The siege of Pskov by the Polish king Stephen Báthory in 1581.

1836–1849

The fashionable portraitist of St Petersburg

In St Petersburg Bryullov’s fame as a virtuoso fashionable portraitist grew: many counted it an honour to be painted by him. Among the best are the portraits of N. V. Kukolnik (1836), V. A. Zhukovsky (1837–38), I. A. Krylov (1839), A. N. Strugovshchikov (1840) and his brother A. P. Bryullov (1841); he was a friend of Kukolnik and of the composer M. I. Glinka.

1839–1841

Divorce proceedings and social disgrace

The divorce proceedings, begun on Bryullov’s initiative, lasted until 1841; slandered, by his own account, by his wife and her family, he became an outcast, and in this hard time he was supported by Samoilova, who came to St Petersburg from Italy.

1843

Invited to decorate St Isaac’s Cathedral

In 1843 Bryullov, one of the best painters of the academic school, was invited to take part in decorating St Isaac’s Cathedral: he was asked to paint the ceiling of the main dome with figures of the apostles and evangelists and to produce a series on the Passion of Christ.

1843–1847

Work for the Kazan Cathedral

In 1843–47 Bryullov took part in the painting work for the Kazan Cathedral in St Petersburg.

1844

Honorary member of the Moscow Art Society

From 1844 Bryullov was an honorary member of the Moscow Art Society.