Portrait of Countess Maria Rumyantseva, née of Countess Matveyeva, Wife of Count Alexander Rumyantsev
1764
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Location in museum
The Mikhailovsky Palace
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Room 6 - Period 18th century
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Countess Maria Rumyantseva, née Countess Matveyeva (1698-1788), was one of the most remarkable women of the 18th century in Russia. She was the wife of Count Alexander Rumyantsev. She had a prominent position at the court. Indeed, she became a lady-in-waiting of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (from 1744), Dame Grand Cross (1775) and senior lady-in-waiting (from 1776). She was the mother of Pyotr Rumyantsev.
The painter depicted the Countess at her elderly age with expressive eyes, a clear mind and seems full of vitality. This intimate portrait conveys the features of the model's face as well as the details of her clothing. Maria Rumyantseva is depicted with the distinction of the lady-in-waiting: she wears a portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in a diamond frame. The accuracy in the reproduction of the appearance of the model and of the accessories is characteristic of the Russian portraits of this era.