Born in Russia, Alexei Isupov became known by his Italianised name Alessio Issupoff. He attended art school in Moscow and worked as an icon painter in Tashkent and Samarkand. Between 1921 and 1926, he lived in Moscow, where he was forced to paint in conformity with the requirements of the regime. To cure an illness, he travelled to Italy in 1926 where he quickly made friends in artistic circles. That same year, he exhibited his works for the first time in Rome. He remained in Italy until his death, but many of his works – mostly landscapes and genre scenes – reflect a longing for his homeland.