Vasily (Wilhelm August) Golicke is famous for his portraits of generals of the war with Napoleon (he worked with the English artist George Dawe for the Military Gallery of 1812 in the Winter Palace). He also loved to paint folk scenes and exotic characters. He depicted his contemporary (most likely a merchant) in a caftan with a braid, the tailoring of which dates back to old Russian clothes.

Golicke Vasily

Golicke, Vasily (Wilhelm August) Alexandrovich
1802, St Petersburg - 1848, St Petersburg
Painter, portraitist, genre artist. Born into the lower middle class. From 1822 to 1828, studied at the studio of the English artist George Dawe, who was working in St Petersburg painting portraits of Russian generals for the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace. Began attending classes at Imperial Academy of Arts (1829). Received the title of Free (Non-Class) Artist (1832). Copied portraits of Nicholas I and his wife Alexander Feodorovna by Franz Kr ger and Christina Robertson. Received a lifetime pension at the bequest of George Dawe.