Artwork
Portrait of Ivan Ye. Shevich (1754-1813)
Portrait of Ivan Ye. Shevich (1754-1813) is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Unknown. It dates from 1822 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. The work is an oil portrait of Ivan Ye.
About this work
Overview
The painting is a representative example of the posthumous military portraiture produced by the Dawe workshop for the Winter Palace's War Gallery.
Portrait of Ivan Ye. Shevich (1754-1813) is an oil on canvas painting created in 1822 by the workshop of George Dawe. The bust-length portrait depicts the Russian-born Serb nobleman and military general Ivan Shevich. Measuring 70 by 62.5 centimeters, the work is held in the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, where it carries the accession number 39143. The painting is a representative example of the posthumous military portraiture produced by the Dawe workshop for the Winter Palace's War Gallery.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is Ivan Shevich, a Russian-born Serb nobleman who lived from 1754 to 1813. The portrait functions as a formal commemoration of his military rank and service rather than a psychological study. Shevich faces slightly to his left while making direct eye contact with the viewer. His status is communicated through his attire and honors, which include a dark military coat with a high red collar adorned with gold embroidery, heavy gold epaulettes with fringe, and brass buttons. On his chest, he wears two distinct decorations: a star-shaped badge with a red center and a cross-shaped medal suspended from a blue ribbon, signifying his military achievements.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting demonstrates the controlled, polished finish characteristic of the Dawe workshop. The composition is a bust-length format set against a plain, dark brown background with subtle tonal variation, devoid of other objects or environmental details. Strong lighting falls from the left, illuminating the subject's face, light curly hair, small mustache, and the gold elements of his uniform, while casting the right side of his face and coat into shadow. The brushwork is smooth and meticulous, with careful attention paid to rendering the distinct textures of metal, fabric, and hair.
History & Provenance
The portrait was painted in 1822, posthumously honoring Shevich, who died in 1813. While some records suggest a broader date range between 1820 and 1825, the 1822 inception date aligns with the period when the Dawe workshop was producing a large series of military portraits. The painting was created in Saint Petersburg for the War Gallery of the Winter Palace. The work remains in the collection of the State Hermitage Museum, identified by its Hermitage work ID 39143.
Context
The painting belongs to a massive commission undertaken by George Dawe and his workshop to create portraits of generals who had fought in the Patriotic War of 1812 for the War Gallery of 1812 in the Winter Palace. The scale and urgency of this imperial project necessitated the heavy involvement of workshop assistants to produce the hundreds of required canvases, which accounts for the attribution of this work to the workshop rather than to Dawe individually. These portraits served a state function, memorializing the military leadership of the Russian Empire in a unified, dignified manner.
Artist & collection
