Shchukin Stepan Semyonovich

Stepan Semyonovich Shchukin was a painter, educator, and a prominent portrait master. He practiced miniature painting and painted icons for the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. From 1776 to 1782, he studied at the Academy of Arts under D. G. Levitsky. In 1782, he received a large gold medal and a first-degree certificate for his "Portrait of a Teacher with a Pupil." From 1782 to 1786, he was an Academy pensioner in France. In 1786, he was named an "appointed" artist for his portrait of the architect Yu. M. Felten. From 1788, he taught at the Academy, leading the portrait painting class. In 1797, he became an academician for his portrait of Paul I, and from 1800, he served as an advisor to the Academy of Arts.