Brief Biography-Karl Pavlovich Bryullov was born in Saint Petersburg to parents of French origin. His father, Pavel Ivanovich, an artist, gave Karl his initial tutorage before he entered the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1809.
In 1822, he travelled to Italy with his two brothers, also artists. Karl was soon impressed by Romanticism and painted several copies from museums and genre scenes throughout Rome. In addition, he supported himself by doing portraits of many resident Russians and local nobility.
In 1835, he went to Moscow, where he successfully did portraits of notable writers, actors, and poets; one was of playwright Alexey Tolstoy. Then, Nicholas I commissioned him to paint the Siege of Pskov, which he never finished.
In the 1840s, he went to Madeira to improve his health, which had quickly deteriorated. There he had a fruitful period, painting many portraits and watercolours. He spent his final years in Italy, where he died near Rome in 1852. His most noted work was The Last Day of Pompeii which he completed at the end of his first stay in Italy and was to seal his career.