VILLEVALDE Bogdan (Gottfried) P.

December 31, 1818 (Pavlovsk) - March 11, 1903 (Dresden)

painter and graphic artist.

born in a family who came from Bavaria. Original art education was at Yungshtedta. In 1838 joined the IAH in St. Petersburg, where he was engaged as an auditor, first with K. Briullov, then in the battle for the class AI Sauerweid. Simultaneously with the studies taught in the Drawing School of the Society for the Promotion of Artists (1840-1842). In 1842, for the painting "Battle of Fershampenuaz", performed on the design Sauerweid, received a gold medal and the title of the class artist 1-th degree, which gave the right to a pensioner's trip abroad.

in 1843 as a pensioner IAH went to Europe. For some time he lived in Germany, then moved to Italy. In 1844, withdrawn before the expiration pensionerstva to St. Petersburg for the completion of a deceased Sauerweid. In 1845 he was elected an academician. In 1848, for painting "Battle of Gisgyubile" and "The Battle of Paris" became a professor of battle painting. In the same year led the class of battle IAH, which was headed until 1894. Among the disciples of the master - his sons Alexander Bogdanovich (1857-19?) And Paul Gotfridovich Villevalde (1865-19 ??).

worked mainly on the orders of the imperial court. Repeated visits to the active Russian army: in 1849 - in Hungary, in 1854-1855 - the Danube, on the border with the Asian part of Turkey, and at Sevastopol in 1860 - to the Caucasus, in 1877-1878 - on the Danube and in Asia Minor.

in 1888 for his services was awarded the title of Distinguished Professor. Sauerweid paintings were exhibited at exhibitions IAH, the Moscow Society of Art Lovers, as well as the World Exhibition in Vienna (1873) and Antwerp (1885).

Villevalde - one of the most significant and outstanding masters of the academic art of the middle - second half of the XIX century. Most of his paintings are devoted to the history of the war of 1812, as well as the Balkan and the Caucasian wars 1850 - 1870. Basically these are large well-designed multi-figured compositions, in which basis has always been strong, some "somewhat dry", but technically drawing.

Villevalde works are in many museum collections in Russia, including the State Hermitage Museum, State Russian Museum, State Tretyakov Gallery.