Artwork
Princess Varvara Nikolaevna Gagarina (1762–1802)

Princess Varvara Nikolaevna Gagarina (1762–1802) is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean-Baptiste Greuze. It dates from 1790 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Princess Varvara Nikolaevna Gagarina, a Russian aristocrat of the late 18th century, is the central figure of the work painted by Jean‑Baptiste Greuze in 1780.
Princess Varvara Nikolaevna Gagarina, a Russian aristocrat of the late 18th century, is the central figure of the work painted by Jean‑Baptiste Greuze in 1780. The canvas, executed in oil on canvas and measuring 80 × 63.5 cm, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The composition portrays the princess seated, accompanied by a small dog, while her attire and accessories signal her noble rank and the refined aesthetic of the period.
The portrait functions as a visual record of elite female identity, emphasizing status, virtue, and the cultural expectations of aristocratic women in pre‑revolutionary Russia.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1780 by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 80 cm in height and 63.5 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the composition depicts Princess Varvara Nikolaevna Gagarina accompanied by a dog.
The piece is classified within the genre of portraiture, characterized by the specific material combination of oil and canvas typical of late eighteenth-century European painting.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Princess Varvara Nikolaevna Gagarina by Jean-Baptiste Greuze is dated to 1780 based on internal records and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s cataloguing [,]. The work’s early provenance traces to the sitter’s family, though specific early owners remain undocumented. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection in 1975 through the Rogers Fund, a purchase that formalized its institutional custody.
The painting’s dimensions (80 × 63.5 cm) align with Greuze’s portrait format of the period, and its subject, Princess Varvara Nikolaevna Gagarina (1762–1802), reflects the artist’s engagement with elite European portraiture in the late 18th century.
The portrait of Princess Varvara Nikolaevna Gagarina is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Created by Jean-Baptiste Greuze in 1780, the oil-on-canvas work measures 80 cm in height and 63.5 cm in width. The provided sources identify the museum as the current location and the year of inception but do not supply a specific catalog number, accession identifier, or a record of past exhibitions.
Consequently, while the institutional custody is confirmed, detailed inventory data and exhibition history cannot be reported based on the available documentation.
Overview
This oil-on-canvas portrait, created by the French painter Jean-Baptiste Greuze in 1790, depicts Princess Varvara Nikolaevna Gagarina. Rendered in the Rococo style, the artwork captures the princess alongside a small dog, both adorned with wreaths. The painting is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering insight into late 18th-century portraiture and the artistic output of Greuze, who was recognized for his diverse range of subjects.
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Artist
Jean-Baptiste Greuze (French pronunciation: 21 August 1725 – 4 March 1805) was a French painter of portraits, genre scenes, and history painting.


















