Pavel Fedotov

Fedotov began as an officer in the Finnish Life Guards Regiment. From 1835 he attended evening classes at the Academy of Arts. Painting later became his main occupation. He was especially interested in everyday situations that reveal a person’s character and circumstances.

Objects and gestures deserve close attention in his paintings. A book, a costume or a playbill may explain a character’s embarrassment. The Aristocrat’s Breakfast is built around such details.