Stepan Kolesnikov (Russian 1879-1955) - Landscape, oil on canvas, 11.5 x 9 in; frame: 14.5 x 12 in, good condition.

Stepan Feodorovich Kolesnikov was a Russian realist painter. He depicted snow-covered landscapes and rustic farm scenes in both gouache and oil. The peasants in his work are often portrayed working in fields or celebrating religious festivals. Born on July 11, 1879 in Adrianopol, Russian Empire (currently Ukraine) to a peasant family, Kolesnikov studied at the Odessa School of Art before entering the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in 1903. In school, he received several awards for his work, winning him the acclaim of the famed painter Ilya Repin. Notably, Kolesnikov was a favorite artist of Tsar Nicolas II, the last Emperor of Russia, who once gifted him an engraved cigarette case. After the Russian revolution, the artist moved to the Balkans, settling in Belgrade, where he lived for the rest of his life. Kolesnikov died on May 27, 1955 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. His works are in the collections of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow and the Odessa Fine Arts Museum.