Vasily Surikov

Biography

Vasily Ivanovich Surikov was born on January 12, 1848, in Krasnoyarsk. He was a Russian painter and a proponent of realism, recognized as one of the leading artists in Moscow during the era of the ‘counter-reforms’ and the Silver Age. Surikov gained fame for his large-scale canvases that depict themes from Russian history. His works fall primarily into the genres of historical painting and portraiture. Among his most renowned paintings are 'The Capture of the Snow Town,' 'Suvorov Crossing the Alps,' 'Boyarynya Morozova,' and 'Morning of the Streltsy Execution.' Surikov was a full member and academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts. He was also a member of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions (Peredvizhniki) and the Union of Russian Artists. Surikov passed away on March 19, 1916, in Moscow. His artistic direction was realism and culturally he belonged to the Russian Empire.