The portrait of Grigori Stroganov was created by Russian artist Roman Nikitin. Like his brother, a famous painter Ivan Nikitin, he was one of the first Russian artists who adopted methods of Western European art.
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Roman Nikitin was born in Moscow in the family of a priest. His elder brother Ivan who learned from a German artist Gottfried Tannauer — the Royal portrait painter of Peter the Great gave Roman his first painting lessons. In 1716, the Emperor sent the brothers overseas to perfect their skills. The Nikitins visited Florence and Venice, Rome and Paris where an Italian painter Tommaso Redi was their tutor.
In 1720, Roman Nikitin returned to Russia. In Moscow, he ornamented the triumphal arch built in tribute to the signing of the Treaty of Nystad. Later the painter practiced clerical painting — he wrote icons and frescos. In the 1740s, Nikitin was appointed to the position of a Royal painter — he created icons for a newly built church in the Moscow Zlatoustovsky monastery. These works did not survive to this day — during Soviet times the monastery was destroyed.
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Roman Nikitin painted several variants of the portrait of Grigori Stroganov: the original is exhibited in the Odessa Art Museum while the Tambov Picture Gallery has its copy. The painting allows to imagine how notable people looked during Peter the Great times. Smart caftan and a magnificent French wig with long curling plumes of hair usually called an ‘allonge’ reminds about gorgeous assemblies or balls of the time.
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Grigori Stroganov was a merchant, mine owner and philanthropist: he funded the building of new churches and sponsored orthodox monasteries. Three of his sons from his second marriage with Maria Novosiltseva — Alexander, Nicholas and Sergey were awarded the titles of Barons by Peter the Great.
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On the portrait of Grigori Stroganov, one of his most significant awards can be noticed. In the buttonhole of the caftan there is a portrait of Peter the Great with a crown. A thumbnail picture with an inscription ‘The Great Tsar and Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich, the Russian monarch honored this by his sovereign person…’ was considered a symbol of highest attention. Stroganov had the honor of this award in 1714 for financing the building of the Russian fleet.
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Grigori Stroganov was great-great-grandfather of Earl Pavel Stroganov, owner of the Tambov collection. He received the portrait of his ancestor in 1857 and kept it in his Znamenskoe estate in the Tambov region. Later, the painting appeared in the club of educators of Tambov and in 1921, it was passed over to the museum.
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Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation
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Portrait of G.D. Stroganov
Dimensions
120x89 cm
Technique
сanvas, oil
Collection
Exhibition
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