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Artwork

Portrait of Ivan I. Diebitsch-Zabalkansky (1785-1831)

George Dawe , 1821

Portrait of Ivan I. Diebitsch-Zabalkansky (1785-1831), by George Dawe, oil, 1821
Portrait of Ivan I. Diebitsch-Zabalkansky (1785-1831), by George Dawe, oil, 1821

Portrait of Ivan I. Diebitsch-Zabalkansky (1785-1831) is an oil painting by the British Romanticist artist George Dawe. It dates from 1821 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Overview

George Dawe, an English portraitist active in the early nineteenth century, painted the oil portrait of Russian General Ivan I. Diebitsch‑Zabalkansky in 1821 while working in Saint Petersburg. The work belongs to the period’s Romantic sensibility and was intended for the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace, where Dawe contributed hundreds of officer portraits.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter is General Ivan Diebitsch‑Zabalkansky, a senior commander who distinguished himself during the 1812 French invasion of Russia. He is shown in full dress uniform, his face rendered with a sober expression that underscores his military authority and the honors he accumulated.

Technique & Style

Dawe employs a restrained palette of deep blacks, reds and golds, allowing the light to strike the general’s face and the metallic decorations. The dark, neutral background isolates the figure, while careful modeling of the fabric and medals creates a tactile sense of texture and rank.

History & Provenance

Commissioned as part of a massive project to fill the Winter Palace’s Military Gallery, Dawe produced 329 portraits of Russian generals between 1819 and 1826. This particular portrait entered the State Hermitage Museum’s collection, where it remains on display as part of the gallery’s representation of the Napoleonic era.

Context

Dawe’s appointment reflected the Russian court’s desire to document its military elite after the defeat of Napoleon. The portrait aligns with contemporary European traditions of heroic portraiture, emphasizing individual merit through elaborate regalia and a dignified pose.

Artist & collection

Portrait of George Dawe

Artist

George Dawe

George Dawe (6 February 1781 – 15 October 1829) was an English portraitist who painted 329 portraits of Russian generals active during Napoleon's invasion of Russia for the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace.

Hermitage Museum

Museum

Hermitage Museum

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Hermitage Museum open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.In the collection of Hermitage Museum. Compiled & edited by , Editor & Founder.