The Portrait of Baroness Maria Stroganova arrived at the Tambov Regional Ethnography Museum from the Stroganovs’ estate in 1919. This is a copy made by an unknown artist from the work by portraitist Roman Nikitin.

Painter Roman Nikitin created the original portrait of Baroness Stroganova not earlier than May 1724. Nikitin was one of the first Russian artists to work in the West-European style. In 1716, icon painter Roman, his brother Ivan and Andrey Matveyev were sent by Emperor Peter the Great to study in Florence, Venice and Rome. Roman Nikitin took the time to work in Paris as well. He returned to Russia in 1721. The Portrait of Maria Stroganova is one of the few works by the artist, which reliably belongs to Nikitin’s brush. In terms of the technique, it still bears some traces of the traditional parsuna, a secular icon. The image is fairly flat and static and the portrait does not render Stroganova’s individuality and character but unmistakably presents her as belonging to a noble family. The Baroness is wearing a dress in the old Moscow style — with ornate pearl and precious stone embroidery. The sleeves are decorated with rich lacing. On top of the dress the Baroness is wearing a brown fur coat with silver and gold embroidery and fur trimming.