Neff Timothy A. (Timoleon Carl)

October 2, 1804 (manor Püssi Estonian province) - December 24, 1876 (St. Petersburg)

painter and graphic artist.

son of a French governess L.-F. Neff. At the beginning of 1820 was adopted by the owner of the estate Kyuti G.-O. Zege von Manteyffelem. Initial artistic skills has led KF von Kyugelhena, took private lessons in painting from the landscape F. de la Trobe, and, possibly, A. Hagens. In 1824-1825 he studied at the Art Academy in Dresden, after which went to Rome. Friends with the artists-nazareytsami. He studied collections of museums, especially the art of Raphael and other masters of the High Renaissance. Engaged genre and landscape painting. From Rome he returned to Estland.

In 1827 he moved to St. Petersburg. He painted portraits, most of the customers Neff were the Anglo-German merchants, clergy, military and government officials. Quickly gained a reputation as a first-rate portraitist. In 1832 was appointed court painter. In 1834, for the image, painted for the church in Alexandria, received a lifetime pension from the imperial court. In 1835-1836 a second visit to Italy. Autumn of 1837 held a solo exhibition in his own workshop in St. Petersburg. In 1839, for an image made for the small church of the Winter Palace, was awarded the title of academician. In the summer of 1842 again made a trip to Italy. Autumn of 1843 received an order to return to St. Petersburg to participate in the decoration of St. Isaac's Cathedral, for whom he had formed the image of the bottom row of the main iconostasis and the image placed in niches in the pillars. For this work, marked by an honorary diploma of the Florentine Academy of Arts. In 1844 received the Russian title of nobility. In 1849 awarded the title of professor IAH. In 1855, adopted by the Academic Service "on the historical and portrait painting, became a member of the IAH. In 1857-1858 again made a trip to Italy. Since 1864 the post of keeper of the Hermitage art gallery.

In recent decades, many worked in the field of monumental painting. In addition to works in the St. Isaac's Cathedral, performed the track "Resurrection of Christ for the church in the village Gulynki (1864), more than twenty icons for the Orthodox chapel in Nice (1867), an iconostasis for the church of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, Duchess of Edinburgh, London (1875). In the 1860 - 1870 worked on the images of Christ the Savior in Moscow, for which created the 28 tracks for the iconostasis aisles and 31 - for the main iconostasis.

In 1985 the Estonian State Art Museum in Tallinn hosted a retrospective exhibition of works by the master.

Neff - one of the leading representatives of the academic art of the middle of the XIX century in Russia. In his works appeared committed to the classic tradition of focusing on the art of Raphael and the masters of the Bolognese Academy of XVII century. The works of the artist's virtuoso different pattern, impeccably composite construction, bright saturated color.

Neff works are in many museum collections, including the State Russian Museum, State Tretyakov Gallery, State Hermitage, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and others.