Alexeyev's paintings have been brought from 13 national museums, such as Russian, Pushkin fine arts and historical.
Alexeyev's works can be seen in museums and private collections: actually nothing of his heritage is missing.
Fedyor Alexeyev graduated from the Russian Arts Academy. In the 18th century it had a group of fruit and flowers painting, where he began his education.
Closer to the end of the term, he was sick and tired of picturing bunches of grape and lovely peaches and joined the group of landscape painting. Its almost only specialization was theatrical settings. After the academy Alexeyev went to Venice to study decorative arts.
In Italy he not so much went into them as copied canvasses by Canaletto and Belotto, who preferred urban views. For that Alexeyev was brought back home.
In the meantime, in Russia at the turn of the 19th century copies of foreign masterpieces cost more and more. Fyodor Alexeyev made such for Empress Catherine II.
In 1793, after he painted a view of St.Petersburg, Alexeyev was called "Russian Canaletto."
Looking at Alexeyev's early landscapes, one can find amusing Italian realities, for instance gondola-looking boats floating down the Neva river.
The exhibition will be open until January 16.
