Leonid
Ivanovich Solomatkin

He studied at the Moscow school of painting, sculpture and architecture (1855-1865) E. Y. Vasilieva, S. K. Zaryanko, then at the Imperial Academy of arts (1861-1866) as volnoprihodyaschego student. In 1866 he received the title of class artist third degree. Participant of the exhibitions of the Society for the encouragement of artists, Imperial Academy of arts.

Born in the city Sudzha Kursk province into a poor peasant family. Early lost his parents, with thirteen years began to work — and the driver was, and herdsman, and Chumak. The young man drew a lot, making sketches of the street-rope walkers, acrobats, organ grinders with hungry and frozen monkeys, beggars and vagrants. When randomly heard about the existence in Moscow art school, in which accepted people of all classes, he immediately went there. In Moscow, he went to the apartment of N. A. Ramazanov known patronage of young talent. Seeing the work of talented young men and permeated with sympathy for his plight, Ramazanov S. sheltered at home. In 1855 – 1860, studied at the Moscow School of painting and sculpture. C. in 1861 he went to Petersburg, where he entered volnoprihodyaschim student at the Academy. However, doing it for long, though, and received in 1862 for the work "name day deacon" a small silver medal. The most successful was written by him in 1864 painting "slavilschiki-policemen", which was awarded a large silver medal and repeated by the author. However, the success did not.. He constantly needed, lived from hand to mouth, huddled in shelters and with reluctance went to academic classes, which is left in 1866, received the rank of artist of the third degree. In the works "At the public-house" (1867), "the Inn" (1870), "Junket", "For a pension" (both 1878), and others the artist has depicted the world of the poor and homeless, desperate and devoid of hope. This sensitive artist ended his days in the St. Petersburg hospital for the poor. Many of his paintings devoted to the life of the city the "bottom" ("the birthday of the deacon" "In the cellar"). Hot sympathy showed little people, created a sharp satirical characters ("In the choir", the "Wandering musicians", "Wedding", all — 1872, State. The Tretyakov gallery).

Lit.: L. Tarasov. L. I. Solomatkin, in kN.: Russian art... the Middle of the XIX century, Moscow, 1958.