In 1833, Orest Kiprensky painted the portrait of a young aristocrat Prince Fyodor Golitsyn. Specialists attribute this painting to the later period of the artist’s work – he created it just three years before he died.

Kiprensky was a representative of Russian romanticism. This painting style was especially popular in the 19th century. One of its main ideas is turning back to nature and unsophistication. That is why they focused on spontaneity and emotions when painting the outworld. They expressed their feelings via conveying the play of light and shadow.

In the late period of his work, Kiprensky withdrew from romanticism and often used the grand portrait methods. For example, for this particular painting he chose the big format of the canvas and contrasting color palette, while the model is depicted in the strict static position. Altogether, this creates a feeling of theatricality, as if someone intentionally orchestrated the reality. All these are the features of a grand portrait.

In 1841, Golitsyn entered Catholicism, and several years later refused to go back to Russia. In his absence, he was recognised a defector, deprived of all civil rights and sentenced to penal servitude. He enlisted to the pontifical army, and in 1848 perished in a battle.

Golitsyn family owned the portrait and kept it in their family estate. After the revolution, the painting was transferred to the State Museum Collection, and in 1926 – to Radishchev Museum.