▁Raf ail ' s ▁photos ▁are ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁show ▁images ▁of ▁sit ters ▁in ▁natural istic ▁pos es , ▁soft ▁light ing , ▁within ▁natural istic ▁background s , ▁and ▁express ing ▁real ▁sent iments ▁like ▁joy ▁and ▁laugh ter ▁or ▁tend ern ess ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁photo ▁of ▁Cz arina ▁Alex andra ▁with ▁Ol ga ▁and ▁Maria ▁( 1 8 9 9 ). ▁ ▁Comp are ▁similar ▁photos ▁of ▁the ▁day ▁where ▁sit ters ▁stood ▁as ▁straight ▁as ▁soldiers ▁and ▁looked ▁out ▁at ▁the ▁vie wer ▁like ▁a ▁de er ▁caught ▁in ▁the ▁head light s ▁of ▁an ▁on coming ▁car ▁and ▁one ▁will ▁instantly ▁see ▁why ▁the ▁Lev it sky ▁studio ▁was ▁miles ▁ahead ▁of ▁its ▁compet itors ▁and ▁why ▁being ▁an ▁artist ▁was ▁so ▁important ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁development ▁of ▁phot ography . ▁ ▁Leg acy ▁▁ ▁The ▁magnitude ▁of ▁Raf ail ▁Lev it sky ' s ▁catalog ue ▁raison né ▁remains ▁unknown . ▁His ▁influence ▁on ▁artists , ▁his ▁history , ▁and ▁his ▁life ' s ▁art istic ▁achiev ements ▁were ▁er ased ▁during ▁the ▁Soviet ▁era ; ▁an ▁era ▁where ▁arist ocr atic ▁orig ins ▁and ▁t ies ▁to ▁the ▁Roman ov ▁family ▁were ▁cause ▁for ▁violent ▁repr ession . ▁The ▁State ▁Russian ▁Museum ▁does ▁not ▁own ▁pictures , ▁draw ings ▁or ▁arch ival ▁documents ▁in ▁its ▁collection ▁of ▁this ▁once ▁great ▁Russian ▁artist . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁most ▁complete ▁collection ▁ever ▁produced ▁review ing ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁Russian ▁and ▁European ▁painting ▁entitled ▁the ▁Encyclopedia ▁of ▁World