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Andrey Yefimovich Martynov was born in 1768 in St. Petersburg into the family of a sergeant of the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment. In 1788 he graduated from the Academy of Art, where he studied under Semion Shchedrin (1745 - 1804). In accordance with the tradition of the time the best graduates of the Academy had a post graduate training in Italy, and Andrey Martynov was among them. He spent six years in Italy, 1788-1794. In 1795 he was elected academician and in 1802 ¨C councilor of the Academy. He got commissions from the Imperial court ¨C he participated in decorating the royal palaces in Pavlovsk, Gatchina, Tsarskoe Selo and others.

Gradually the artist left painting for new media ¨C etching and lithography. In 1804 he traveled through southern Russia and executed views of its towns and landscapes. In 1805-1806, Martynov, as an official artist of the Russian Embassy to China headed by the Count Yu. Golovkin, traveled as far as Urga, present Ulan-Bator, Mongolia. He brought back many works, which were used for the series of lithographs "Views of Russia and Mongolia" and "People's Types of Russia and Mongolia". In 1810 the artist traveled through the Baltic lands of the Russian Empire and created a series called "Views of the Baltic Countries". In the 1820s Martynov executed views of St. Petersburg, which are among his best works. In 1824-26 the artist worked in Italy, where he died.