Alexander
Petrovich Schwabe

Professor of art; art education in the Imp. Acad. Of arts, where he was among the disciples of Professor A. I. Sauerweid. Here at the beginning of the feeding hope to become a prominent painter, sh repeatedly earned formal approval, and encouragement in the form of benefits; in 1840 the same for the study from nature received a small silver medal. But for a long time all his works did not go beyond sketches from nature and minor compositions. Only in 1842 he wrote was the first big thing: "the Truce" (in the Tretyakov gallery in Moscow). In 1843 he left the Academy with the title of class artist of battle painting. Two years later, in may 1845, sh. entered the service in the Management of States. The horse and Imperial race, where duties was to write from life of horses. Since that time, sh throws of battle scenes and soon gets into a new genre so significant skill that in 1848 and 1849 28 portraits of horses, won prizes, was purchased from him by the Emperor, and this initial success was followed by a number of orders for portraits of horses and dogs as from the Highest Personages, and from individuals. Among the many orders he for three years could not devote sufficient time to the program the title of academician of painting. Academy of fine Arts in 1847 made it to the competition of this title and his battle theme: "Death Kulneva in klasickou battle." But sh three years had no news about the fate of this program, and in June, 1850, refused its execution and due to the new direction of his artistic activities, asked me to give him an appropriate challenge. Acad. Hood. on a request agreed, and after 3 months of sh presented her with a painting: "a Herd of horses with a shepherd and dog" and received the desired title. Following the title, the title of Professor of painting, sh went again not without obstacles. Presented (1860) to Acad. Hood. the painting "deer Hunting" does not deserve the approval of the Board of Akad., and at the rank of Professor was denied. But it was still received as in August 1861 the same advice, probably not without pressure from the outside, recognized sh worthy of the title of Professor of painting animals, but this time not in the execution of the program, and "in consideration of his special art and knowledge." In the same 1861 S. was elected a member-partner of the society for the encouragement of arts. To list all the sh work quite hard. Not to mention the many portraits of dogs, horses (in Upravl. GOV't. Kennesaw., in the pavilion of the Tsarskoye Selo horse racing, etc.) and other animals, many of them performed more or less complex compositions. Among them we can point to the following things: paintings, written for the Emperor: "Hunting bison" (1862), "Hunting for wolves" (1862), "Two dogs chasing a hare" (1864-65), "Release of dogs from foxes" and "Hunting, huntsman with hounds pursuing wolf" (both, G. 1867-70, Conducted. KN. Vladimir Alexandrovich), then "Herd of horses" (1850), "Tsarskoe Selo race" (1852, PL.-hell. kN. Golitsyn), "Baiting the wolf" (1861), "a Group of Siberian reindeer" (1862), "the Attack by the night wolves on a herd of horses" (1863), "Siberian reindeer on vacation" (1867, for the elders of Riga I. P. Schwabe), "Hounding foxes" (1867, in Anichkovom Palace) and "bear-Baiting". Finally, it should be noted a series of portraits (43 PCs) Pets of different species, made by him at the commandment of the Led. KN. Nicholas for agricultural exhibitions. Being himself a passionate lover of nature and animals sh could love this to reflect in their works life is characterized by good drawing, why appearing for almost 20 years (1844-1863) at the Academy's exhibitions, they always enjoyed the same attention of the public and gained its author an honorable reputation. The sh works in the service also did not remain without awards, among which should be noted, granted him in 1854 diamond ring. Sh died in St. Petersburg. in 1872 (P. N. Petrov)