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A. P. Losenko, 1737-1773, started his
career as a court singer. This helped him to enter the Academy to study art. He
was a good student and after graduating was sent abroad. On return home he
became professor at the Academy and at one time headed its department of
painting. At the end of his life Losenko painted two large canvases: "The
Farewell of Hector to Andromach" and "Vladimir and Rogneda,"
considered to represent a new trend in Russian art and a return to historical
subjects. Some of Losenko's students followed his style and chose the subjects
their teacher had preferred. Among those who won a certain reputation were P.I.
Sokolov, 1753-1791, with his "Venus and Adonis;" I. A. Akimov,
1754-1791, with his "Sviatoslav's Return from the Danube," and
"Self-immolation of Hercules;" and G.I. Ugriumov, 1764-1823. All
their paintings show particular attention to smoothness and cleanness of lines
and exactitude of proportions. At the same time the melodramatic situations of
the main heroes were slightly accentuated. Their bodies are beautiful and their
muscles are perfect, sometimes slightly veiled with antique robes.
Here we show Losenko's Farewell of Hector to Andromach"
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