What is a front portrait. Historical ceremonial portrait

Diego Velazquez (?), copy of the original by Rubens, Equestrian Portrait of Philip IV

Ceremonial portrait, representative portrait- a subtype of portrait, characteristic of court culture. Received special development in the period of developed absolutism. Its main task is not only to convey visual similarity, but also to exalt the customer, likening the depicted person to a deity (in the case of portraying a monarch) or a monarch (in the case of portraying an aristocrat).

Characteristic

As a rule, it involves showing a person in full growth (on a horse, standing or sitting). In a formal portrait, the figure is usually given against an architectural or landscape background; greater elaboration makes it close to the narrative picture, which implies not only impressive dimensions, but also an individual figurative structure.

The artist depicts a model, focusing the viewer's attention on the social role of the depicted. Since the main role of the ceremonial portrait was ideological, this caused a certain one-dimensional characterization: an emphasized theatricality of the pose and a rather magnificent entourage (columns, draperies, regalia, symbols of power in the portrait of the monarch), which overshadowed the spiritual properties of the model. Nevertheless, in the best works of the genre, the model appears in an emphatically given version, which turns out to be very expressive.

The ceremonial portrait is characterized by frank demonstrativeness and the desire to "historicize" the depicted. This affects the range of colors, which is invariably elegant, decorative and meets the coloristic features of the interior (although it changes depending on the style of the era, becoming local and bright in Baroque, softened and full of halftones in Rococo, restrained in Classicism).

Subtypes

Depending on the attributes, the front portrait can be:

- Coronation (less common throne)
- equestrian
- In the form of a commander (military)
- The hunting portrait adjoins the front one, but it can also be chamber.
  - Semi-ceremonial - has the same concept as the formal portrait, but usually has a half-length or generational cut and fairly developed accessories

Coronation portrait

Coronation portrait - a solemn image of the monarch "on the day of his coronation", accession to the throne, in coronation regalia (crown, mantle, with a scepter and orb), usually in full growth (sometimes there is a seated throne portrait).

“The imperial portrait was conceived as a capture for centuries of the most important state idea at the moment. An essential role in demonstrating the enduring value of the present, the stability of state power, etc., was played by immutable forms. In this sense, a special position was occupied by the so-called. “coronation portrait”, which suggests the image of the ruler with attributes of power and claims to be as sacred constancy as the coronation ceremony itself. Indeed, from the time of Peter the Great, when Catherine I was first crowned according to the new rules, until the era of Catherine II, this type of portrait underwent only slight variations. The empresses - Anna Ioannovna, Elizaveta Petrovna, Catherine II - majestically rise above the world, becoming like an unshakable pyramid in silhouette. The royal immobility is also emphasized by the heavy coronation robe with a mantle, the significant weight of which is equivalent to the crown, scepter and orb, which invariably accompanied the image of the autocrat.

Characteristic

Subtypes

Depending on the attributes, the front portrait can be:

- Coronation (less common throne)
- equestrian
- In the form of a commander (military)
- The hunting portrait adjoins the front one, but it can also be chamber.
  - Semi-ceremonial - has the same concept as the formal portrait, but usually has a half-length or generational cut and fairly developed accessories

Coronation portrait

Permanent attributes:

columns designed to emphasize the stability of the government
draperies, likened to a theater curtain that has just opened, revealing a wonderful phenomenon to the audience

