Portrait of Grigory M. Berg (1765-1833 or 1838) (1st)

Dawe employs a restrained palette, allowing the deep blacks and the bright red collar to dominate. The medals are rendered with precise detail, while the background’s flat, faded gold provides a neutral field that emphasizes the sitter’s expression and insignia.

The portrait was painted while Dawe was active in Saint Petersburg, where he had established a reputation among Russian elites. After its completion, the painting entered the Hermitage’s holdings, where it remains on view.

Dawe, originally trained in an English family of engravers, became renowned in Russia for a large series of portraits of Napoleonic‑War officers. This portrait fits within that broader project, documenting the individuals who shaped Russia’s military leadership during that era.