Graduated from St. Petersburg University, then studied at the Academy of fine arts (architectural Department). Travelling exhibitions were from 1872 to 1914 (from 1874 a member of the Association). A. p. Bryullov was the Treasurer and a Board member of the Partnership. In 1897--1912 he held the position of Keeper of the former. Museum of Alexander III. With 1893 -- a member of the Academy of arts.
In the second half of the 1870s, in the house of S. V. Kovalevskaya met with Dostoevsky. The artist's son, B. P. Bryullov, recorded the story of his father about this meeting, which is particularly interesting because it concerns the creative credo of Dostoevsky and his relationship to art: "the Meaning of his [Dostoevsky's] speech was to ensure that the creators are inventors in Europe were only Romanesque nation, well Germans did not create its new, and was only pererabatyvaya and commentators that made Romantsov. The conversation turned to specific examples of artistic creativity. And here, is characteristic of Dostoevsky, a specific phenomenon has taken the huge size of the symbols. “The Greeks, — he said — the whole force of their presentation of the deity in a beautiful human put it in the Venus de Milo, the Italians presented the true mother of God — the Sistine Madonna, Madonna the best German artist Holbein? Is it Madonna? The bakery lady! Bourgeois! Nothing else!..” Took the example from the literature. "Excuse me, but "Faust" by Goethe, is not the original expression, imprinting in one deep focus creative German spirit?" — someone said. — "Goethe's Faust? It is only the experience of the book of job, read the book of job and you will find everything that is main, valuable in "Faust"". — “Excuse me, — said my father, — but in this case, and the Sistine Madonna have also experience antiquity, the ancient idea of beauty...” — “How! What do you see that?!” “Yes, in everything, in all interpretation, every fold of drapery...” I had to say that fateful word. What happened to Dostoevsky! My father words passed to the image. Dostoevsky suddenly jumped up, grabbed hold of his head and ran, his face contorted, and he just with a sort of indignation and horror began to repeat: “Drapes!.. Drape!.. Drape!..” I just thought with him having a seizure will be, my father. All primaily breath. But Dostoevsky sat down and stopped altogether, stopped talking, and soon left. My father, as an artist, approached. from a formal point of view, but for Dostoevsky this point of view, especially in matters related to religion, in which he lived instinctively, was totally unacceptable. He can't bear was the idea that the Sistine Madonna it is possible to speak about some Drapes..."