Karl Pavlovich Brullov (1799-1852), the first Russian painter to gain recognition in the west, and regarded as a key figure in the transition from Russian neoclassicism to romanticism. His best-known work, The Last Day of Pompeii (1830-1833; State Russian Museum, St Petersburg), is a vast composition resulting from a visit to the site in 1827. It was compared by Pushkin and Gogol to the best works of Rubens and Van Dyck and created a sensation when shown in Italy. He lived in Italy for health reasons for the last two years of his life.