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Notes

An excerpt characterizing the ceremonial portrait

Kutuzov retreated to Vienna, destroying the bridges on the rivers Inn (in Braunau) and Traun (in Linz). On October 23, Russian troops crossed the Enns River. Russian carts, artillery and columns of troops in the middle of the day stretched through the city of Enns, along this and that side of the bridge.
The day was warm, autumnal and rainy. The expansive vista that opened up from the elevation where the Russian batteries stood defending the bridge was suddenly covered by a muslin curtain of slanting rain, then suddenly expanded, and in the light of the sun objects, as if covered with varnish, became far and clearly visible. You could see the town under your feet with its white houses and red roofs, the cathedral and the bridge, on both sides of which, crowding, the masses of Russian troops poured. At the turn of the Danube one could see ships, and an island, and a castle with a park, surrounded by the waters of the confluence of the Enns with the Danube, one could see the left bank of the Danube, rocky and covered with pine forests, with a mysterious distance of green peaks and blue gorges. The towers of the monastery could be seen, standing out from behind a pine, seemingly untouched, wild forest; far ahead on the mountain, on the other side of the Enns, the enemy patrols could be seen.
Between the guns, at a height, stood in front the head of the rearguard, a general with a retinue officer, examining the terrain through a pipe. A little behind, sitting on the trunk of the gun, Nesvitsky, sent from the commander-in-chief to the rearguard.
The Cossack accompanying Nesvitsky handed over a purse and a flask, and Nesvitsky treated the officers to pies and real doppelkumel. The officers joyfully surrounded him, some on their knees, some sitting in Turkish on the wet grass.
- Yes, this Austrian prince was not a fool that he built a castle here. Nice place. What don't you eat, gentlemen? Nesvitsky said.
“I humbly thank you, prince,” answered one of the officers, talking with pleasure to such an important staff official. - Beautiful place. We passed by the park itself, saw two deer, and what a wonderful house!
“Look, prince,” said another, who really wanted to take another pie, but was ashamed, and who therefore pretended to look around the area, “look, our infantrymen have already climbed there. Over there, on the meadow, behind the village, three people are dragging something. "They're going to take over this palace," he said with visible approval.
“This and that,” said Nesvitsky. “No, but what I would like,” he added, chewing the pie in his beautiful wet mouth, “is to climb up there.
He pointed to a monastery with towers, visible on the mountain. He smiled, his eyes narrowed and lit up.
“It would be nice, gentlemen!
The officers laughed.
- If only to scare these nuns. Italians, they say, are young. Really, I would give five years of my life!
"They're bored, after all," said the bolder officer, laughing.
Meanwhile, the retinue officer, who was standing in front, pointed out something to the general; the general looked through the telescope.
“Well, it’s true, it’s true,” the general said angrily, lowering the receiver from his eyes and shrugging his shoulders, “it’s true, they’ll start hitting the crossing. And what are they doing there?
On the other side, with a simple eye, the enemy and his battery were visible, from which a milky white smoke appeared. Following the smoke, a long-range shot rang out, and it was clear how our troops hurried at the crossing.
Nesvitsky, panting, got up and, smiling, approached the general.
“Would your Excellency want to have a bite to eat?” - he said.
- It's not good, - said the general, without answering him, - ours hesitated.
“Would you like to go, Your Excellency?” Nesvitsky said.
“Yes, please go,” said the general, repeating what had already been ordered in detail, “and tell the hussars to be the last to cross and light the bridge, as I ordered, and to inspect the combustible materials on the bridge.

The ceremonial portrait differs from other portraits of different directions and styles in that the ceremonial one has a special solemnity and expressiveness.

In the history of Russia, the ceremonial portrait appeared during the time of the Petrine era. Peter I sought to bring to Russia all the innovations of Europe, and there the fashion for ceremonial portraits was just widespread. Further, the tradition of ordering a ceremonial portrait for important celebrations was firmly established among the most noble and wealthy people of that time.

In Russia, ceremonial portraits of the military were common - in full combat uniforms, young charming young ladies in the best outfits, etc. And today the ceremonial portrait has not lost its relevance, still being a symbol of security, status and influence.

We invite you to renew the old tradition and combine the luxury of a classic canvas and the modernity and everyday life of photography. This is an unusual and expensive gift for your loved ones, colleagues, boss, friends.

Trying on the image of past years means getting closer to bygone eras, feeling like a beautiful noblewoman of the 19th century, recently returned from another ball, or a brave military man, a hero of the war of 1812. Everything depends only on your imagination, and with ArtPhoto its limits can be unlimited.

Historical ceremonial portrait

A historical portrait is a portrait that depicts a figure from past eras. Ceremonial portrait - not only conveys the visual appearance of the person depicted, but also exalts his character, showing his best qualities and status.

Are you not a person who deserves to remain forever? Or do you want to capture one of your relatives, colleagues in such an interesting role, or maybe you want to give your boss an expensive and solid gift that will do justice to his influence and respectability? A historical ceremonial portrait will be a wonderful gift that will forever perpetuate the name and appearance of the person depicted on it.

