Portrait of Prince Nikolai Yusupov

Executed in oil on canvas, the painting demonstrates a smooth, refined brushwork that renders skin tones and fabric with subtle gradations. The artist employs chiaroscuro, using a focused light source to model the cheekbones and forehead while the surrounding darkness deepens the three‑dimensional effect. The coat’s delicate folds and the crisp white collar are rendered with meticulous attention.

Painted by Gerasim Kadunov, a Russian artist active in the mid‑1800s, the portrait entered the Hermitage’s holdings shortly after its completion, though the exact acquisition details are not documented in the available records. It has remained in the museum’s collection, serving as a representative example of aristocratic portraiture from the era.

The work belongs to a period when Russian portraiture often combined Western academic techniques with local sensibilities. Kadunov’s approach reflects the influence of academic realism, while the subject’s attire and demeanor illustrate the social customs of the Russian nobility during the reign of Tsar Nicholas I.