Neff, Timothy A. (Timoleon Karl von Neff) — Russian painter of historical and domestic genre, the portrait painter, the author of many religious images. He was born in 1805 in Estonia. Art education has received in the years 1823-1825 at the Dresden Academy of arts under the guidance of H. H. and Hartmann von Aue. After training in Germany, Neff took a trip to Italy, where he studied the works of Raphael, Titian, Michelangelo and other great masters.
In 1826 Neff arrived in St. Petersburg and quickly became known in Metropolitan circles, thanks to the execution of portraits of high-ranking individuals of high society and the paintings in the spirit of classicism. In 1832, by a Royal decree Neff was appointed court painter and received the title of "designated in academics". In 1834, for the image written to the Church at the Alexander Palace in Peterhof Neff were determined pension for life.
Then, he spent about two years in Rome, and in 1837 traveled the Russian provinces, to his acquaintance with Russian people's everyday life and traditions. In 1839, for artistic works for the small Church of the Winter Palace, including a very good image of "the last Supper", Timofey Andreevich Neff received the title of academician of painting of the Imperial Academy of arts. For the execution of the images of St. Isaac's Cathedral Neff in 1849, was elevated to professorial rank.
Since 1855 Neff was engaged in teaching at the Imperial Academy of arts. Since 1864 Timofey Andreevich Neff, after nearly a decade of teaching at the Academy, has been appointed curator of the Hermitage art gallery. The talent of the artist Neff most clearly evident in the portraits, especially women, graceful in terms of shapes and harmonious colours, although not always similar due to the desire of the author to embellish the image of the model.
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