KUZNETSOV Nikolay (Mikola) Dmitrievich

December 2, 1850 (Stepanovka, Kherson province) – March 2, 1929 (Sarajevo)

Painter, graphic artist

Kuznetsov came from a family of Kherson landowner. He studied at the gymnasium in Odessa. Up to 24 years Kuznetsov was engaged in agriculture in the estate of his father. In mid 1870s he was fond of art; since 1875 the painter F. F. Malman gave him painting lessons in Odessa. In 1876–1879 Kuznetsov studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts (IAKh) as a noncredit student under the guidance of P. P. Chistyakov. Kuznetsov was awarded three silver medals; he left studies and did not finish the course. In 1880 he returned to Stepanovka together with the artist A. P. Razmaritsyn; Kuznetsov followed his advices in 1880–1882. Until 1895 the painter lived in his estate, regularly visited Moscow and St. Petersburg. At the end of 1880s he became good friends with E. G. and S. I. Mamontov, joined the Abramtsevo art circle.

In 1895–1897 Kuznetsov lived in St. Petersburg, in 1897–1919 — in Odessa. He traveled a lot, visited France, Germany, Austria, Italy (1887, 1890–1896, 1907).

Kuznetsov worked as a portraitist and genre painter. He created a gallery of portraits of famous contemporaries: I. P. Pokhitonov (1882), I. E. Repin (1885), V. D. Polenov (1888), V. M. Vasnetsov (1891), P. I. Tchaikovsky (1893), A. N. Benois (1897), F. I. Shalyapin (1903) and others. Kuznetsov was a member and participant of the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions (TPKhV) in 1881–1917, founder member of the Society of South Russian Artists (1890–1919). Kuznetsov took part in the World Exhibitions in Paris (1889, 1900; silver medals), Chicago (1893), at the Autumn Salon in Paris.

Since 1895 Kuznetsov was a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts (IAKh), in 1900 he was conferred the title of academician. In 1895–1897 Kuznetsov taught at the battle-scene painting workshop at the Higher Art Institute of painting, sculpture and architecture under the Imperial Academy of Arts.

In 1920 Kuznetsov went abroad after his daughter M. N. Kuznetsova-Benois and lived in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

Works by Nikolay Kuznetsov are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, Odessa Art Museum and others.