Description of the picture:
Portrait of the State Lady M. A. Rumyantseva – Alexey Petrovich Antropov. Canvas, oil. 62.5 x forty eight cm
A.P. Antropov created during the birth of Russian portraiture. Antropov’s talent is versatile: he painted temples and palaces, painted icons and portraits. As a portrait painter, Alexei Petrovich remained faithful to the Russian Parsun tradition. The figures and faces of the depicted are motionless, the faces are close to the viewer, a neutral dark background is used.
All this is also present in the portrait of M. A. Rumyantseva. However, despite the lack of artistic means, Antropov manages to show a living person. Looking at the portrait, the viewer can easily imagine how a noble lady looked in life.
The fate of Maria Andreevna is extraordinary. She spent her childhood and youth abroad with her father, Count Andrei Matveev. The girl was beautiful, smart, spoke foreign languages, danced beautifully. It is not surprising that Peter I himself drew attention to her. Maria became his mistress at age 19. The emperor arranged her marriage with his batman and confidant A. I. Rumyantsev. The couple had three daughters and a son – the future great commander P. A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaysky. M. A. Rumyantseva lived eighty nine years, having managed to serve eight emperors. She remembered the king of France, Louis XIV, whom she had visited for dinner, was the friend of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Catherine II respected Rumyantsev for her intelligence, experience and liveliness of character.
Until the very end of her life, M. A. Rumyantsev maintained clarity of mind and a wonderful memory. She enjoyed great authority and respect at court. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Maria Andreevna had a good character and did a lot of charity work.
Antropov painted a portrait of M. A. Rumyantseva when she was already at an advanced age. But, despite the years and fullness, the remains of former beauty are visible on the face. According to the fashion of the day, the lady was whitened and reddened, her gray hair was hidden under a lace cap. Maria Andreevna has lively, intelligent eyes that are still attractive, a half smile plays on her lips. The blue dress is hidden by a white satin wrap. However, we perfectly see the portrait of Elizabeth I in a frame studded with diamonds, pinned to her chest. Such portraits of empresses were issued to the state ladies upon entering the service of the court.
The portrait of M. A. Rumyantseva was transferred to the Russian Museum by collector Count D.I. Tolstoy in 1902."
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