Leonid Pasternak

Leonid Pasternak studied art in Munich and Moscow and became a professor at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Pasternak was part of the Russian intelligentsia and closely associated with key cultural figures of the Silver Age, including Leo Tolstoy, whose life and works he frequently illustrated. He was also the father of the renowned writer Boris Pasternak.

Pasternak was known for his sensitive and impressionistic drawing and painting style. Working in oils, pastels, and pencil, he created portraits, literary illustrations, and domestic scenes that captured emotional nuance and the subtleties of light. His style combined realism with a lyrical, almost atmospheric quality that drew influence from French impressionism and the Russian Peredvizhniki. He was also a pioneer in Russian graphic art and one of the first artists in Russia to use pastels extensively.

Among Pasternak’s most notable works are his portraits of Leo Tolstoy, illustrations for War and Peace and Resurrection, and intimate family scenes such as The Pasternak Family at the Table. His work was exhibited widely in Russia and abroad, including shows in Munich, Paris, and London. After his death, retrospectives of his work have been held at institutions such as the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford), the Jewish Museum (New York), and the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow), helping to preserve his legacy as a bridge between Russian and European art traditions.