Alexei Savrasov

Alexei Kondratyevich Savrasov (1830 - 1897) was a Russian painter born into a merchant family. He began studying art at 8 and eventually entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. (Ipatiev Monastery in the Winter Night c.1870)

From the beginning of his professional career, Savrasov's specialty was landscape. He eventually coined a phrase for his own style, "lyrical landscape painting." (Winter, 1870)

Savrasov obviously loved the landscape of rural Russia, which he painted in every season. (Early Spring)

Winter Landscape.

 Flooding on the Volga near Yaroslavl.

The Rooks are Back.

Spring Evening.

According to wikipedia, Savrasov's life later turned tragic:

In 1871, after the death of his daughter, there was a crisis in his art. The misfortunes in his personal life and, possibly, dissatisfaction with his artistic career were the reasons of his tragedy—he became an alcoholic. All attempts of his relatives and friends to help him were in vain.

The last years of his life Savrasov led the life of a pauper, wandering from shelter to shelter. Only the doorkeeper of the Moscow School of painting, sculpturing and architecture and Pavel Tretyakov, founder of the Tretyakov Gallery, were present at his funeral in 1897.

Monastery Caves near Nishni Novgorod.

Sundown over a Marsh, 1871.

And some paintings posted without titles. I think these are wonderful, and a little sad.