Dmitry Grigoryevich Levitzky was born in Kiev into the family of a priest, who taught him the basics of painting. At an early age Levitzky was an assistant of the well-known artist Aleksey Antropov, who worked on frescos of the Kiev Cathedral. At the instance of Antropov the beginning artist went to Moscow for some artworks. After exhibiting a number of his ceremonial portraits in 1770 Levitzky became well-known. For his portrait of Kokorinov he received the rank of an academician and a post in the Petersburg Academy of Arts. Levitzky was an innovator in the genre of the full-dress portrait – his works were full of life and had implied plot meanings. Empress of Russia Catherine the Great herself was among Levitzky’s customers.

Sadly, Levitzky spent the last of his years in poverty: the artist got blind and could not paint any more. Dmitry Levitzky died in 1822 and was buried at Smolensk Cemetery in Petersburg.