In the 19th century, it was popular to commission a formal portrait, where the character was depicted in military uniform. Such a canvas was a symbol of courage, strength and influence of the depicted person. ArtPhoto invites you to order a historical formal portrait as a gift to your boss.

Let your leader appear in the image of a military man of the highest ranks of the 18th and 19th centuries. In order to choose the desired image, you only need to look at the gallery of images on our website. Here you can find solid men's looks, sophisticated women's looks, cute and slightly naive children's looks. ArtPhoto provides you with a huge number of original images for every taste and for every occasion.

Ceremonial portrait as a gift

A significant date is planned, and you just need to pick up a significant, solid and original present?

ArtPhoto offers you its unique solution - to present a formal portrait as a gift for any celebration. Historically, a ceremonial portrait was created at such an important event as the coronation of a royal person, etc. while the monarch was likened to a deity. When a portrait of a nobleman was made, where the depicted one looked like an emperor. So you can order a ceremonial portrait from a photograph, in which the hero of the occasion will appear in a solid image of a monarch or a powerful aristocrat.

Or you can move away from the traditional view of the canvas, and choose an original fantasy or expressive look. When creating such canvases, they always tried to “historicize” the depicted. This influenced the color of the canvas, thanks to which the formal portrait looked equally perfect in any room.

So today, the front portrait will be the best decoration of any interior. The ceremonial portrait was always large, as it assumed that the image of a person was from head to toe. So you can order a canvas of any scale in ArtPhoto (up to 150 cm on the smaller side).

In a word, if you want to buy an expensive gift - contact our ArtPhoto studio and choose a picture or portrait and you won't go wrong!

Order a formal portrait

Ceremonial portraits for members of royal families were ordered from the most famous and talented artists of different times. And the famous painter was awarded the honorary title of court painter.

For example, the famous portrait painter Georg Christopher Grooth “Portrait of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna with a fan in her hands” (1740s, oil on canvas, 161x117 cm, State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg) had such a title. The portrait of young Catherine shows her heroine in the full bloom of youth, beauty and greatness.

You can order a formal portrait from ArtPhoto by contacting us by phone numbers listed on the site or by sending a request by mail. Even if you live outside of Moscow, it will not be difficult to order a formal portrait from a photograph, because ArtPhoto works throughout Russia, in the CIS countries and abroad. In addition, we value the time of our customers, and your order will not only be executed with high quality by real professionals, but also in the shortest possible time - 1-4 days.

Until the beginning of the 18th century, mainly icon-painting traditions developed in Russian painting.

According to the memoirs of contemporaries, in Russia at that time any images were taken for icons: often, when they came to a stranger's house, Russians, as usual, bowed to the first picture that caught their eye. However, in the XVIII century. painting gradually began to acquire European features: artists mastered a linear perspective that allowed them to convey the depth of space, sought to correctly depict the volume of objects using chiaroscuro, studied anatomy in order to accurately reproduce the human body. The technique of oil painting spread, new genres arose.

A special place in Russian painting of the XVIII century. took the portrait. The earliest works of this genre are close to the parsuna of the 17th century. The characters are solemn and static. Ivanov A. B. Stories about Russian artists - M. Enlightenment 1988

At the beginning of the XVIII century. foreign painters worked in Russia, in particular, I.G. Tannauer and L. Caravacc.

