Portrait of Countess Ekaterina Rostopchina Orest Adamovich Kiprensky (1782-1836)

Description of the painting "Portrait of Rastopchina" by Orest Kiprensky

"Portrait of Rastopchina" is paired with a portrait of her husband, and presents him as a kind of opposite. Mrs. Rastopchina’s husband was a fussy, talkative, noisy man. He was a collector and a man of letters, had been elected for a term as governor of Moscow, and was the soul of the company, easygoing and jovial. His wife, on the other hand, was not too talkative and liked to listen to the inner silence rather than human conversation.

The painting portrays her essence, her quiet, meek nature beautifully. The unassuming dark background does not attract attention. The woman’s simple homely dress does not detract from her face, which, like foam, is surrounded by the lace on her blouse and bonnet. It is no longer very young, that face. Light skin, dark, attentive eyes, a slightly upturned nose, lips with no smile on them-Rastopchina hardly attracted herds of young admirers, but she didn’t need to.

Behind the lack of external beauty hides a spiritual light, which makes her face look spiritualized and beautiful. Her inner harmony with herself is evident in her gaze, in her posture. As if awakened by a call-was it a person calling her, or something lurking in her soul? - she reaches forward slightly.

Also in her slightly pursed lips, in her eyes that look trustingly, openly, one can see the willingness to suffer. For History with a capital letter. For something that could happen. Some potential, some talent as an actress or singer, maybe, or maybe just the capacity for deep, pure, moral feeling fills her with a hidden awe. A willingness to respond to the right note.

Perhaps it was such a note that awakened her one day. While traveling in Germany with her husband, Rastopchina embraced the Catholic faith. She probably found in it just the rightness, the rightness to which she was able to put the strength of her soul.