Alexander Anufriev was born in Moscow in 1940 and was educated at an art school for gifted children in Moscow, graduating in 1956; In 1963 he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Grecov College of Fine Arts in Odessa. He endured many years as an underground "unofficial" artist in the Soviet Union due to the spiritual nature of his paintings and his view of life. He came to the United States in 1981 and his motivation as an artist has not changed.

What is most important to Anufriev as an artist is conveying the essence of things and not surprisingly, the art and artists he cites as influences are those in which he perceives the same quality. Chief among the Renaissance artis...