The Academy of Arts, founded in 1757, determined the path of Russian art in the second half of the 18th century. Revived by the Academy, pensionership was no longer a simple apprenticeship, as at the beginning of the century, it became more of an artistic collaboration that brought European recognition to Russian artists. The leading direction of academic painting was classicism, the main principles of which were most consistently rallied in the historical genre, which interpreted ancient, biblical and national-patriotic subjects in accordance with the civil and patriotic ideals of enlightenment. Frolova A. R. Fedor Rokotov laid his hand // Panorama of Arts 9. M., 1989. The founder of the historical genre in Russia was A.P. Losenko (1737 - 73). An early orphaned peasant son, he spent his childhood in Ukraine. Then, by chance, he ended up in St. Petersburg, where he first sang in the court choir. Then, having received the first lessons from I.P. Argunov, one of the first graduated from the Academy of Arts and retired in Paris and Rome. In his work, features of classicism appeared, in which in the 2nd half of the 18th century. realistic tendencies are strong ("Vladimir and Rogneda", 1770, State Russian Museum; "Farewell of Hector to Andromache", 1773, State Tretyakov Gallery). With genuine skill, Losenko also painted portraits of his contemporaries, and mostly outstanding figures of Russian culture (portraits of F. Volkov. State Tretyakov Gallery and the State Russian Museum; A.P. Sumarokov. I.I. Shuvalov, actor Ya. D. Shumsky, all in the State Russian Museum) . At the turn of the XVIII - XIX centuries. G. I. Ugryumov (1764 - 1823) was an outstanding master of historical painting, in whose works the growth of public interest in national history was manifested ("The solemn entry into Pskov of Alexander Nevsky after his victory over the German knights", 1793-94; "The calling of Mikhail Fedorovich to kingdom", c. 1800, both in the timing, etc.). Savinov A. N. [Introduction. Art.] // Fedor Stepanovich Rokotov and artists of his circle: Exhibition catalogue. M., 1960.

The leading genre in Russian painting of the second half of the XVIII century. was a portrait. The development of the portrait genre in the Petrine era was determined by the influence of Western painting, but at the same time it was based on the tradition of the previous century (parsuna). The formation of portraiture was associated with the work of I.I. Nikitin and A.M. Matveev. Lomonosov M. V. Complete Works. T. 8. M.; L., 1959

Engraving became a new phenomenon in art. The most famous master was A.F. Teeth. Rokotov ceremonial portrait

Artists of the second half of the 18th century began to become more interested in the personal merits of a person, his moral qualities, his inner world. They see art as a means of education and therefore strive to make it reasonable, clear, and logical. Other genres of painting are also developing. A system of genres is taking shape (portrait, monumental and decorative painting, landscape, historical painting). The most significant authors of the historical genre were A.P. Losenko and G.I. Ugryumov. Two trends emerged in the development of the portrait: an increase in the artistic level and realism of the image, and the flourishing of the formal portrait. In the work of A.P. Antropov, the traditional features of the parsuna were especially strong. He became one of the creators of the genre of chamber portrait (portrait of Izmailova). Portraits of F.S. Rokotov are distinguished by intimacy, subtlety and psychologism (portrait of A.P. Struyskaya). D.G. Levitsky worked a lot in the genre of ceremonial portrait. Creativity V.L. Borovikovsky (the turn of the 18th - 19th centuries) is associated with the ideas of sentimentalism. He first introduced the landscape background in portraits. Balakina T. I. History of Russian culture - a textbook. M Publishing Center 1996

At the end of the XVIII century. canvases with scenes from peasant life appeared (M. Shibanov, I.P. Argunov, I.A. Ermenev), interest in the landscape landscape arose (S.F. Shchedrin), an urban architectural landscape was born (F.Ya. Alekseev).

The main difference between the ceremonial portrait and historical portraits of other styles and trends is its catchy expressiveness and solemnity. Ceremonial portraits were created mainly for persons of high class and rank, having a high status and authority in society. The historical portrait in the ceremonial military uniform is still relevant today, many influential people want to capture themselves in the same way as their ancestors from the noble class of the century before last. Romanycheva I. G. To the biography of F.S. Rokotova // Monuments of culture. Yearbook. 1989. M., 1990.

A ceremonial portrait in the 18th century is a vivid, figuratively expressed imprint of a noble person, created by an artist who has his own exclusive set of tools for describing a ceremonial portrait, his own tonal coloring and historical visibility, in which a bright costumed image plays an important role.

The military uniform indicates belonging to a certain military status, orders reflect special merits to the fatherland. The uniform of the 18th century model existed until the beginning of the October Revolution of 1917, and was the most coveted award for the highest bureaucratic leadership.

A ceremonial portrait in a military naval uniform, in terms of beauty of perception, occupies a special place in portrait art and was often created by artists after glorious military victories and victorious naval battles of the Russian fleet.

In our time, it has also become a fashionable phenomenon to depict a modern person in military uniforms of the 18th-19th centuries, military portraits of those times with various awards hung with beautiful and bright orders, add to the ceremonial portrait that very unusual splendor of our time perception.

