12.02.1817 – 09.09.1888

Socrates Vorobiev – one of the leading masters of landscape painting of the middle – second half of the XIX century, a representative of the academic direction.

Born into the family of the famous painter Maxim Vorobiev (1787 – 1855).
In 1833 he entered the Imperial Academy of Arts in the class of landscape and perspective painting, where he studied under the guidance of his father. In 1836 he was awarded a small and a large silver medals, in 1837 – a small gold medal, in 1838 – a large gold medal for the painting “View of the manor Fall of Count A.H. Benkendorf near Revel”. In 1839 he graduated from the Academy in the title of the artist of the XIV class.

Successful completion of studies at the Academy gave the artist the right to a pensioner’s trip abroad, for additional improvement. In 1840, Vorobyov traveled to Italy for six years. He worked in Rome and Naples. In 1844 he was in Palermo under Nicholas I, at whose request he created an album of paintings with views of Italy.

In 1846 he returned to Russia, where he was elected an academician without performing mandatory program work. In 1847, he again went to Italy for two years to paint pictures with funds issued by Nicholas I. In 1849 he returned to St. Petersburg, where he participated in academic exhibitions. In 1852 he created a series of works with views of the suburbs of the Russian capital.

After the death of his father in 1855, he taught at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, where he led a landscape painting class, consisting of a corrective professor. Among his students are many famous landscape masters of the second half of the 19th century: E. K. Dukker, I. I. Shishkin, A. M. Meshchersky, Yu. Yu. Klever, and others. In 1858 Vorobiev was awarded the title of professor, in 1859 – a professor of the 2nd degree. In 1872, he retired from the academy and settled in the estate of Turmont, Novoaleksandrovsky district of the Kovno province, where he spent his last years. In this period of life – almost did not draw.

Vorobyov’s works are in many museum and private collections, including the State Russian Museum, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Museum-Estate of V.D. Polenov, museums of Vladikavkaz, Voronezh, Syktyvkar, Minsk, Riga and others.