FEDOR PETROVICH TOLSTOY (1783-1873) Still life with gooseberries

signed and inscribed in Cyrillic ‘Risoval s natury Gr. Fedor Tolstoy’ [drawn from life by Count Fedor Tolstoy] (lower right) and dated in Cyrillic ‘1818 goda’ (lower left) watercolour on paper 16.8 x 23 cm (a vue) executed in 1818 Count Fedor Petrovich Tolstoy was a Russian sculptor, master medallist, painter, draughtsman, theatre artist, silhouette artist. He was an academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts (since 1809) and later became a honorary member of the Florence Academy of Arts. Born in St. Petersburg into the family of Count P. Tolstoy, he studied at the Naval Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg, from which he graduated as a midshipman. In 1804, he retired from the service. He studied in the medal-making class of the Academy of Arts under I. P. Prokofiev (from 1804) and benefited from the advice of O. A. Kiprensky. Fedor Petrovich Tolstoy served at the Hermitage (1806) and later became a medallist at the Mint. He taught at the Academy of Arts (from 1825) and was a professor of medallic art (from 1842) and sculpture (from 1849). Vice-president of the Academy of Arts (1828–1859). He was a member of the Decembrist movement and chairman of the Core Council of the Union of Welfare.