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"Cleopatra" from Gatchina Palace

Admiring old portraits in a museum or at an exhibition one should remember that along with an artist ≈ the author of the portrait, whose name is indicated on the label, there was one more "author" ≈ a customer, who dictated his vision of the portrait ≈ in what manner it should be painted, what costume, pose and what expression on the face the model should have.

The relationship between an artist and a model was precisely described by Nikolay Gogol in his story "Portrait": "The ladies demanded that predominantly soul and character were depicted in the portrait, that other features were not followed quite precisely; it was necessary to hide the drawbacks, to soften the defects or if it were possible, not to show them at all. Consequently, the models sometimes took such expressions when posing for a portrait that they threw the artist into confusion: one tried to show melancholy on her face, the other dreaminess, the third one wanted to look her mouth smaller at any price┘ And men were no better than women. One wanted to be shown with his head raised in a strong energetic manner; the other with inspired eyes looking upwards; guards▓ lieutenant demanded that Mars was seen in his eyes┘".

The main character of Gogol▓s story, the artist Chartcov in chase of high fees and glory of fashionable artist, agreed with all demands of his customer: "To those who wanted Mars, he thrust Mars into the face; those who aspired to resemble Byron, got his pose and the turn of the head. No matter if a woman wanted to become Corinne, Undine or Aspazia, he readily agreed with everything┘"

In the XVII√XVIII centuries there was a separate genre of mythological portrait in the European art. Ladies and gentlemen were portrayed with attributes of Greek gods and goddesses according to their wish. French artist Louis Tocque came to St. Petersburg in 1765 in order to create a ceremonial portrait of Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. According to the conditions of the contract he also had the right to work with private customers. The portrait of the countess Anna Mikhailovna Vorontsova from the Russian Museum represents her as an ancient Greek goddess Diana. This is a wonderful example of mythological portrait.

Diana ≈ goddess of hunt, a virgin, was usually depicted with a quiver at her back, a bow and arrows. Having represented all the traditional attributes, Tokke gave a different meaning to them. A young lady, bride of baron A. Stroganov, is on the portrait. To the right on the tree there hangs a quiver with arrows. In her left hand of Diana-Vorontsova has an arrow, the point of which she is trying with the finger of her right hand, but this is not the arms for hunting any more, this is an arrow of love that will reach the heart of her beloved.

One more sample of ceremonial mythological portrait was shown in autumn 2005 in the Exhibition Halls of St. Petersburg Museum of Urban Sculpture at the exhibition "The features of the changeable soul┘" (portrait from the collection of Gatchina Museum). Among the exhibited canvases the "portrait of an unknown lady represented as Cleopatra" was noted for its artistic qualities and symbolism.

Cleopatra ≈ famous for its beauty Queen of Egypt who lived in the I century B.C., the last representative of Ptolemaic dynasty. Egypt was in decline and depended on Rome and Cleopatra had to manoeuvre in the course of Roman politics. After the death of Caesar Roman Commander Marc Anthony was captured by her beauty. During the internal war the army of Anthony and Cleopatra was defeated by Roman Commander Octavian. Marc Anthony killed himself and Cleopatra was taken prisoner. Having learned that Octavian would bring her to Rome in an iron cage, Cleopatra preferred death to shameful captivity. A faithful servant brought a basket with fruit into her cell having put a poisonous snake to the bottom of it.

The character of Gatchina portrait wanted to be depicted as a Queen of Egypt in one of the most popular moments of her life. During the feast with Marc Anthony Cleopatra decided to strike the Roman Commander not only with her beauty but also with her wealth. She dissolved the biggest pearl in the convivial bowl with vinegar. Unknown woman, dressed according to the fashion of the 1770s is standing at the table. She holds a bowl with her left hand and approaches her right hand with the pearl to it. Her eyes are looking to the left at Marc Anthony who is not in the picture.

But who is the person who wanted to be depicted as Cleopatra, boasting of her wealth, was not known. The work with iconographic material leaves in the memory hundreds of portraits, published in catalogues, books, magazines. Half of a year has passed after the closing of the exhibition and the same portrait that was auctioned at Sotheby▓s on November 24, 1992 appeared in my mind. Alexandra Evtikhievna Demidova was portrayed in it. It is not signed and like Gatchina portrait, is considered to be the work by an unknown artist. On both portraits Demidova is depicted in light dress with deep d-collete decorated with two rows of pearls, and in the lower part of it there is a precious stone mounted into gold with three pendants ≈ big-size pearls. There are pearl threads weaved into her hair and her chignon going down the shoulders is also decorated with them. The bouquet of natural flowers crowns the head-dress. The figure is wrapped into the purple cloak attached with the gold chain. The reach garment of A. Demidova makes forget about her "humble" origin, according to the norms of the XVIII century.

Alexandra Evtikhievna (1745√1778), Safonova in her girlhood, descended from the family of Moscow merchant, was the third wife of the state councillor and rich man who was fond of science, Nikita Akinfievich Demidov (1723√1789).

Traveling in Europe, Nikita Akinfievich kept a "Diary" that was published in Moscow in 1786. From the magazine we learned that in Paris the couple got acquainted with the pensioner of St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and later a famous sculptor Fedot Shubin and Nikita Akinfievich ordered him marble busts of himself and his wife. The busts were kept in Italy in the family of descendants of Demodovs, at first in the estate San?Donato, then in villa Pratolino. In 1969 they were sold at an auction into the private Swiss collection and in 1975 were purchased for Tretjakov Gallery. As it is written in the "Magazine" Jean-Baptiste Greuze, a famous portrait and genre painter also worked for Demidov. The circle of their acquaintances in the artistic world was rather wide. They traveled to Versailles with the royal artist

J.J. Lagrenee Young, visited the workshops of sculptors J.B. Pigaille and G. Koustou. Companion portraits of the couple were painted by the famous portrait painter Alexandre Roslin.

The stylistic analysis shows that an unknown French artist was the author of both the portraits of A. Demidova, the one that was sold at Sotheby▓s and the other from Gatchina. The portraits were accomplished during the sojourn of Demidovs in Paris in 1771√1773. The portrait from Gatchina is likely to be stored in St. Petersburg in the family of the descendants of Demidovs of female line Durnovo till 1917. In the beginning of the 1990s it became property of Gatchina Palace-Museum according to the will of professor Shushkov as part of his art-collection.

The auction variant of the portrait is likely to be part of collection of Demidovs descendants who lived in Italy in the principality San-Donato and in villa Pratolino. The determination of the character of Gatchina "Portrait of A. Demidova represented as Cleopatra", the attribution of time and place of its creation will help to define the author▓s name in future. And the co-author of the portrait of Alexandra Evtikhievna Demidova as a Queen Egypt was her husband Nikita Akinfievich Demidov, enlightened person, an honourable member of St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, member of the Free-Economic Association, patron of art. The descendant of Tula peasant, armourer and owner of mines and metallurgical works, he married the daughter of Moscow merchant and ordered the portrait of his wife Alexandra Evtikhievna as Cleopatra, who dissolved the precious pearl in vinegar, in order to emphasize fabulous wealth of Demidovs▓ family.