Historical portraits of military men in beautiful uniforms are always solemn and create an uplifted mood among their owners.

A historical portrait in full dress military uniform of the 18th-19th centuries is a glorious continuation of the traditions of our ancestors.

In the years when Antropov was still creating his portraits - accurate, somewhat dry and heavy in terms of painting - a whole galaxy of young masters of the second half of the 18th century had already come out, resolutely asserting a new understanding of the image of a person and the pictorial means of its embodiment. In a short time, these masters put Russian portraiture on a par with the best works of contemporary Western European art. . Savinov A. N. [Introduction. Art.] // Fedor Stepanovich Rokotov and artists of his circle: Exhibition catalogue. M., 1960.

At the head of this galaxy were Rokotov and Levitsky.

Fyodor Stepanovich Rokotov (1735/36-1808/09) is one of the most remarkable masters of the Russian portrait of the 18th century. The originality of his work was already fully reflected in the 60s, marked by the appearance of a number of Antropov's best works. However, a comparison of even the early works of Rokotov with the mature works of Antropov clearly indicates the onset of a new period in the development of Russian art, a new stage in ideas about the human personality. Rokotov's portraits are distinguished by such humanity and lyrical depth, which had not previously been characteristic of Russian portraiture. Voronina N. Brilliant portrait painter of the 18th century. - Artist 1972 No. 5

Ceremonial portrait

The ceremonial portrait is a kind of historical portrait of a certain social orientation. Such portraits were most widely used at court. The main task of this direction was the glorification of high-ranking and noble people, royal persons and their entourage. The task was to focus on the merits and achievements of the customer, exalt, sometimes close to deification.

The social order determined the style of artistic execution of the front portrait. The paintings were often large, and the person was depicted in full growth, standing or sitting. The atmosphere assumed solemnity, the interior was magnificent. The ideological orientation dictated some stiffness of poses and artificiality of the plot. The artist sought to emphasize the significance of the character, the heroes of the paintings are dressed in magnificent, ceremonial costumes, there was always the presence of regalia and insignia, symbols of power and might.

The tasks of displaying the visual similarity of the model with the original and the internal state of a person fade into the background in the ceremonial portrait, where the main thing is the social and public status of the customer. However, outstanding artists in this narrow genre managed to reflect the individuality of a person, his character and way of life. Famous Russian portrait painters who depicted high-ranking persons on their canvases were Ivan Nikitin, Alexei Antropov, Fyodor Rokotov, Dmitry Levitsky.

Ivan Nikitich Nikitin - “Master of Personal Affairs”, favorite artist of Peter I, the subject of his patriotic pride in front of foreigners, “so that they know that there are good craftsmen from our people.” And Peter was not mistaken: "the painter Ivan" was the first Russian portrait painter of the European level and in the European sense of the word.

IN Nikitin came from a family of Moscow clergy. He probably received his initial artistic education at the Moscow Armory and an engraving workshop under it under the guidance of the Dutch engraver A. Shkhonebek. In 1711, together with the engraving workshop, he was transferred to St. Petersburg. Apparently, he learned to paint portraits on his own, studying and copying the works of foreign masters available in Russia. Thanks to his talent (and perhaps to relatives who served in the court churches), Nikitin quickly took a strong position at court. Peter the Great noticed his abilities and apprenticed him to I.G. Dangauer

In the early (until 1716) works of the artist, there is a tangible connection with parsuns - Russian portraits of the late 15th century, with their harsh and fractional writing, deaf dark backgrounds, flatness of the image, lack of spatial depth and conventionality in the distribution of light and shadows. At the same time, they have an undoubted compositional skill, and the ability to effectively drape a figure, convey the texture of various materials, harmoniously coordinate rich color spots. But the main thing is that these portraits leave a feeling of some special realistic persuasiveness and psychological authenticity. Nikitin is completely alien to flattery, common for formal portraits.

