Николай Николаевич Ге (1831-94)

Nikolai Ge: A collection of 96 paintings (HD) Description: “Nikolai Ge, a Russian realist painter, was born on February, 27, 1831 in Voronezh, to a Russian noble family of French origin. His grandfather emigrated to Russia in the 18th century. Ge got his education in the First Kiev Gymnasium and then he studied at the physics-mathematics department of Kiev University and then at St. Petersburg University. In 1850 he gave up his career in science and entered the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, where he studied art under the painter Pyotr Basin until 1857. Nikolai graduated from the academy in 1857 with a gold medal for his painting “The Witch of Endor Calling up the Spirit of the Prophet Samuel”. After that he was given a scholarship and went abroad. Ge visited Germany, Switzerland and France. Finally in 1860 Nikolai settled in Florence. In 1863 Ge painted “The Last Supper” took the painting with him to St. Petersburg. The painting (bought by Alexander II of Russia) made such a strong