Alexandre Pavlovich BRULLOV (Saint-Pétersbourg 1798-1877).

The two sailors. Watercolour and graphite on paper, signed lower right in Latin letters A. Bruloff. 29 x 23.5 cm History: Alexander Brullov was sent to Italy, together with his brother Karl, from 1822 to 1826 by the Imperial Academy in order to improve his skills in the field of architecture. In search of new subjects, he travelled extensively in Italy, especially to Naples, which gave him a real visual shock. Its picturesque landscapes and Vesuvius definitely marked Alexander Brullov's mind. It was during this stay that his talent as a portraitist was revealed, he, the architect by training, having come to draw the most excellent Italian monuments. In 1824, he settled in Naples in a house by the bay, overlooking the promenade of Santa Lucia, which served as his studio. He began to sell his watercolour portraits, even if he described this exercise as "fun", and he received more and more orders. He will thus take taste and excel in the art of the portrait. Our watercolor is perfectly in line with the Neapolitan period of the artist. These Italian sailors, probably sailing in the Bay of Naples, are representative of the many portraits that Brullov enjoyed sketching almost in an instant. Here he lets his talent as a watercolorist speak for itself, deeply influenced by the softness of Italy.