Synonymous with an important period in the history of Muscovite painting in the seventeenth century and the activities of the Armoury icon-painting workshop. Began working at the Armoury as a silversmith (1648). Following his appointment as royal icon-painter (1664), took over as head of the icon-painting section and remained there until his death (1686). An engraver and icon-painter, he also decorated the interiors of churches and created book miniatures. Painted parsuni (portraits) of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich, decorated palace fittings, compiled an album entitled Alphabet of the Arts and wrote a treatise on icon-painting. First in the history of Russian icon-painting to employ such devices of West European art as volumetric modelling of form and perspective.