Portrait of F.P. Makerovsky in masquerade costume

Levitzky employs the light, decorative qualities typical of Rococo portraiture, using a dark background to make the vivid colors of the boy’s attire stand out. The oil medium allows for fine rendering of textures—such as the sheen of velvet and the softness of feather—while the brushwork remains smooth and refined, highlighting the sitter’s elegance.

Since its creation in 1795, the painting has remained in Russian collections, eventually entering the holdings of the Tretyakov Gallery. The museum acquired the work as part of its effort to preserve Russian‑Ukrainian portraiture from the late imperial era.