Artwork
Portrait of Countess Yulia Samoilova
Portrait of Countess Yulia Samoilova is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Benoît Charles Mitoire. It dates from 1825 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. Created in 1825, this oil on canvas portrait presents Yulia Samoilova, a Russian countess, seated in an upholstered chair.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays Yuliya Samoylova, a Russian noblewoman from the early 19th century, adorned with a pearl necklace, a ring, and a bracelet that signify her aristocratic status and refined taste. These accessories function as visual symbols of wealth and marital eligibility, reflecting contemporary Russian courtly ideals of femininity and social distinction. Rendered in oil on canvas, the work was created in Russia in 1825 and is housed in the Hermitage Museum, where it has been featured in exhibitions such as "Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court."
Technique & Style
The canvas is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum, where it has been displayed in the exhibition "Jewels!
The portrait is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for formal portraiture of the period. According to the catalogue record, the work measures 103 cm in height by 83.5 cm in width, giving it a vertical orientation suited to a half- or three-quarter-length depiction of the sitter.
Stylistically, the painting belongs to the genre of portraiture and was produced in Russia in 1825. The composition focuses on Countess Yulia Samoilova as the main subject, with attention drawn to her jewelry, a pearl necklace, ring, and bracelet, rendered as accoutrements that signal status. The handling is consistent with academic oil technique of the early nineteenth century, employing the medium's capacity for smooth tonal blending and detailed surface description to convey both likeness and the reflective qualities of the pearls and metalwork.
The canvas is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum, where it has been displayed in the exhibition "Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court."
History & Provenance
The portrait was commissioned and completed in 1825 by the French painter Benoît Charles Mitoire, who depicted Countess Yulia Samoilova in an oil-on-canvas format measuring 103 cm in height and 83.5 cm in width.
By 1825, the work entered the collection of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, where it has remained as part of the museum’s holdings. The painting was later included in the exhibition Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court, held in Russia, which focused on the opulence associated with the Russian aristocracy and the sitter’s adornment.
Overview
Created in 1825, this oil on canvas portrait presents Yulia Samoilova, a Russian countess, seated in an upholstered chair. She is attired in a white gown with voluminous sleeves and a high neckline, complemented by a substantial pearl necklace, gold bracelets, and a ring. The composition is set against a dark, indistinct backdrop that hints at a red drapery, emphasizing the sitter’s refined presence.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
- Portrait of Princess Anna Nikolayevna
Portrait of Julia Telyakovskaya
Portrait of Archduchess Hermine of Austria
Portrait of Sydonia Henoch née Roller (Copy?)
Portrait of Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Angoulême (1778-1851)
Portrait of Maria Ludwika Blumenfeld née Kobyłecka
Portrait of Anna Benardaki
Countess Széchenyi
Madame Mols-de Brialmont
Young Woman