Photo of the sculpture by P. Klodt "Riding Life Guards Horse Artillery", K. Bull

A very rare picture taken in the studio of the famous St. Petersburg photographer Karl Bulla. Format 220*285 mm (snapshot),360*265 mm (with passepartout). Gelatin-silver print. On a branded passepartout. Minor contamination on the back of the passepartout. Apparently, the picture shows a sculpture that is currently stored in the Russian Museum. However, in the presented picture, a saber is visible on the rider's belt, and it is absent from the sculpture in the museum. Nevertheless, it is guaranteed to be an authentic picture taken by the hand of a master. Guarantee of authenticity.

Karl Karlovich Bulla (Karl Oswald Bulla; German. Carl Oswald Bulla; February 26, 1855 - December 2, 1929) was a portrait painter and master of documentary photography, owner of a photo studio in St. Petersburg, who went down in history as the "father of Russian photo reportage". Portraitist and master of documentary photography. He was born into a German family in the Prussian town of Leobschutz, but worked almost exclusively in St. Petersburg. In 1875, Karl Bulla opened his own photo studio, which at the beginning of the XX century was located in the Passage building on Nevsky. Back in 1886, he received from the Ministry of Internal Affairs a "permit for the right to produce all kinds of photographic works outside the home, such as on the streets, apartments and in the immediate vicinity of St. Petersburg", which allowed him many years later in 1894 to establish the printing production of postcards in the standard of the Universal Postal Union. Since 1897, Karl Bulla's photographs have been published in the mass and popular magazine "Niva". Since that time, his name has become known throughout the Russian Empire. Since 1908 - photographer of the magazine "Ogonyok".

The versatility of Karl Bulla's talent is best described by his own advertisement: "I shoot all kinds of architectural objects, both internal and external facades, houses, factories, workshops with workers, cars, railways, monuments, shops, views. Various scenes and types, pictures from ancient and antique objects, opening and lighting of buildings, anniversary celebrations. Snapshots of sports of all kinds, from horses, dogs and other animals."

In 1908, Karl Bulla acquired a photo studio at Nevsky 54. In this room there is now an operating photo salon belonging to other owners — the "Karl Bulla Historical Photography Foundation". There is a small museum and exhibitions are held here. There is a monument to the St. Petersburg photographer in front of the Bulla atelier on Malaya Sadovaya. After 1916, Karl Bulla transferred his photographic business to his sons, Alexander and Victor, and he settled on the island of Saaremaa, in Estonia. He died there in 1929. In the house where he lived, later there was a village school with a library, later - the administration of the municipality of Torgu, and after its abolition, the Karl Bulla Museum was organized in the building.