Artwork
Horsewoman
Horsewoman is an oil painting by Karl Bryullov. It dates from 1832 and is held in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Karl Bryullov’s large‑scale oil work titled *Horsewoman* was completed in 1832. Measuring roughly 2.9 by 2.1 metres, the canvas is held by Moscow’s State Tretyakov Gallery (inventory 212). The composition shows a woman astride a black horse, accompanied by two dogs, set against a courtyard with a stone building and a column.
Subject & Meaning
The rider is not a portrait of the patron Countess Yuliya Samoylova, as once thought, but likely her pupil Giovannina, while the small child depicted beside her is identified as Amacilia, the adopted daughter of the composer Giovanni Pacini. The scene conveys a refined leisure activity, emphasizing aristocratic poise and the harmony between rider, animal, and landscape.
Technique & Style
Bryullov employs a vigorous brushwork and a nuanced chiaroscuro that model the figures against a bright sky, echoing the dynamism of Baroque equestrian portraiture. The flowing white dress and the glossy black horse are rendered with careful attention to texture, while the green hat and the dogs add colour accents that balance the overall palette.
History & Provenance
Commissioned by Countess Samoylova in Milan, the painting debuted at the Brera Academy the same year, where critics likened Bryullov’s handling to that of Rubens and van Dyck. After remaining in the Samoylova collection for decades, it was sold in Paris in the early 1870s, passed through a Russian art society, and was acquired by Pavel Tretyakov in 1893, entering the Tretyakov Gallery thereafter.
Context
The work marked a pivotal moment in Bryullov’s career, showcasing his capacity to blend Russian sensibility with Western European equestrian traditions. Its early reception highlighted a renewed interest in grand portraiture, and modern scholarship continues to examine its role in the artist’s development and its influence on subsequent Russian depictions of aristocratic sport.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Karl Pavlovich Bryullov (né Brüllo; Russian: Карл Па́влович Брюлло́в; 23 December 1799 – 23 June 1852) was a Russian painter and draughtsman during the Romantic period, remembered among the greatest visual artists in the history of Russian…
