Who painted Portrait of Count Alexei Bobrinsky?

Portrait of Count Alexei Bobrinsky was painted by Franz Xaver Winterhalter in 1844.

Where can I see Portrait of Count Alexei Bobrinsky?

Portrait of Count Alexei Bobrinsky is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is Portrait of Count Alexei Bobrinsky?

Portrait of Count Alexei Bobrinsky is associated with Realism.

Artwork

Portrait of Count Alexei Bobrinsky

Franz Xaver Winterhalter , 1844

Portrait of Count Alexei Bobrinsky is an oil painting by the Realist artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter. It dates from 1844 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

The man's attire suggests a formal or professional setting, possibly from the 19th century given the style of his clothing.

This portrait features a man dressed in a long, light-colored coat with a dark collar and buttons. He is shown from the waist up, facing the viewer with a neutral expression. His dark hair is cut short, and he has a small mustache.

The man's attire suggests a formal or professional setting, possibly from the 19th century given the style of his clothing. The artist has used oil paint to create a realistic and detailed image of the subject.

The artist who painted this portrait is Q168659.

Overview

Franz Xaver Winterhalter’s oil portrait, completed in 1844, presents Count Alexei Bobrinsky. The work measures a half‑length view, showing the nobleman from the waist upward, his gaze directed toward the viewer. The painting resides in the State Hermitage Museum, where it forms part of the museum’s collection of 19th‑century European portraiture.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter, Alexei Bobrinsky, is rendered in a dignified pose, his expression neutral and composed. His attire—a light‑colored coat with a dark collar and buttoned front—signals his status and the formal conventions of Russian aristocracy in the mid‑1800s, emphasizing the portrait’s role as a record of personal identity and social rank.

Technique & Style

Winterhalter employs oil on canvas to achieve a smooth, lifelike surface, rendering the subject’s short dark hair, modest mustache, and the texture of the coat with meticulous detail. The palette is restrained, focusing on subtle tonal variations that model the figure’s features and convey a sense of quiet presence without dramatic chiaroscuro.

History & Provenance

Created in 1844, the portrait entered the State Hermitage Museum’s holdings, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s broader effort to assemble representative works by leading European portraitists of the era, preserving Winterhalter’s contribution to the visual documentation of Russian nobility.

Artist & collection

Artist

Franz Xaver Winterhalter

Franz Xaver Winterhalter (20 April 1805 – 8 July 1873) was a German painter and lithographer, known for his flattering portraits of royalty and upper-class society in the mid-19th century.