The “Portrait of a Man” from the collection of the National Art Museum of the Sakha Republic can be attributed to a semi-ceremonial type of portrait. It is very similar to the “Portrait of G.G. Spiridov”, painted in 1776 by Mikhail Shibanov, which is housed in the Ivanovo Regional Museum. Mikhail Shibanov, a talented artist, was a serf. In 1783, as a “free painter” he entered the history of Russian art as the first artist to turn to the peasant genre.
Experts from the State Tretyakov Gallery confirmed that the presented canvas is a copy and that it was made no earlier than 1789. Thus, the work dates from the late 18th to the early 19th century.
The portrait depicts a young man dressed according to the fashion of the Catherinian Era. In comparison with the portrait from the Ivanovo Museum, although there is obvious similarity between the two, the portrait from the National Art Museum of the Sakha Republic is painted in a freer and softer manner, characteristic of the time when it was repeated. It should be noted that the sitter is perfectly portrayed: he is a noble person not only by origin, but also by his inner traits.
Grigory Grigoryevich Spiridov was the youngest of four sons of the famous admiral of the Catherinian Era and hero of the Battle of Chesma, Grigory Andreyevich Spiridov. He inherited integrity, honesty, a sense of duty and fearlessness from his father. Under the rule of Catherine II, Grigory Grigoryevich Spiridov participated in the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790. During the reign of Emperor Paul I, he was appointed chief of Moscow police. As a middle-aged man, under Alexander I, in 1805 and in 1812, he joined the Pereslavl militia as a volunteer and participated in numerous skirmishes with units of the French army during the Patriotic War of 1812. After the French fled Russia, as the civil governor of Moscow, he was in charge of restoring the destroyed city.
Previously, the reverse side of the portrait featured a paper sticker with the inscription: “Brought as a gift from the Chamberlain of the court of His Imperial Majesty and Director of the Archive (1841–1872), Privy Councilor K.M. Obolensky.” From available sources, it was established that K.M. Obolensky donated to the Archive, which he headed, over 100 portraits of members of the royal family, Russian diplomats and famous statesmen of Russia, including Grigory Spiridov, from his personal collection.
Experts from the State Tretyakov Gallery confirmed that the presented canvas is a copy and that it was made no earlier than 1789. Thus, the work dates from the late 18th to the early 19th century.
The portrait depicts a young man dressed according to the fashion of the Catherinian Era. In comparison with the portrait from the Ivanovo Museum, although there is obvious similarity between the two, the portrait from the National Art Museum of the Sakha Republic is painted in a freer and softer manner, characteristic of the time when it was repeated. It should be noted that the sitter is perfectly portrayed: he is a noble person not only by origin, but also by his inner traits.
Grigory Grigoryevich Spiridov was the youngest of four sons of the famous admiral of the Catherinian Era and hero of the Battle of Chesma, Grigory Andreyevich Spiridov. He inherited integrity, honesty, a sense of duty and fearlessness from his father. Under the rule of Catherine II, Grigory Grigoryevich Spiridov participated in the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790. During the reign of Emperor Paul I, he was appointed chief of Moscow police. As a middle-aged man, under Alexander I, in 1805 and in 1812, he joined the Pereslavl militia as a volunteer and participated in numerous skirmishes with units of the French army during the Patriotic War of 1812. After the French fled Russia, as the civil governor of Moscow, he was in charge of restoring the destroyed city.
Previously, the reverse side of the portrait featured a paper sticker with the inscription: “Brought as a gift from the Chamberlain of the court of His Imperial Majesty and Director of the Archive (1841–1872), Privy Councilor K.M. Obolensky.” From available sources, it was established that K.M. Obolensky donated to the Archive, which he headed, over 100 portraits of members of the royal family, Russian diplomats and famous statesmen of Russia, including Grigory Spiridov, from his personal collection.
