Portrait of M.I. Lopukhina - Vladimir Borovikovsky

A refined 1797 portrait by Vladimir Borovikovsky, depicting Maria Ivanovna Lopukhina in a serene garden setting.

Painted in 1797, the Portrait of M.I. Lopukhina is a work by Vladimir Borovikovsky, a figure in late eighteenth-century Russian portraiture. The subject, Maria Ivanovna Lopukhina, is depicted in a naturalistic setting, leaning against a garden wall. Her posture is relaxed, and her gaze meets the viewer with a sense of intimacy.

Borovikovsky employs a soft, painterly technique that departs from the rigid formality often associated with the period. The composition balances the figure against a backdrop of foliage and sky, using light to model the features of the sitter. Her white muslin dress, cinched with a blue sash, reflects the fashion of the era, while the inclusion of corn and roses adds a symbolic layer to the work. The artist captures a specific quality of light, which contributes to the gentle atmosphere of the scene.

This painting is held in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. It demonstrates the artist's ability to combine the conventions of aristocratic portraiture with a personal, almost poetic sensibility. The brushwork remains fluid, particularly in the rendering of the fabric and the surrounding nature. Borovikovsky avoids excessive ornamentation, choosing instead to focus on the character of the sitter. The work remains a representative example of his output during the late 1790s, a period when he produced several of his most recognised portraits of the Russian nobility.