Artwork
Portrait of Princess Maria Abamelek-Lazareva
Portrait of Princess Maria Abamelek-Lazareva is an oil painting by the Realist artist Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. Nikolay Bogdanov‑Belsky’s oil portrait, executed in 1900, presents a solitary female figure seated in an elegant chair.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition includes a chair and a corsage among the depicted elements, situating the princess within a refined interior setting.
The painting is a formal portrait of Princess Maria Abamelek-Lazareva, identified in cataloguing records as Maria Pavlovna Demidova. As a portrait genre work, its primary subject is the sitter herself, presented in oil on canvas at large scale (196.2 × 138.5 cm).
The composition includes a chair and a corsage among the depicted elements, situating the princess within a refined interior setting. The corsage functions as a conventional marker of aristocratic femininity and ceremonial status, while the chair reinforces the conventions of the society portrait, framing the sitter as a figure of social standing.
Held in the Hermitage Museum collection and exhibited in "Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court," the work represents both an individualized likeness of its subject and a broader emblem of early-twentieth-century Russian noble identity, produced in Russia in 1900.
Technique & Style
Created in 1900, the Portrait of Princess Maria Abamelek-Lazareva is an oil painting executed on canvas. The work measures 196.2 cm in height and 138.5 cm in width. It depicts the sitter seated on a chair, wearing a corsage, within the genre of portraiture. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum in Russia.
History & Provenance
The work was painted in 1900 in Russia, depicting Maria Pavlovna Demidova, and was created by Nikolai Bogdanov-Belsky. It entered the collection of the Hermitage Museum, where it remains on display.
The painting was first exhibited as part of the exhibition "Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court".
Overview
Nikolay Bogdanov‑Belsky’s oil portrait, executed in 1900, presents a solitary female figure seated in an elegant chair. The composition isolates the sitter against a muted backdrop, drawing attention to her attire and demeanor. Rendered in a realist idiom, the work exemplifies the artist’s focus on precise representation and subtle psychological presence.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Nikolay Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky (Russian: Николай Петрович Богданов-Бельский; 20 December 1868 – 19 February 1945) was a Russian painter.
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