Nikolai Belsky (1868-1945) At School Doors, 1897

Author: Nikolay Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky (Russian painter⏩, 1868-1945)

Title: У дверей школы /At the Door of the School

Date: 1897

Medium: Oil on canvas

Current location: The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky (1868-1945) was an academic, a portrait and landscape painter.

Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky graduated from Petersburg Academy of Arts where he studied at J. Repin.

At the beginning of the XX th century the pictures of N. Bogdanov-Belsky are exhibited at the established museums of Russia and obtained by them. He also had a flair for portrait painting-he painted the Russian tsaz Nikolay II, prince Sergey Alexandrovich and Emperess Maria Fyodorovna.

The artist received the highest award for his contribution into art-the title of Academician full member of the Academy if Arts.

Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky settled in Riga in 1921. Organized a studio, where ethnic Latvians studied too. He was very productive as a portrait and landscape painter. In 1936 was awarded the highest award of Latvia, the Order of the Three Stars.

The collapse of monarchy and the bolshevik power made him move to Riga where he continued painting, especially rural landscapes, the peasants of Latgale.

From 1922 to 1940 there were held 7 exhibitions of the works of N. Bogdanov-Belsky in Latvia. In 1936 the artist was awarded the order of Three Stars. Many of his paintings are available in the Latvian Art Museum such as "Visit", "To school", "Dreamer".

The artist had t leave Latvia in 1944 and he died in Berlin in 1945.