Portrait of Empress Dowager Yelizaveta Alekseevna

The portrait of Empress Dowager Yelizaveta Alekseevna was commissioned in 1831 and painted by Pyotr Basin, as recorded in the artist’s dated work and confirmed by the Hermitage Museum’s cataloguing of the painting.

The work entered the collection of the Hermitage Museum, where it remains today. Its provenance is tied to the Russian imperial court, reflecting the ceremonial and commemorative function of the portrait. The painting’s inclusion in the exhibition Jewels!

The Glitter of the Russian Court further attests to its institutional presence and thematic relevance within Russian cultural heritage.

The Portrait of Empress Dowager Yelizaveta Alekseevna is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum in Russia. While the museum's specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records, the work is documented as part of its permanent holdings. The painting was featured in the exhibition titled "Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court."

In 1831, Russian artist Pyotr Basin, who taught at the Imperial Academy of Arts, completed an oil portrait of Empress Dowager Yelizaveta Alekseevna. The canvas, now part of the State Hermitage Museum’s holdings, presents the former empress seated in a subdued setting, rendered in a style that aligns with the Neoclassical sensibility of the early nineteenth century.

Executed during the Romantic era, the work nonetheless adheres to Neoclassical conventions, balancing emotional restraint with the period’s fascination with historical and mythological references. The inclusion of maritime elements visible through the window connects the portrait to Russia’s expanding naval presence in the early nineteenth century.