The 1921 Self Portrait of Russian-American Artist Nicholas Basil Haritonoff. Haritonoff was the official painter of the Russian Army Officers in World War I. Tsar Nicholas posed for Haritonoff as the last portrait sitting of his life. Haritonoff lived from 1880 until 1944. He studied at the Imperial Academy in Russia and at the Academy of Arts in Munich.He immigrated to America where he created chiefly realist portraits.