The staff of Vladimir-Suzdal Museum Reserve did not always manage to establish right away the authorship of paintings received in its collection. The displayed portrait was not an exception, as it was not signed.
The painting was initially registered as The Portrait of an Unknown Emperor, however the archive materials helped the experts determine both the artist and the character in the painting.
The first data about the possible author of the painting was discovered in the debit entries of Alexander Vorontsov, the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire, made in 1780’s. He wrote: “100 rubles paid to painter Levitsky”.
Dmitry Levitsky was one of the greatest portrait painters of the XVIII century. He painted portraits of the Empress Catherine II and philosopher Denis Diderot, arts patron Prokofy Demidov and the muse of the Russian Enlightenment Maria Lvova, students of the Smolny Institute for Noble Young Ladies and members of aristocratic families, as well as numerous political and cultural figures of the time.
Expert examination in the laboratory of the State Russian Museum confirmed the authorship of Levitsky.
In 1780’s the artist worked on a series of portraits for the Vorontsov family. According to experts, the person portrayed in the painting is Semen Vorontsov, one of the most influential diplomats of the period, brother of Alexander Vorontsov. He served in the Imperial Guard and having distinguished himself in the Russian-Turkish campaign, was decorated with the order of Saint George of the 4-th and then the 3-rd grade. After that Vorontsov devoted his life to diplomatic service and represented Russian interests in London for 20 years.
The painting was initially registered as The Portrait of an Unknown Emperor, however the archive materials helped the experts determine both the artist and the character in the painting.
The first data about the possible author of the painting was discovered in the debit entries of Alexander Vorontsov, the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire, made in 1780’s. He wrote: “100 rubles paid to painter Levitsky”.
Dmitry Levitsky was one of the greatest portrait painters of the XVIII century. He painted portraits of the Empress Catherine II and philosopher Denis Diderot, arts patron Prokofy Demidov and the muse of the Russian Enlightenment Maria Lvova, students of the Smolny Institute for Noble Young Ladies and members of aristocratic families, as well as numerous political and cultural figures of the time.
Expert examination in the laboratory of the State Russian Museum confirmed the authorship of Levitsky.
In 1780’s the artist worked on a series of portraits for the Vorontsov family. According to experts, the person portrayed in the painting is Semen Vorontsov, one of the most influential diplomats of the period, brother of Alexander Vorontsov. He served in the Imperial Guard and having distinguished himself in the Russian-Turkish campaign, was decorated with the order of Saint George of the 4-th and then the 3-rd grade. After that Vorontsov devoted his life to diplomatic service and represented Russian interests in London for 20 years.
