Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Princess Kotchoubey, born Elena Pavlovna Bibikova
(18th and 19th Centuries )
Although born to a rural family in the Black Forest region of southwestern Germany, Winterhalter became the foremost portraitist of European royalty and nobility.
The sitter, Elena Pavlovna Bibikova (1812-1888) was born into the highest circles of the Russian aristocracy. She initially married Prince Esper Alexandrovich Belosselsky-Belozersky (1802-1846) and subsequently Prince Vasily Victorovich Kotschoubey (1812-1850), the son of the chancellor of the Russian empire. A woman of great wealth, even by the standards of her time, the Princess travelled extensively, mingling in the European courts, and entertaining lavishly. Her palace on the Nevsky Prospekt, St. Petersburg, was the setting for balls that rivaled those of the court in all its grandeur. She is reported to have maintained her role as a social leader at the imperial court with autocratic zeal. From 1881-1888 she served as senior lady-in-waiting to Empress Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark). A photograph of the sitter in later life is held by the Royal Collection Trust (RCIN 2809332). It is possible that the same necklace of large pearls is worn by the Princess in both images.
Winterhalter has depicted her in one of his customary formats, three-quarter length, nearly life-size, and painted against an overcast sky. She wears a black silk gown, black lace, and jewelry, including a necklace of large pearls, a pearl brooch with a large pendant pearl, a flexible, serpentine bracelet, and several rings. When this portrait was painted, the Princess had outlived two husbands. Although her black costume nods to mourning, the lace, fine fabric, and jewelry make it a fashionable outfit.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Princess Kotschoubey [1812-88] and/or her family, St. Petersburg, 1860, by commission; Prince Konstantin Esperovitch Belosselsky-Belozersky [1843-1920], St. Petersburg, 1888, by inheritance; Prince Sergei Konstantinovitch Belosselsky-Belozersky [1867-1951], 1920, by inheritance; Prince Sergei Sergeievitch Belosselsky-Belozersky [1985-1978], 1951, by inheritance; Walters Art Museum, January 1964, by gift.
Exhibitions
| 2015-2017 | High Society: The Portraits of Franz X. Winterhalter. Augustiner-Museum, Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston; Palais de Compiègne, Compiègne. |
| 1983 | German 19th Century Paintings and Drawings. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Measurements
H: 51 × W: 38 3/8 × D: 3/4 in. (129.5 × 97.47 × 1.91 cm); Framed H: 58 × W: 45 × D: 3 7/8 in. (147.32 × 114.3 × 9.84 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Prince Serge Belosselsky, 1964
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.2396