I decided I would find out once and for all
about the picture on the wall of my mother's room. I took a couple of photos of
it, and spent a little while playing around with Google Images.
Found it. It is a portrait painted in St
Petersburg by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun in about 1791, the subject being Elisaveta Alexandrovna,
Baroness Stroganova, who was about 12 at the time.
When she was 16 Baroness Stroganova married Count
Nikolai Demidov, who was appointed as a Russian diplomat in Paris, during the
time of Napoleon I. They were big Napoleon fans, apparently, but the political
situation meant that they had to return to Russia. The Demidovs had two
children, but eventually separated because, it seems, he was too boring.
Elisaveta moved back to Paris, where she died in 1818.
Here's another portrait of her, in about 1804, in
Paris, by Robert Lefèvre, at a time when presumably she was still the wife of a Russian diplomat.
She is buried in the cemetery of Père Lachaise, in Paris - as am I, of course.
Sorry about this - I realise nobody could care less, though it is a nice little picture. This post is really a celebration only of
Google and Wikipedia, so it is without any merit at all, other than
commemoration of my finally finding out what that damned picture from Paris Match was, after only 40-something
years. This is not any kind of relative of my mother's of course, though she has probably eaten Beef Stroganoff
at some time in her life. That's as close as it gets. There is no point my telling my mum what I found out, because she will have no idea what I'm talking about, so it stops there.
I did get a bit distracted during my (brief)
researches - Ancien Régime portraiture is not normally my thing, but Vigée Le Brun is definitely worth a read - she's certainly more
interesting than Mme Demidova
Very interesting research, and a very memorable portrait. I always love to imagine what was going their heads as they posed for these. Was it the vagaries of having to sit still, or were there wider concerns on their minds? Putting a name to the portrait helps give it a sense of its place in history. Great post.
ReplyDeleteOf course were Elisa sitting there in this day and age, she'd be playing on her phone.
I think Elisa is deep in thought: "I think, on balance, I like the strawberry flavour best..."
DeleteAlways think of my blog as being personal in the sense it's about the things I like doing and would like to keep a record of - a diary, really. On that basis, no need for you to say sorry - just keep recording and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rob.
DeleteWouldn't it have been more fun to spend days and weeks (or years) and money combing through libraries and museums?
ReplyDeleteI like the portrait with the book in hand, Sexy but sophisticated and intellectual.
Actually, I guess it wouldn't, though it would feel more significant when I'd finished. I still really enjoy the days I spend with books all over the big table, trying to find exactly what General Hulot's horse was called, and other vital stuff.
DeleteThe ease of finding things out on the Internet is invaluable, but I am not sure what fun there is in potentially knowing absolutely everything, and I fear that the culture is beginning to backfire. Since you can ask Siri to tell you anything you need to know, actually knowing things is no longer trending - thus not knowing anything at all, which requires far less effort and leaves more time for texting, has become the norm. This is one reason, I think, why the UK is in its current political situation.
I was expecting something raunchy when you said she divorced her husband because he was boring and hotfooted it back to Paris.
ReplyDeleteSlightly Disappointed of Surrey.
There may be raunchy implications. She was noted as something of a socialite - charming, witty, very bright - and her husband was a bit serious - very wrapped up in his work. I don't know if they actually fell out, but they spent less and less time together and eventually she buzzed off back to Paris and left him to it.
DeleteI must mention again that the story of the French artist, Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun, looks worth a read - she knew everyone - she was Marie Antoinette's official portraitist, for a start. Also her paintings bring the period to life. Her memoirs are available, but kind of dear, and any worthwhile book has to contain pictures, of course, which makes a Kindle version a no-no.
Браво!
ReplyDeleteБлагодаря ти много!
Delete