Aleksey Antropov was born in Saint Petersburg in 1716. He was born into a military family and studied art under Andrey Matveev and Ivan Vishnyakov. He went on to paint many palaces in St. Petersburg and was commissioned to paint the walls and dome of the Kiev Cathedral of St. Andrew. His works of art are admired around the world.

During his early career, Antropov worked on the interiors of St Andrew's Church in Kiev, where he was responsible for the frescoing on the cupolas and walls. Antropov began to paint portraits before the Kiev period and is known for the portrait of Elizabeth of Russia. Antropov did not meet his model in life, but based his paintings on the paintings of Louis Caravaque. After working in Moscow, he was invited to serve as the chief painter of the Synod, which was held every year in 1761. Antropov continued to work on portraits until the end of his life.