class of his uncle, specializing in sentimental landscapes. But Semyon Fedorovich unexpectedly died, and the young man chose Professor Mikhail Ivanov. In 1808 the student received a small silver medal. The following year, he was awarded a small gold medal for his success in painting. And in 1812 Shchedrin received a large gold medal for the picture View From The Petrovsky Island.

Waterfront of Santa Lucia in Naples

Waterfront of Santa Lucia in Naples. 1820


Also he got the right to travel to Italy to get acquainted with masterpieces of classical art. But because of the war with Napoleon, the trip was delayed. Only in 1818 the artist finally managed to leave for Italy. He would not return to Russia any more.
At the age of 27 Shchedrin went to Rome. After a severe cold Petersburg with eternal rains, the sunny Italian nature seemed to the artist an earthly paradise. He worked exclusively from nature, which for that time was a revolutionary move. The artist did not just paint, he enjoyed picturesque views of green valleys and azure sea. His pictures were very popular.
After Rome Shchedrin went to Naples. However, there were revolutionary riots and the painter once again settled in Rome. In 1823 he created his most famous painting – New Rome. Castle of the Holy Angel. It was time to return home. But his works were so successful in Italy that he decided to stay there.
It is not known whether Shchedrin planned to return to Russia. From the correspondence it is clear that the fate of the Motherland and national art worried him, although he did not hurry to leave Italy.
Silvestr Feodosievich Shchedrin died at the age of 39, in November 1830.
K. P. Bryullov. Portrait of S. F. Shchedrin

K. P. Bryullov. Portrait of S. F. Shchedrin

Silvestr Shchedrin – landscape painter

Italian landscape. Capri Silvestr Shchedrin

Italian landscape. Capri. 1826

New Rome. Castel Sant Angelo Silvestr Shchedrin

New Rome. Castel Sant’Angelo. 1823

View of Rome. Colosseum Silvestr Shchedrin

View of Rome. Colosseum

Small Harbour in Sorrento Silvestr Shchedrin

Small Harbour in Sorrento, near Naples. 1828

Moonlit Night in Naples Silvestr Shchedrin

Moonlit Night in Naples, 1928

Old Rome Silvestr Shchedrin

Old Rome. 1824

View of Naples from the road in Pozilippo Silvestr Shchedrin

View of Naples from the road in Pozilippo. 1829

silvestr shchedrin

Santa Lucia by Silvestr Shchedrin

silvestr shchedrin

Painting by Silvestr Shchedrin