Portrait of empress elizabeth petrovna. (1751, state tretyakov gallery). This work is the author's repetition of the portrait painted by a. P. Antropov, then still a young artist, between 1744 and 1751 and currently housed in the sergiev posad museum-reserve. The portrait was painted under the strong influence of antropov's teacher, the french artist louis caravaque, who came to russia during the reign of peter i and took up the post of court painter to the empresses anna ioannovna and elizabeth petrovna. Not yet having sufficient practice in painting portraits, the artist allows for some errors in the execution of the figure of the empress, who is distinguished by a certain stiffness, in the face, on which the artist places excessively sharp chiaroscuro. Particularly important when painting an imperial portrait are details indicating the high position of the model. That is why the artist paints the details of elizabeth petrovna’s ceremonial attire with particular care: the blue moire ribbon of the order of st. Andrew the first-called and the patterned dress, the small imperial crown, the diamond earrings and aigrette in her hair, the agraffe with a large pearl – a precious decoration on the bodice of her dress. Next to the ceremonial portraits of the empress by the brilliant russian and foreign masters – l. Karavak, i. Ya. Vishnyakov and l. Toke, as well as the particularly elegant images by g. H. Groot and p. Rotari, antropove’s work occupies a rather modest place. On the upper right against the background is the signature: pa antropove. S: pb 1751. Acquired in 1924 from d. Devinov. The work is listed in the inventory book of the state tretyakov gallery under number 4559. Object Type: painting. Date: 1751. Dimensions: height: 67.8 cm (26.6 in); width: 52.2 cm (20.5 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Tretyakov Gallery.
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