Portrait of Iosif N. (Gabriel) Gallatte (1760 - after 1849)

The painting depicts Count Iosif Nikolaevich Gallatte in a general's uniform introduced for cavalry generals on April 6, 1814. He is positioned slightly off-center, facing three-quarters toward the viewer with direct eye contact. A dark overcoat is draped over his shoulders, and he wears a pale blue or grey sash crossing diagonally from his right shoulder to his left hip. His uniform bears extensive decorations that signify his rank and military record. On his left chest is the star of the Order of St. Anna, 1st degree, alongside the cross of the Order of St. George, 4th class, a silver medal for the Patriotic War of 1812 on the St. Andrew's ribbon, the cross of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and the cross of the Swedish Military Order of the Sword. Around his neck hang the crosses of the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree, and the Sardinian Order of St. Mauritius and Lazarus. On the side of his uniform is the cross of the Austrian Order of Leopold. An inscription reading Galatte is present on the back of the canvas, while the frame bears an erroneous inscription labeling him Prince I. N. Galate, General Major.

Executed in oil on canvas, the portrait demonstrates a polished finish with precise detailing in the medals and gold embroidery, contrasting with looser, more textured brushwork in the background and the fabric of the cape. The face is modeled with smooth, blended strokes, illuminated by light falling from the upper left, which casts soft shadows on the right side of the face and body. The palette is dominated by deep greens, blacks, golds, and reds set against a warm brown background. This background darkens at the edges and lightens behind the head, creating a subtle halo effect that focuses attention on the sitter. The paint surface exhibits fine craquelure throughout, particularly in the darker areas.

The commission for the portrait originated on July 3, 1821, when Emperor Alexander I ordered it painted. George Dawe received his fee on July 1, 1822, and the finished portrait was accepted into the Hermitage on September 7, 1825. It remains unclear whether Gallatte traveled to Saint Petersburg to sit for the artist or if Dawe worked from a prototype portrait. The subject, Count Gallatte, had retired in 1816 and departed for his homeland in Piedmont. On August 7, 1820, the Committee of the General Staff for Attestation placed him on a list of generals in foreign service regarding whom the committee declined to make assessments. The painting is currently held in the Winter Palace War Gallery under Hermitage Museum work ID 39714.

The portrait was created as part of a broader imperial project to commemorate military heroes of the Napoleonic Wars. Colonel Count Gallatte served in the Finnish Corps fighting against Marshal Macdonald in the Baltic provinces and Belarus during the Patriotic War of 1812, earning a promotion to major general for his combat distinctions. He further distinguished himself during the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig in the Overseas Campaign of 1813. Dawe, a British portraitist, was employed by the Russian imperial court to produce the extensive series of general's portraits for the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace, a commission that frequently relied on workshop assistance to manage the scale of the endeavor.