The 19th century for Russian art was a time of great changes and developments that led to the establishment of a truly Russian art     school. The 18th century dependence on European art and styles gave way to a reaffirmation of Russian heritage and to new interpretative ways, different from Western standards. Nevertheless, as a result of the acceptance of Western art techniques and styles during the preceding era, Russian art would be connected to and perhaps interpreted by European standards and ideals.
Early in the century, Russia's artistic community continued to share much in common with contemporary European art. Focus was placed on the schools of Rome, Bologna, and Paris and the Russian artists were skilled under the shadow of the techniques and stylistic approaches popular in Europe. With the appear of Romanticism, a new emphasis was placed on the portraits of individuals (in particular, portraits and self-portraits of artists) and representations of historical events.    Moreover, as art began to spread beyond the court circles, Russian artists took renewed interest in the world surrounding them instead of admiring distant European countries. This change was reflected in a move towards greater naturalism. However, throughout the early part of the century, the conflict between classicism, idealism, and naturalism was clearly visible, and it was not until the middle of the century that the realistic tendencies became dominant.

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