The collection of the Sevastopol Art Museum named after Mikhail Pavlovich Kroshitsky features a portrait of Alexandra Kiselyova painted by the famous Russian artist Vasily Andreevich Tropinin.
Alexandra Kiselyova, née Karzinkina, was a Muscovite of Yaroslavl origin. The merchant family of Karzinkins was widely known in Moscow not only for their wealth but also for their philanthropy and patronage of art. Their home would often bring together art lovers including Vasily Tropinin himself.
In the 1830s–1840s, the works of Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, under the influence of democratic tendencies, had stronger scenic features, a somewhat more complex composition, with a more significant role of details. “Portrait of the Wife of Merchant Kiselyov” from the Sevastopol collection can be referred to as a “semi-formal” portrait or “semi-genre”. In a barely marked interior, a young woman is depicted looking at the viewer, with one hand resting on the table, and the other holding her piece of jewelry. Her pale face, with delicate skin, beautiful almond-shaped eyes, with a characteristic “Tropininesque” gentle half-smile, is framed by a neat hairstyle according to the fashion of the time. As in most of his formal portraits, the artist elaborated both the posture and the gesture, giving a social characteristic of this somewhat idealized character, with the texture of the fabric of the dress and draperies, as well as the pattern of lace, accessories, and minor items carefully detailed. At the same time, the painter paid much more attention to conveying the state and sentiment of the person. It should be noted that some of the items in the painting are recognizable. The artist included the pot with a bush of roses, the garland of leaves, and the drapery in other works as well.
The artist’s later replica of the portrait of
Alexandra Kiselyova, painted in 1843, is kept in the Ivanovo Regional Art
Museum. There is also a paired portrait created by the artist in 1842, which
depicts Kiselyova’s husband, a wealthy merchant prominent in Moscow and the
town of Shuya — Dmitry Diomidovich Kiselyov — a patron of arts and benefactor.
The artist painted portraits of not only the Karzinkins but also most
representatives of the Kiselyov dynasty.