In 1716-20. IN Nikitin, together with his younger brother Roman, also a painter, is in Italy. They visited Florence, where they studied under the guidance of Tommaso Redi, Venice and Rome. Roman Nikitin, moreover, worked in Paris, with N. Largilier. From Italy, I. N. Nikitin really returned as a master. He got rid of the shortcomings of the drawing and the conventions of his early works, but retained his main features: the general realism of painting and the directness of psychological characteristics, a rather dark and rich color scheme, in which warm shades predominate. Unfortunately, this can be judged by the very few works that have come down to us.

He painted portraits of the Emperor himself (several times), his wife, Grand Duchesses Anna, Elizabeth and Natalia, and many other dignitaries. The artist was familiar with the techniques of the dominant style of the era - rococo, light and playful, but used them only when it really corresponded to the character of the model, as in the portrait of the young baron S.G. Stroganov (1726). But perhaps the best work of Nikitin in terms of the beauty of painting, in terms of depth and complexity of psychological characteristics is “Portrait of a Floor Hetman” (1720s).

In 1725, Nikitin painted for the last time from the life of the tsar. "Peter 1 on his deathbed" (in the Museum of the Academy of Arts) - in essence, a large sketch, performed freely, but solid, thoughtful and monumental.

In the reign of Catherine I, he settled in Moscow, where his brother, who returned from abroad a little later, was mainly engaged in church painting.

In 1732, Ivan Nikitin, together with the brothers Roman and Herodion (the archpriest of the Archangel Cathedral in Moscow), was arrested on charges of distributing libels against the vice-president of the Holy Synod Feofan Prokopovich, by the way, also a nominee and associate of Peter. Perhaps this was indirectly facilitated by the unsuccessful marriage of the artist and the subsequent divorce: the relatives of the ex-wife tried in every possible way to harm Nikitin. Yes, and so many did not like him for his direct and independent disposition. After five years in the casemates of the Peter and Paul Fortress, interrogations and torture, the brothers are sent into exile. Ivan and Roman ended up in Tobolsk. They waited for rehabilitation after the death of Empress Anna Ioannovna in 1741. But the elderly and sick artist did not return to his native Moscow. He probably died somewhere on the way to her. Roman Nikitin died at the end of 1753 or at the beginning of 1754.

I.N. Nikitin

Portrait of Chancellor G.I. Golovkin

1720g, oil on canvas, 90.9 x 73.4 cm.

The portrait of Golovkin is considered to be one of the first works made by the artist upon his return from Italy. Count Gavrila Ivanovich Golovkin, vice-chancellor, associate of Peter I, especially succeeded in the diplomatic field due to his inherent dexterity and cunning. The inscription on the back of the portrait proudly reports that "during the continuation of his chancellorship, he concluded 72 treatises with different governments."

The face of Golovkin attracts attention with an intelligent, penetrating look and a firm, strong-willed fold of lips; framed by a silvery wig, it protrudes from the black space of the background.

Nikitin managed to express in this portrait the ideal image of an energetic statesman - a man of the era of Peter. There is no pomposity in his posture, but there is a sense of dignity. The majestic restraint of the pose, St. Andrew's ribbon and star, the Polish Order of the White Eagle in the form of a cross on a blue bow give solemnity and significance.

I.N. Nikitin

Portrait of Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter 1

Before 1716, oil on canvas, 65 x 53 cm.

State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

In 1716, the painter Ivan Nikitich Nikitin was sent by Peter 1 abroad to Italy. But one can hardly say that he was sent there as a simple student. In a letter to Catherine in Berlin dated April 19, 1716, Peter wrote: "... ask the king to tell him (Nikitin) to write off his person ... so that they know that there are good craftsmen among our people." And in Italy, Nikitin, as a recognized master, received much more from the treasury for maintenance than the rest of the royal pensioners.

The portrait of Anna Petrovna, the eldest daughter of Peter and Ekaterina Alekseevna, executed by Nikitin even before his trip abroad, really gave the Russian Tsar every reason to be proud of his artist. Nikitin captured the princess Anna at the age of 6-7. According to the fashion and the rules of portrait art of that time, the girl is depicted as an adult: in a coquettish pose, with a high hairstyle and long black hair scattered over her shoulders, in a heavily decollete blue dress with large gold patterns and a bright red mantle lined with ermine, indicating belonging child to the royal family.

