Sauerweid Alexander

February 19, 1783 (St. Petersburg, in some sources - Kurland) - October 25, 1844 (St. Petersburg)

painter and graphic artist.

born in the family court actor. In 1790-1798 he studied at the gymnasium of the Academy of Sciences, which finished with a gold medal. In 1801 he established the civil service in the expedition of government revenue. In those same years, began to paint yourself. In 1804 elected a member of the Society of Literature, Science and Arts. Created allegorical murals depicting Sciences and Arts in the assembly hall of the Company. In 1806-1812 he studied at the Dresden Academy of Arts. In 1812-1814 visited Paris, where he worked under orders of individuals, as well as Napoleon I. In 1813 created a series of etchings "Disasters and the salvation of Dresden. From 1814 to 1817 he lived in England, where he worked for the court of King George IV.

the spring of 1817 at the invitation of Grand Duke Nicholas arrived in Russia. In 1819, appointed an artist of the Military Topography Depot of the General Staff from 1825 - the first painter of the Military Topography Depot. In 1824 he obtained the rank of colonel. Created a series of drawings for publications of the Military Ministry Collection uniforms guard, "Collection army uniforms," Collection of uniforms I Cadet Corps ».

He was a court painter Nicholas I, his duties included teaching drawing and engraving of the imperial family. In 1827 was elected an honorary associate of the Academy freestyle IAH. Since 1831 he taught at IAH, first as a professor "in the class of painting animals for fights and other genera, and then as head of battle-class. Among his pupils - BP Villevalde, AE Kotzebue, W. Timm, P. Fedotov and others.

in 1836 for his film "Storm of the fortress of Varna 29 September 1829" was awarded the title of professor 3rd degree. In the summer of 1838, went abroad for inspection Kulmskogo battle and the battle of Leipzig, an image which had been ordered by the artist to decorate the Alexander Hall of the Winter Palace. In 1842, he performed the album "Anatomy of a horse in lithographed sheets," which was adopted by the IAH as a teaching tool. In the same year became a professor of degree 2.

Sobral extensive collection of uniforms and weapons, which was used for training purposes. Son of the artist - Nikolai Sauerweid (1836-1866) - the famous painter of battle-pieces.

Sauerweid - Founder of the battle lines in the Russian academic painting of the first half of the XIX century, whose representatives have sought to documenting the accuracy of a general picture of the battle and genre pieces. Was a brilliant etcher and painter who left behind a significant number of watercolors and drawings Perov. However, the compositional skill of the artist was criticized repeatedly. Art historian AI Somov gave the following description of the pictures of the master: "Arrangement somewhat stretched, letter drily, aerial perspective is weak, but they are generally designed not evil, but by drawing very efficiently, especially in the figure Sauerweid good horses."

creativity of the artist is represented in many museum collections, including the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Russian Museum, State Hermitage Museum.