In 1764 by decree of Catherine II, the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens, Russia’s first women educational institution, was opened in St. Petersburg. Pupils were taught disciplines that are important for secular life and service at court: foreign languages, history, geography, singing, playing musical instruments, etiquette. The schooling went on for twelve years.
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Portrait of E.I. Molchanova
Creation period
1776
Dimensions
181,5x142,5 cm
Technique
Oil on canvas
Collection
Exhibition
18
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Dmitry Levitsky
Portrait of E.I. Molchanova
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The Smolny was the Empress’s favorite project, the embodiment of the ideas of the European Enlightenment. The sovereign hoped that educated girls would help to renew the environment in their families and surroundings, to soften the cruel morals of the society and to create a new breed of people.
In the 1770ies artist Dmitry Levitsky created a series of smolyanki portraits by Catherine II order. The best students of the Smolny institute posed for Levitsky. He painted all the girls full-length and life-size.
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In the last three portraits of the cycle, the artist captured senior pupils. The images compose a triptych: on the left there is Ekaterina Molchanova, on the right in a similar and almost symmetrical pose there is Glafira Alymova, and in the center there is Natalya Borshchova.
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The Smolyanki cycle
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The portrait of Molchanova was probably the first from the triptych painted by Levitsky. The girl sits in an armchair, she is wearing a white silk ball dress. White was the color of the senior smolyanki of the fourth age, from 15 to 18 years. Silk dresses were given out to students only on holidays; on weekdays they wore simple woolen dresses.
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There is a book in Molchanova’s hands, and on the table next to her there is an unusual device — it is an antlia, a vacuum pump. Thanks to these attributes, the image of the girl turns into the Allegory of Science, while the images of Alymova and Borshchova symbolize the Allegories of Music and Dance, respectively.
Ekaterina Molchanova was a daughter of Moscow college counsellor Ivan Molchanov. She graduated from Smolny the same year, when Levitsky painted her portrait. At the end of the course the girl received big gold medal and cipher of Catherine II — the distinction of the court maid of honor.
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The Smolyanki cycle became one of Dmitry Levitsky’s most successful works and glorified him as a portrait painter. It is noteworthy that the artist did not embellish the appearance of his heroines, as many painters of the era of classicism did. Despite the decorative design, the images he created are vital and realistic.
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Until 1917 the smolyanki portraits were kept in the imperial palace in Peterhof. The paintings suffered due to the marine climate, the canvas became wet and moldy. During the restoration they managed to clean the portrait of Molchanova from dirt and old varnish. Light and delicate author painting was opened.
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State Russian Museum
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Portrait of E.I. Molchanova
Creation period
1776
Dimensions
181,5x142,5 cm
Technique
Oil on canvas
Collection
Exhibition
18
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