In the atom portrait (and in general in the manner of Nikitin) the color is amazing - everywhere unusually intense, material, glowing from within, leaving no room for gray shadows. The artist achieves this impression by building up the paint layer in the illuminated areas with ever brighter and thicker strokes, while the shadows remain light, transparent, of the most delicate shades - this is how Anna's face and open chest are painted. The sensation of blazing color on the mantle is created by rapid orange and scarlet strokes thrown over the red tone. The artist does not depict the feelings, the character of the model, but with the power of the glow of colors, the restless movement of lines, as it were, creates it anew, reviving matter before our eyes.

Anna Petrovna, Tsesarevna and Duchess of Holstein, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I. According to contemporaries, Anna very much resembled her father in face, was smart and beautiful, educated, spoke excellent French, German, Italian and Swedish .Peter I loved her very much.

Anna's future husband, the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, Friedrich-Karl, came to Russia in 1721 in the hope, with the help of Peter the Great, to return Schleswig from Denmark and again acquire the right to the Swedish throne. The peace of Nystad (1721) deceived the duke's expectations, since Russia pledged not to interfere in the internal affairs of Sweden.

On November 22, 1724, the marriage contract long desired for the duke was signed, according to which, by the way, Anna and the duke renounced for themselves and for their descendants all rights and claims to the crown of the Russian Empire; but at the same time, Peter granted himself the right, at his discretion, to call for the succession of the crown and the All-Russian Empire one of the princes born from this marriage, and the duke undertook to fulfill the will of the emperor without any conditions.

She died on March 4, 1728, in Holstein, barely reaching the age of twenty, having been relieved of her burden by her son, Karl-Peter-Ulrich (later Emperor Peter III).

A.P. Antropov

Portrait of a lady of state A.M. Izmailova

1759, oil on canvas, 57.2 x 44.8 cm

State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

In 1758, after a long absence due to work in Kyiv and Moscow, Alexei Petrovich Antropov returned to St. Petersburg. At this time, he was already over forty and he enjoyed respect and fame.

However, he was rightly not listed among the masters of the first rank. Returning to St. Petersburg, Antropov decided to improve his art and for two years he took private lessons from the famous Italian portrait painter P. Rotary. The result was truly miraculous: a talented craftsman turned into an outstanding and, what is especially remarkable, the most original Russian artist.

The first and best fruit of this training was a portrait of the lady of state A. M. Izmailova, nee Naryshkina, a distant relative of Empress Elizabeth by her father and her favorite.

The closest friend of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, Izmailova, was known as a beauty in her youth, but by the time the portrait was created, she was already an aging prim person who enjoyed considerable influence at court. Without embellishment, the artist conveyed a heavy figure, a full face with eyebrows heavily browed in the fashion of the time and a bright blush on his cheeks. The lively look of brown eyes turned to the viewer and caustically pursed lips betray Izmailova's sharp mind and imperious character.

The features of the Anthropo manner are in the color of the portrait. The artist resorts to colors of almost lubok brightness and gives them in comparisons so contrasting that, it seems, are conceivable only in planar images.

The cheeks of an elderly, plump lady glow like poppies, her head is framed by a lace cap, decorated on the sides with red bows and tied with pink ribbons. A bluish-blue dress is worn over a white jacket, which is decorated with a diamond-studded order with a portrait of the Empress and a pale rose with green leaves.

The massive figure of Izmailova is placed against a very dark background with a green tint. Using such a palette, Antropov, however, gives each tone luminosity and depth, builds a three-dimensional form, which, thanks to the sharp contrasts of rich colors, looks exceptionally dynamic, as if charged with internal energy, strong and weighty. And these qualities of form impart to the image a strong-willed, bold, unusually lively and colorful character, which distinguished the charming and intelligent confidante of Elizabeth, who was famous for her beauty in her youth.

This work of the artist earned the praise of Rotary and brought Antropov fame as one of the best Russian portrait painters, an increase in salary and the rank of second lieutenant.

A.P. Antropov

Portrait of Princess Tatyana Alekseevna Trubetskoy

1761, oil on canvas, 54 x 42 cm

State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Princess Tatyana Alekseevna - daughter of the chief prosecutor of the Synod

Prince A.S. Kozlovsky, wife of Prince N.I. Trubetskoy