ROOTLESS Petr

7 (19) August 1857 (St-Петербург) — 26 марта 1945 (Venice)

Painter, graphic artist

son of the retired collegiate Councilor. At the request of the father was preparing for a military career: graduated from page corps school in St. Petersburg, served briefly in the life-гвардии Preobrazhensky regiment (retired with the rank of Lieutenant). In 1883-1893 учился in the Imperial Academy of arts (1889-1891 в as a volunteer) in the Studio П. П. Чистякова.

Lived in St. Petersburg. He painted mainly landscapes and still lifes. Exhibited at the exhibitions of the Society of Russian watercolors (1890, 1891, 1893, 1903), St-Петербургского society of artists (1904-1908, 1910-1912), the Spring exhibitions in the halls of the Imperial Academy of arts (1904, 1905), Association "Free creativity" (1911, 1916/1917).

From 1905 he lived mainly abroad. Traveled to Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, North Africa, and France. In 1907 he settled in Venice; is the author of numerous landscapes of the city: "Venice street", "Venetian motive", "Canal in Venice", "the lagoon", the "Palazzo Pesaro", "the Church of Santi Giovanni-ин-Брагора", "Bridge in Venice", "View area".

In 1914 he assisted in the device of the Russian pavilion at the XI International Biennale in Venice; from the beginning of the First world war, participated in the preservation of remaining in Italy of works by Russian artists, from 1915 — member-сотрудник the Imperial Academy of arts. Russian Consul in Venice. In January 1917 he was awarded the order of St. Stanislaus 3-й degree.

In Venice he met the Spanish painter and fashion designer М. Фортуни-и-Мадрасо under his influence, became interested in the technique of tempera. In 1920 at the invitation of the Secretary-General of the XII International Biennale in Venice Vittorio Pica was responsible for the exhibition artists-эмигрантов in the Russian pavilion. He participated in the Biennale: his painting "Area of St. Margaret's" was acquired for the collection of the Venetian gallery of modern art and has received positive reviews from art critics.