Stepanov Klavdiy Petrovich (1854 - 1910) - Russian painter, director of the icon-painting chamber, academician of painting and public figure-monarchist.
Born near Moscow (the village of Tabalovo, Moscow province) in 1854. Came from a noble family. Studied at the Lyceum of Tsarevich Nicholas; then at the Faculty of History and Philology of St. Petersburg University. As a student, he attended the Academy of Arts at the same time as a free student; here for his success in drawing he was awarded a small silver medal.
From 1877 to 1878 he served in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment, a participant in the Russian-Turkish War. After retirement, he was a roving officer in the Ministry of Finance. In 1880 he again applied to the IAH with a request to become a volunteer.
from 1880 he lived in Paris, then in Venice until the beginning of the XX century.
In 1893 "for excellent knowledge" in historical painting and the painting "Feast at Laura" based on the poem "The Stone Guest" by Alexander Pushkin, "Allegory of Science" and a number of portraits were awarded the title of academician.
Took part in exhibitions in the halls of the IAH (1884-1907, with interruptions). Member and exhibitor of the Moscow Society of Art Lovers (since 1886), the St. Petersburg Society of Artists (1897-1902), a member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts (since 1875).
Between 1903 and 1907, he worked in newspapers as an editor-publisher.
In 1908 he was chairman of the organization of the Aksakov Literary and Political Society in Moscow.
He died in 1910 on treatment in the Crimea.
Stepanov is one of the notable representatives of Russian academic painting of the second half of the 19th century. His works are mostly of a small format, often deliberately created in imitation of the painting of the "old masters" - the small Dutch or French painters of the 18th century (J.-O. Fragonard, A. Watteau and others).