Ivan Nikitich Nikitin, a major artist during the epoch of Peter I and the founder of the new Russian painting, was born in Moscow, into the family of a clergyman and confessor of Tsarina Praskovia Fyodorovna. Nothing is known of his initial education. Even during the early years of his career, Nikitin painted a number of royal portraits (Portrait of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeyevna, not later than 1716). In 1716-1719 Nikitin went to Italy as a pensioner of Peter I. Peter wrote then to his wife, "My dear friend Catherine, greetings! I met here Beklemishev [Russian ambassador to Italy] and Ivan the painter. When they arrive where you are, ask the King to have him paint his portrait; also others who you please, especially my kinsman, so that all should know that we have good masters among our people". The portrait of the "kinsman" mentioned in the letter was painted by Nikitin in the 1720s – it was Count G.I. Golovkin, father-in-law of Peter’s niece Ekaterina Ioannovna (the Portrait of Count G.I. Golovkin). In 1720 Nikitin returned to Petersburg on the summons of Peter I. The following year, the Tsar appointed him as his court painter and recommended his courtiers to order portraits from him. The numerous works created by Nikitin in that decade attest to his the maturity of his talent. Nikitin’s life was closely linked to the royal court. He accompanied the Tsar in his travels in Russia and abroad. In 1715 and 1721 he painted from life, portraits of Peter, and in 1725 created the portrait of the deceased Emperor. After the coronation of Anna Ioannovna Nikitin moved to Moscow. In 1732 he was arrested for keeping notebooks containing a satire on Feofan Prokopovich and was kept for five years in solitary confinement in the Petropavlovskaya Fortress under investigation by the Secret Service. In 1737 an edict was issued "to beat Ivan Nikitin with whips and banish him to Siberia for life under supervision". This was later followed by three edicts on his pardon issued by Anna Ioannovna shortly before her death, by Anna Leopoldovna and finally by Elizaveta Petrovna, but in 1742 on his way from Siberia, the artist died.