Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna in Mourning

Dawe employs a restrained palette of deep blacks and muted browns, allowing the figure to emerge from a subdued background. The brushwork balances fine detail in the facial features and jewelry with broader, softer modeling of the drapery, characteristic of early‑19th‑century portraiture.

After its creation, the portrait entered the imperial collection and remained in the Hermitage following the 1917 Revolution. It has been displayed publicly as part of the museum’s holdings of Russian court portraiture.

Dawe’s career in Russia was marked by his prolific output of official portraits, notably the series of 329 Napoleonic‑era generals. This work aligns with his role as a favored portraitist of the imperial family, illustrating the visual language of state mourning in the post‑Napoleonic period.