Nikolay Shustov

Nikolay Shustov (date unknown; in a straitjacket?)

Ivan the Terrible with the Body of his Son, Who he has Murdered
(early 1860s)

Nikolay Semyonovich Shustov (Russian: Николай Семёнович Шустов; 29 December 1834, Saint Petersburg — 5 December 1868, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian painter and member of the Imperial Academy of Arts.

Biography

His father was a merchant. He received his initial training at the Imperial Academy of Arts. In 1856, he was awarded a silver medal for "painting from nature" and the following year was awarded another for "sketching from life". This was followed by a gold medal in 1858, and another in 1861 for his rather lengthily titled painting "Иоанн III свергает татарское иго, разорвав изображение хана и приказав умертвить послов" (Ivan III overthrowing the Mongol yoke, destroying the Khan's image and killing his ambassadors).^[1]

Two years later, he joined the "Revolt of the Fourteen", a group of students who supported the newer Realistic art and were protesting the Academy's insistence on promoting the Classical style. He and the others tendered their resignations and were graduated as "Artists Second-Class". He later joined Ivan Kramskoi and other members of the revolt in a new group called the Artel of Artists.

In 1865, at an exhibition by the Artel, his portrait of Mikhail Korsakov (Governor-General of Eastern Siberia) drew attention and he was elevated to the title of "Academician" at the Academy. He died, aged only thirty-three, after suffering from a sudden mental derangement, possibly brought about by excessive drinking.^[1]

References

1. Шустовъ, Николай Семеновичъ in the Русскiй Бiографическiй Словарь (Russian Biographical Dictionary), Alexander Polovtsov, editor-in-chief. Императорское Русское Историческое Общество, 1911, Vol.23, "Шебановъ – Шютцъ", pgs.546-547

Further reading

• "Шустов". Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary: In 86 Volumes (82 Volumes and 4 Additional Volumes). St. Petersburg. 1890–1907.
• A. D. Morozov, "Шустов Н. С." in Русское искусство. Очерки о жизни и творчестве художников второй половины XIX века (Russian art. Essays on the life and work of artists from the second half of the 19th century), general editor, A. I. Leonov. Мoscow, Искусство 1962, vol.1, pgs.63-71

External links

Media related to Nikolay Shustov at Wikimedia Commons