Portrait of Nikolai Karamzin Vasily Tropinin (1776-1857)

Description of Vasily Tropinin’s painting "Portrait of N. M. Karamzin".

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin was not only a legendary writer, a talented poet, an excellent translator, but also an excellent historian. He had a tremendous influence on the formation of the country’s linguistic and literary culture.

It was he who translated many of William Shakespeare’s works from English into Russian. He did this work very subtly, trying to preserve the meaning and interesting turns of phrase. His most famous work was the novel "Poor Liza," created by the author in 1792. Of course, such a man should have been immortalized on canvas.

The artist who captured Karamzin became Tropinin. This man was a true master of his craft. He did not take particular part in exhibitions, did not seek to flaunt his talent or make loud statements about himself. However, his broad soul, humanity and ability to be a good friend made him an influential artist. In 1818, he was lucky enough to work on a painting entitled Portrait of N. M. Karamzin. The work is executed on canvas in oil.

Karamzin is depicted close-up. Even the small details of his clothes are well discernible. His look is simultaneously full of warmth and severity. The picture is executed very precisely and realistically. His belonging to the intelligentsia, his good upbringing and high level of education can be seen in the picture. The background is painted in a neutral dark green shade. This allows the emphasis to be placed on the writer.