Maria
Dillon

Maria Dillon was born in Panevėžys, Kovno Governorate (Lithuania), into the family of a tax farmer. She studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1878—1888) during the period when A. R. von Bock, N. A. Laveretsky, I. I. Podorezov taught there. During the years of her academic course she was awarded small (1882, 1884, 1885) and large (1886) encouraging Silver Medals for drawings and sculpting from life, more than once she was praised by the Academy of Arts Council for her sculptural portraits and bas-reliefs. For the Andromeda Chained to the Rocks competition program (1888) she received a small Golden Medal and was awarded the title of 2nd degree class artist in sculpture. After graduating from the IAA, she continued her education in Paris and Rome. In Florence, she made an Awakening of Spring marble fireplace (1898) for the mansion of A. F. Kelkh in St. Petersburg. She lived permanently in St. Petersburg, worked in allegorical, genre, memorial and portrait sculpture. She carried out commissions for artistic casting models in the field of arts and crafts.