A Pioneer of the Russian Baroque The story of Ivan Nikitich Nikitin is one of profound transformation, mirroring the very evolution of Russia itself during the early eighteenth century. Born in Moscow to a family of an Orthodox priest, Nikitin’s early artistic foundations were laid within the sacred and industrious atmosphere of the Kremlin Armoury's engraving shop. Under the guidance of the Dutch artist Schwonbek, he began to absorb the technical rigors of Western European traditions, a seed that would eventually bloom into a revolutionary style. As the political tides shifted with the move…