Vladimir Alexeyevich Schuko (1878–1939):
Architect, theatrical designer. Academician of architecture (1911).
Although primarily famous for his images of Old Russia, Ivan Kulikov also displayed his talent for portraiture as a student of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Ilya Repin invited the artist to help him paint Ceremonial Sitting of the State Council. In 1902, Kulikov painted a portrait of Vladimir Schuko, a fellow student at the Academy who later became a leading Neoclassical architect. Slightly bowing his head, the young man peers through his pince-nez, looking older than his twenty-four years. Schuko’s posture is spontaneous and energetic. The red flower in his buttonhole and his white collar and cuff underline the refined austerity of his outer appearance. The black-clad figure is painted broadly and elegantly on a deep black-brown background, which brings out the rich gold and grey-black. Portrait of Vladimir Schuko is one of the most outstanding examples of a psychological portrait by a member of the Repin school. In 1902, Kulikov also painted In a Peasant Hut. He was awarded a major gold medal, the title of artist and a fellowship to Italy and France (1903–05).