The Danish painter Eriksen completed several portraits of the young Empress, but this is my favorite. I love the composition of the painting, the charming conceit of the mirror revealing a second view of the subject. But mostly, I love the contrast between those two views, the accidental (?) illustration of the two opposing halves of the Empress' character: the refined and cultured European who turns to us, gracefully feminine, and the fierce intelligence, the formidable drive and determination that the reflected profile reveals.
What a glorious portrait! And of course, I love the extremity of her panniers. Only in Russia did the panniers angle up in the way they do in this portrait. Other countries did have a slight upward trend to them, but in Russia it was far more pronounced.
ReplyDeleteThe style of dress is a Mantua, de rigour at courts around europe and totally impractical as an article of clothing.
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