Isaak Brodsky was a prominent painter, art educator, and art administrator. He was born in the Ukrainian town of Sofiyevka and moved with his family to Saint Petersburg in 1890. Brodsky received his formal art education at the Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg, where he studied under the guidance of such prominent artists as Ilya Repin and Dmitry Kardovsky. He became a member of the Peredvizhniki (Wanderers) art group, which aimed to break with academic traditions and promote realism in art.

Brodsky is best known for his portraits, which include depictions of prominent figures of his time, such as Maxim Gorky and Sergei Rachmaninoff. He was appointed as the chief artist of the State Hermitage Museum in 1926 and served as the director of the Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture from 1934 until his death in 1939. Brodsky was recognized for his artistic and educational contributions and received numerous awards. His works are represented in major museum collections in Russia and around the world.