UTKIN Nikolai

May 8, 1780 (Tver) - 1863 (St. Petersburg)

engraver, draftsman

illegitimate child of Senator MN Muraveva and serf peasant, recorded as the son of a valet Muraveva I. Utkin. He was born in the house of his grandfather NA Muraveva in Tver.

In 1785 received his freedom and was identified in an educational school with IAH in 1794 was transferred to the engraving class IAH, where he studied under the guidance A.-H. Radiga and JS Klaubera. During the period of study took all existing academic awards: in 1796 - a small silver medal, in 1798 - a large silver medal for the drawings from nature, and in 1800 - a small gold medal and a diploma of the artist 1-th degree with a sword in the 12 contour engravings image of antique statues in 1802 - a gold medal for the engraving "John the Baptist" from the original A.-R. Mengs and the right of a pensioner's trip abroad.

In 1803-1814 - retired IAH in Paris, worked in the studio Sh-K. Berwick. In 1810, for the engraving "Aeneas makes Anchises from the burning of Troy" by the original Domenichino elected IAH "designated in academics, and also won a gold medal from the French government and awarded the Alexander I diamond ring. In 1812 arrested. Liberated by Russian troops after the occupation of Paris in 1814. In the same year in the retinue of Emperor Alexander I visited London.

Upon his return to St. Petersburg in 1814 was approved at the rank of academician of the portrait AB Kurakina original by Jean-Baptiste Regnault. From 1815 worked as an assistant in Klaubera engraving class IAH. In 1817, after the death of Klaubera headed engraving class. Since 1818 - Adviser to the IAH. In 1831 he was awarded the title of professor 3rd degree, in 1839 - Distinguished Professor. Among students Utkin - FI Jordan, K. Afanasiev, EI Geytman, A. Ya Oleschinsky and others. In 1860 to commemorate 50 years of creative activity Utkin IAH produced in honor of the engraver gold medal.

In 1817-1860 - the keeper of prints of the Hermitage. Since 1819 - the court engraver. In 1843-1854 - the keeper of prints academic museum. Member of the Stockholm (from 1820), Antwerp (since 1827) and Dresden (since 1828) Academy of Arts.

Utkin - a prominent Russian engraver of the first half of the XIX century, the master of the incisal engravings. His musical legacy is wide and includes more than 200 works. He created portraits of prominent people of his era: ES Semenova (1816), NM Karamzin, AV Suvorov, AA Arakcheeva (all - 1818), Pushkin, Catherine II (both - 1827), Sir.doc (1828), the Derzhavin ( 1831), Shishkov (1832), Demidov (1833), VA Zhukovsky (1835), AN Venison (1838) and others. A significant part of the heritage of the engraver occupy historic works of the genre and book graphics. He served saver to ballads Zhukovsky (1817), "Iliad" by Homer in translation NI Gnedich (1829), publishing poems Derzhavin (1831-1833), created 20 etchings with medallions FP ; Tolstoy, the Patriotic War of 1812.

Works Utkin inherent creative interpretation of the original, amplifying characteristics portrayed. His work is usually carried out systematically criss-cross grid of regular lines, in general characteristic of the incisal engraving, but the master is not allowed anywhere monotony. Finding for each part of their individual decision, engrave fine chisel, he sought the impression of elegance, the softness of the stroke, the wealth of texture and "picturesque" key sheet. Researcher Russian engraving DA Rovinsky, describing the manner in portrait Utkin, Metropolitan Michael, wrote: "... the portrait is no longer a strong light at a tool that attaches to the engraving not very pleasant smartly. From a distance the face of metropolitan exactly written with a brush, hair, cowl, velvet robe - all engraved with extremely simple and yet reminds the living nature.

Creativity Utkin represented in many museum collections, including the State Russian Museum, State Hermitage, the Pushkin Museum im. Pushkin State Museum of History and others.