Russian painter. He studied at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg from 1800 to 1810 and continued to live there until 1846, when he moved to Moscow. He was the first Russian master to paint portraits only in watercolours (without the use of bodycolour), a technique that supplanted the miniature portrait during the period 1820-50. Sokolov's subtle lyricism, the delicacy of his use of colour, the lightness and vivacity of his style of painting and the sincerity of his interpretation of character all contributed to the widespread popularity of his portraits. His son, Pyotr Petrovich Sokolov (1821-1899), studied under him and became a painter and printmaker. //