KRACHKOVSKY Iosif Evstafievich

July 3, 1854 (Warsaw, with selected references indicating a birthplace of St. Petersburg) — April 18, 1914 (Cadenabbia, Como Lake, Italy)

Painter, graphic artist

Iosif Krachkovsky was born to a middle class family. Since 1871 he studied in the Imperial Academy of Arts (IAKh) in St. Petersburg, at first as a noncredit student, later as a full-time student at the landscape class, under the guidance of M. K. Klodt. During his studies, Krachkovsky was awarded medals several times. In 1873 he was awarded small and big silver medal for landscape sketches, in 1873 — small silver medal for drawing, in 1878 — small gold medal for the painting Morning. In 1879 he was awarded big gold medal for the painting Evening. He graduated from the Academy with the title of class artist of the 1st degree and he was granted pensioner’s trip abroad for 4 years.

During his studies in the IAKh, Krachkovsky always showed his works at the exhibitions in the halls of the Imperial Academy of Arts and at the exhibitions of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (OPKh). In 1877 the artist was awarded the 2nd prize of the OPKh for the painting Abandoned Place, which was shown at the exhibition of the Society.

In 1880 Krachkovsky as a pensioner of the IAKh went to Paris. On the way to Paris he visited Berlin, Düsseldorf, Munich, Milan, Madrid, where he studied collections of the museums and private galleries. He travelled through Europe a lot: South France, Pyrenees, North Spain, Rhine River, the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) mountains, the Alps, Mediterranean Sea; he drew many sketches during his trips.

In 1884 at the end of his pensioner’s trip, Krachkovsky returned to St. Petersburg. In 1885 he was conferred the title of academician for mastery of landscape painting. In 1888 he taught at the Drawing school under the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (OPKh). Krachkovsky travelled to Ukraine, to Volga River; since 1908 every spring and autumn he worked in the Crimea, Italy and France.

In 1890s the artist showed his works at the Academy exhibitions, at the exhibitions of the OPKh, the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions (TPKhV), and Petrograd Society of Artists. In 1913 he joined the A. I. Kuindzhi Society of Artists.

The personal exhibitions of Krachkovsky were held in 1902 in St. Petersburg (in the halls of the OPKh), in 1908 in Paris (the gallery Petit) and in Nice. In 1916 the memorial exhibition of the master was organized in Petrograd.

Iosif Krachkovsky is an outstanding representative of Russian landscape school of painting of the second half of the 19th century. In his artworks the painter successfully combined academic traditions and features of realism. Works by Iosif Krachkovsky are in many museum and private collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, the Research Museum of the Russian Academy of Arts and others.