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Portrait of Prince Iwan Bariatinski (1772-1825)

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun , 1800

Portrait of Prince Iwan Bariatinski (1772-1825), by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, oil, 1800
Portrait of Prince Iwan Bariatinski (1772-1825), by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, oil, 1800

Portrait of Prince Iwan Bariatinski (1772-1825) is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.

About this work

Overview

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun executed this oil portrait in 1800, depicting Prince Iwan Bariatinski, a Russian aristocrat born in 1772. The work presents the young prince from the chest upward, his gaze meeting the viewer. A muted brown backdrop frames a dark blue coat with gold embroidery and a red collar, emphasizing the sitter’s refined appearance.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait captures Prince Iwan Bariatinski at the height of his youth, his curly brown hair and direct stare suggesting confidence and status. The choice of luxurious attire—blue coat, gold detailing, and red collar—signals his noble rank and the fashion of Russian high society at the turn of the nineteenth century.

Technique & Style

Vigée Le Brun combines the delicate finish characteristic of her Rococo training with the clearer lines of emerging Neoclassicism. The smooth modeling of flesh, precise rendering of fabric texture, and restrained background illustrate her skill in balancing ornamental detail with compositional clarity, a hallmark of her late‑career portraiture.

History & Provenance

After its creation, the painting entered the collection of Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery, where it remains on display. The work reflects Vigée Le Brun’s itinerant career after the French Revolution, during which she accepted commissions across Europe, including for Russian patrons such as Prince Bariatinski.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

Artist

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French: ; née Vigée; 16 April 1755 – 30 March 1842), also known as Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun or simply Madame Le Brun, was a French painter who mostly specialized in portrait…

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