Student of the Academy of arts. Received medals: in 1862, – 2 silver and 1 silver for the engraving: "Portrait of Cardinal"; in 1863 – 2 silver and the title of artist 3rd degree; 1866 – 2 gold. In 1868 – the title of class artist of 1 degree for the engraving: "Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow"; in 1871, the title of academician in engraving: "carrying the cross" paintings caracci; from 1871 to 1874 was abroad pensioner of the Academy of arts in 1880, honorary free member; in 1883 Professor of the Imperial Academy of arts 1 degree for the engraving: "Jan UNMOVIC" with a picture Ugryumova; in 1892 Professor of the Imperial Academy of arts. In 1894 retired from duty at the Academy.
(Kondakov)
I. P. Pozhalostin entered the history of Russian art as one of the last great masters of classical engraving. The artist has lived hard, life is full of hardship.
Pozhalostin came from a family of state peasants. He soon left without parents and family, not being able to feed their boy, first sent him to beg, and then sent to guide dogs for the blind.
When Pozhalostina was thirteen years old, he was lucky: of the many orphans collected from all over the County, only he and another teenager were adopted in the Ryazan orphan school. The school pozhalostina have manifested the ability to draw, but to get an art education, he did not dare to dream.
After graduating from College, the young man decided to rural clerk. But soon was a happy event that changed his life. Ryazan school Director, praised the talent pozhalostina, contributed to its definition in the St. Petersburg Academy of arts. The walls of this school, the future artist spent eleven years (1857-68). His teacher was the eminent engraver F. I. Jordan. He took over from Pozhalostin classical technique copperplate engravings, was based on a perfectly accurate drawing from life. Under the leadership of Jordan, who believed pozhalostina his best pupil, the latter was not only a virtuoso engraver but also a superb draftsman.
Prints pozhalostina feature richness, special soft touch, is achieved in that from the very beginning, the artist learned of the peculiar manner of holding the knife like a pencil. Since the beginning of the 1860s Pozhalostin began to use in their work, along with a dry needle cutter. And subsequently mastered the technique of etching. Gradually, in the works pozhalostina classic engravings were replaced by the combined technique.
In 1871, after an engraving of a painting by the Italian artist L. Carracci's "Christ carrying the cross" Pozhalostin received the title of academician. Adyunt Professor and teacher of engraving class AH, he was only in 1883, when the famous master, the author of four dozen beautiful engravings. Among them such masterpieces as "Portrait of K. Briullov" (1870) with the original self-portrait, "Portrait N. Nekrasov" (1878) of the original I. N. Kramskoy. In addition, Pozhalostin've performed a wonderful image of G. R. Derzhavin: in 1866 - the original of V. L. Borovikovsky, in the 1880s - a portrait of the artist Vasilevsky, who presented the great poet in his dressing gown and cap.
Skillfully executed portraits of V. A. Zhukovsky, K. N. Batiushkov, A. N. Venison, of General A. P. Yermolov. Their work Pozhalostin loved to print on colored Chinese paper warm shade that provided them with great vitality and attractiveness. It was this paper printed small, full of grace "Self". He first appeared as remarks on the sidelines of the portrait of A. P. Ermolov in 1875 Such Pozhalostin usually placed on the first copies of his engravings.
Using known among his contemporaries primarily as an excellent portraitist, Pozhalostin brilliantly coped with reproducing complex pictorial compositions. Such, for example, his engraving of "Test of strength Jan Usmarya" (1872-78) with a picture of GI Ugryumova, made in the quality program at the rank of Professor.
His best engravings of the artist created in the late 1870s - early 1880s 1883, when Pozhalostin began to teach, his work is almost unknown. All the time and effort he gave to his disciples. However, this situation did not last long. The drama of the situation was the fact that premaxillary engraving as a reproductive art to which she was reduced, could not compete with displaces her engravings on wood and stone. In 1894, during the reorganization of arts class copperplate engraving was closed. Pozhalostin was dismissed from service. Only after the humiliating trouble he was granted a pension as a special favor for a lot of services to the domestic arts.
Sick old artist left St. Petersburg in his native city of Ryazan. He was very upset by the uselessness and the almost complete oblivion. One of the last letters of this wonderful artist signed as "Professor of the men I. Pozhalostin".
