Who painted Portrait of Nikolai Novicov?

Portrait of Nikolai Novicov was painted by Dmitry Levitzky in 1798.

Where can I see Portrait of Nikolai Novicov?

Portrait of Nikolai Novicov is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is Portrait of Nikolai Novicov?

Portrait of Nikolai Novicov is associated with Neoclassicism.

Artwork

Portrait of Nikolai Novicov

Dmitry Levitzky , 1798

Portrait of Nikolai Novicov is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Dmitry Levitzky. It dates from 1798 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Overview

Dmitry Levitzky, a portraitist of Ukrainian origin who worked in Russia, painted the oil portrait of Nikolai Novicov in 1798. The canvas is part of the State Hermitage Museum’s collection and exemplifies the neoclassical style that dominated Russian academic painting at the close of the eighteenth century.

Subject & Meaning

The work presents Nikolai Novicov in a formal pose, dressed in a dark brown coat and a white cravat. He gazes directly at the viewer, his expression rendered with a subtle play of light that emphasizes his facial features, suggesting a dignified yet personal presence.

Technique & Style

Levitzky employs a strong chiaroscuro scheme, illuminating one side of Novicov’s face and forehead while the opposite side recedes into shadow. This contrast heightens the three‑dimensionality of the figure and separates him from a dark, draped backdrop, a hallmark of neoclassical portraiture.

History & Provenance

Created in 1798, the portrait entered the State Hermitage Museum’s holdings at an unspecified later date, where it remains on view as part of the museum’s Russian art collection.

Context

The painting reflects the late‑imperial Russian taste for neoclassical portraiture, a genre that combined classical restraint with the personal documentation of the empire’s bureaucratic and military elite. Levitzky’s work aligns with contemporary portraits by artists such as Vladimir Borovikovsky, emphasizing clarity of form and controlled emotion.

Artist & collection

Artist

Dmitry Levitzky

Dmitry Grigoryevich Levitzky or Levitsky (Russian: Дмитрий Григорьевич Левицкий; Ukrainian: Дмитро Григорович Левицький; 24 May 1735 – 16 April 1822) was a Ukrainian-born Russian portrait painter and academician.