eldmann Valentin Augustowitsch
(Russian 1864 - 1928)
Biography
Feldmann was born into a Russo-German family near St. Petersburg, and from 1883 to 1889 he studied at the architectural department of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, where he earned the title of Artist of the First Degree. It was at the academy where he came into contact with the work of Luigi Ossipovich Premazzi, who was a professor there. Having graduated Feldmann worked with the famous Moscow architect Alexander Nikanorovich Pomerantsev (1849-1918).
In 1891 he moved to the Crimea, where he would spend the rest of his career. Until 1905 he lived and worked in Sevastopol, where it seems likely the present work was painted. He achieved great success as an architect in Sevastopol, most notably with his Monument to Sunken Ships, which has become a symbol of the city, but also with his watercolours, which he exhibited annually. Eventually he left Sevastopol, spending time in Kharkov before settling in Kiev, where he spent the rest of his life.
Feldmann was highly successful both as an architect and as a watercolourist. He was a member of the Society of Russian Watercolours, and exhibited in St. Petersburg, Sevastopol, Kharkov and Odessa. He also wrote several books on the subject, including Light and Colour Purity in Painting and Notes on Watercolour Painting. After his death a posthumous exhibition was held, and his work is found in several museums throughout the Crimea and Kiev.