The creative life of the painter VK Shebuev entirely to the St. Petersburg Academy of arts. He studied and received training at the Academy of Catherine's time, when implementing some educational ideas, the Empress arranged this school as a closed, isolated from the environment, the educational institution, where students along with high professional skills should have been vaccinated not less than a high virtue, selfless service to the Fatherland, nobility, purity of morals. The style of classicism, to operate the forms of ancient art, took the sculpture and historical painting the Central place in the public life of the state, and in this regard the role of the artist was presented at that time exceptional.
Already in nine years Shebuev out on marks among the first students. His teacher was I. Akimov and G. I. ugriumov, who gave the future artist a brilliant school of academic drawing and painting.
After finishing school with a diploma of the first degree, and a small gold medal, in 1797, Shebuev was left a pensioner at the Academy of arts, and in 1803 was sent to Rome, where he perfected his art by copying the originals and drawing in anatomical theatres. The Roman period is the painting "Divination (self-portrait with a fortune teller)" (1805-07), standing in the works a historical painter himself. The joy of life, the young artist confidence in their abilities and exudes the canvas, merges largely with the romantic art movement of the early XIX century To the end of life Shebuev kept this self-portrait.
In 1806, the artist, along with other pensioners were recalled home in connection with the necessity of pictorial and sculptural decoration being built in St. Petersburg, the Kazan Cathedral, which became a kind of Pantheon of glory, a monument to Russian troops, and at the same time a "temple of fame Russian artists." Shebuev played there a number of compositions, including images of the three hierarchs - Basil the Great, Gregory the theologian and John Chrysostom.
The whole future life Shebuev associated with teaching at the Academy: he began at the title of academician (1807) in the class of historical painting, and finished by the rector of painting and sculpture (1832). During the presidency of A. N. Venison Shebuev worked on the preparation of textbooks on anatomy ("Anthropometry", 1830-31) for students of AH, created a sketch of the painting of the dome of the conference hall AH ("a Celebration on mount Olympus", 1832; painting still adorns the ceiling of the hall); in 1836 he performed sketches of the dome and iconostasis for the St. Catherine Church in the building AH. Worked on the design of the Palace Church in Tsarskoye Selo (1820-21), Izmailov (1837) and Isaac (1844-48) Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
All these works are distinguished by great compositional solution, the organic relationship with the characteristics of specific interior lighting, etc. the Most famous historical picture Shebuev "the Feat of the merchant Igolkin Novgorod in the Northern war against the Swedes" (1839) is written in the story of the history of Peter's time and honors the Patriotic dedication of the Russian people.
The time the painting - a period of searching for new forms in Russian historical painting, when the hard canons of classicism begin to take their positions. Shebuev trying to revive Dating back to past form the classic historical paintings - hence the deliberate gestures dramatized characters, a sharp contrast exaggerated rage of enemies, the stately calm of the protagonist. However, the color palette paintings with strong contrasts of light and shadow, as well as the dynamism of the action, deploy it in time indicate the occurrence of romantic trends in art. Realistic same trend is clearly expressed in the authentic image of the specific details of clothing, weapons.
It is easy enough realistic aspirations Shebuev evident in his later portrait work. They are distinguished by their sincere goodwill to their models, striving accurately without idealizing, to transmit the image of a familiar person, are these "Portrait of a retired freight forwarder I. V. Svacina" (1833), "Portrait of an unknown woman in brown dress" (1837), "Portrait of wife" (mid-1840s). Looking at them, it's safe to say that in the portrait genre most fully revealed talent of the artist.
