Chevalier, Nicolas (artist)

Nicola Chevalier (May 9, 1828 - March 15, 1902) - Australian and British painter and traveler of Swiss origin.

Born in the family of Louis Chevalier, who came to the Russian Empire from the canton of Vaud and served as the manager of the estate at Wittgenstein . Having spent his childhood and adolescence in St. Petersburg , in 1845 he returned to his fatherland, received his initial education in Lausanne and then studied architecture in Munich for three years under the supervision of L. Lange. In 1851 he moved to London , worked a lot there for Grüner and for the publication of Nineveh by Layard (Layard). In 1852 he spent some time in Rome , improving his drawing and painting from nature, from there he went in 1853 with his younger brother to Australia , where he painted with great success paintings of various contents and for seven years was a member of the illustrated magazine “Melbourn Punch ".

At the same time, the artist in the hydrograph society G. Neymeyer visited the picturesque places of Victoria, traveled to New Zealand and accompanied (in 1869) the Duke of Edinburgh in his voyage to China and Japan . In 1873 he returned to London with a huge supply of sketches made during these travels, on the basis of which he began to paint landscapes, architectural views and genre scenes. These works appeared in large numbers at London exhibitions and aroused strong interest in the public; In addition to exotic scenes, the artist also depicted English nature, buildings and life. From 1871 to 1887 he regularly exhibited his paintings at exhibitions of the London Academy of Arts. He painted the last picture in 1895, after which he retired.

The most famous works of St. Nicholas Chevalier - "The thanksgiving procession in the London Cathedral of St. Paul February 27, 1873 ”, commissioned by Queen Victoria ; “Inside Pavlovsky Cathedral” during the same celebration ( pandanus of the previous picture); “The marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh with the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna” (written in St. Petersburg, where the artist came in the groom's retinue); The Grand Duke’s Wedding Parade (same); "The grand opening of the Vienna World Exhibition of 1873"; "Chinese lady at the game" and "East Shepherd."