The artist is Kramskoy
Kramskoy went down in the history of domestic art as a portraitist, the author of thematic paintings and, at the same time, theorist, critic, ideological leader of the whole generation of Russian painters. He saw the mission of the artist in the service of folk interests and considered citizenship a mandatory quality of a truly talented work. A tireless public figure, he headed the partnership of mobile art exhibitions in the 1870-1880s, during the highest heyday of Russian democratic art. For Kramskoy it was the best time. During this period, he performed many portraits of figures of Russian culture, among them – portraits about. AT. Struve.
Struve Otto (Otnna-Vilgelm) Vasilievich (1819–1905)-Russian astronomer, academician, director of the Pulkovo Observatory.
A sixty -year -old scientist who led the famous observatory for more than a quarter of a century, replaced his father, Vasily Yakovlevich Struve, its first director in this post. Famous for its labors in the field of observation astronomy, Struve is depicted on the tower of the Pulkovo tower against the background of the telescope. Struve is shown in a state of calm self -deepening. Confident pose, a massive figure in a green fur coat, depicted from a somewhat reduced point of view, give greatness to the appearance of the scientist.