Mikhail
Alexandrovich Zichy

Zichy, Mikhail - and the painter (1827 - 1906), a native of Hungary. He studied at the Vienna Academy of fine Arts. Earning fame is exhibited in the Vienna paintings: "a convalescent girl praying before the image of the mother of God", "the Dying knight", "Zakolachivanie coffin of the child" (in the Budapest Museum) were invited by Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna teachers of drawing and painting to her daughter, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna.

Soon he had to give up teaching and earn a livelihood by making drawings for sale and svetopisny retouching portraits. The improvement in their situation Zichy obliged Theophile Gautier, who visited in 1858, Petersburg.

In the book "Voyage en Russie" Gauthier Zichy devoted an entire Chapter, thus greatly raised his reputation in the eyes of the Russian public.

From 1859 to 1873, Zichy was a court painter and in that time has performed a number of drawings depicting various incidents of court life, scenes of the Imperial hunt, caricatures of people close to the court (located mostly in the Imperial palaces and albums of the highest persons). They played in watercolors main episodes of coronation of Emperor Alexander II , for which he received the title of academician.

In 1874 Zichy went to Paris, where he painted "the Austrian Empress Elizabeth lays a wreath on the coffin Deak," and put the pictures in illustrated editions. Since 1880 Zichy again in Russia and works as a painter-chronicler of ceremonies, entertainment and family events of the Imperial court. From his works are also drawings: "the Messiah and Luther in the Wartburg," "Man between intelligence and stupidity", "Jewish martyrs", "Florentine Orgy", "the death of the king Candaule", "Earth thou art and to earth returns", "Tamara and the Demon" (poem by Lermontov ) "Pawnbroker", "Bernard palissy", "Last minute Werther", "Project theater curtain for Anichkova Palace." Zichy works are in the Museum of Alexander III and the Tretyakov gallery.

He received his school and University education in Budapest, and then studied drawing and painting at first in the same Italian artist Marastoni, and then at the Vienna Academy of fine arts, where his principal mentor was F. G., Waldmuller. Earning some fame already exhibited in Vienna paintings: "a convalescent girl praying before the image of the mother of God", "the Dying knight" (1844), "Zakolachivanie coffin of the child" (located in the Budapest Museum), "Crucifixion", the altarpiece for Funfkirchen Cathedral (1845) and others, were invited by Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna teachers of drawing and painting to her daughter, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna.

In St. Petersburg arrived in 1847 and, in addition to training with her Highness received lessons in some of St. Petersburg aristocratic homes. Two years later, he had to give up teaching and seek his life to making drawings for sale and svetopisny retouching portraits. In this difficult time of his life, Zichy found some support in the Prince Alexander of Hesse-Darmstadt. The improvement in their situation Zichy obliged Theophile Gautier, who visited in 1858 St. Petersburg. In the book "Voyage en Russie" Gauthier Zichy devoted an entire Chapter, thus greatly raised his reputation in the Russian public.

In 1859 Zichy was appointed court painter, and in that position remained until 1873. This 15-year period of its activity, he did a lot of drawings depicting various incidents of court life, scenes of the Imperial hunt, caricatures of people close to the court, etc. (were for the most part to Imperial palaces and albums of the Highest persons).

Even before that, in 1856, they played in watercolors the main sketches of the coronation of Emperor Alexander II, for which the St. Petersburg Academy of arts awarded him the title of academician. In 1869 there was an exhibition of his works. In 1874 he went to Paris, where he wrote, including, by order of the Hungarian government, the painting "the Austrian Empress Elizabeth lays a wreath on the coffin Deak," and placed his drawings in the illustrated editions.

Since 1880 Zichy again in Russia, in her previous job, working as a painter-chronicler of ceremonies, entertainment and family events of the Imperial court. From his works, besides those already mentioned, noteworthy pictures: "the Messiah and Luther in the Wartburg," "Man between intelligence and stupidity", "Jewish martyrs", "Florentine Orgy", "the death of the king Candaule", "Earth thou art and to earth returns", "Tamara and the Demon" (based on the story of the poem by Lermontov) "Pawnbroker", "Bernard palissy", "Last minute Werther", "Project theater curtain for Anichkova Palace" and some others.

In 1898 he was elected an honorary member of the Academy of Arts.