Karl Bryullov

Karl Bryullov, son of a woodcarver of Huguenot descent, trained at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg and left for Italy in 1822. In Rome he painted The Last Day of Pompeii, a vast scene of Vesuvius erupting that caused a sensation in Italy before its triumphant arrival in Russia. Back in Saint Petersburg he taught at the Academy and painted brilliant society portraits. He was one of the first Russian painters to win a European reputation.