Timofey Andreyevich Neff

Place: Püssi Manor

Born: 1804

Death: 1877

Biography:

Carl Timoleon von Neff was a Russian Imperial artist of Baltic German descent. He was born on October 2, 1804, at Püssi manor in Lüganuse parish, Virumaa, Estonia. His mother, Félicité Neff, was a French governess who came to Russia with Madame Berg in February 1804. In 1815-1818, he attended the Rakvere County School. He studied painting at the Art Academy in Dresden from 1824 and later moved to Saint Petersburg where he became known for his talent among the imperial court circles. He traveled to Italy and made a significant journey through Russia in 1837, capturing village scenes and genre paintings. Von Neff held various positions, including being the dean of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg and serving as a court painter for Emperor Nicholas I. His artwork includes portraits, female nudes, and genre paintings, as well as mythological and biblical scenes commissioned by the Orthodox Church. He was also known for his extensive art collection, which is now housed at the Estonian Art Museum in Tallinn.