ROBERT SCHWEDE (1806-1871) Portrait of Pavel Petrovitch Melnikov, Major General of the Corps of Railway Engineers of the Russian Imperial Army, 1848-1855

oil on canvas 54 x 46 cm Robert Konstantin Schwede (1806–1871) was a German-Balt painter specialising in portraiture and landscapes. Having trained at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg, he was awarded the title of ‘free artist’ there and produced numerous portraits of prominent Russian figures, including military officers and members of high society. Pavel Petrovich Melnikov (1804-1880) was a Russian engineer and the First Minister of Transport of the Russian Empire (1865–1869). He was one of the designers of the St Petersburg-Moscow railway. Author of a number of unique designs and scientific works.