Lot 8: GEORGE DAWE, R.A., 1781-1829

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, ENGLAND

PORTRAIT OF TSAR ALEXANDER I IN THE UNIFORM OF THE PREOBRAZHENSKY GUARDS

87.5 by 61cm., 34¼ by 24in.

signed in Latin l.r. and dated St. Petersburg 1826; inscribed on reverse Moberly / Petersburg 1826; further stamped with Moberly arms on reverse of canvas

oil on canvas

PROVENANCE

Presented by Tsar Nicholas I to Charles Moberly in St. Petersburg 1826;
Thence by descent;
Phillip's London, Early British and Victorian Paintings, 3 June 1997, Lot 52

NOTE

In 1818 Alexander I invited the British artist George Dawe RA, portraitist to the Duke of Kent and main rival of Sir Thomas Lawrence, to Russia to create what is now the War Gallery in the Winter Palace. Over the course of ten years in St Petersburg, he and his assistants Poliakov and Vassily Golike painted over 300 portraits in celebration of the generals who achieved victory in the 1812 Patriotic War. Dawe thus established for himself a glittering and extremely successful career in Russia. He was elected an honorary member of the Imperial Academy of Arts, and created First Portrait Painter to the Russian Court by the Tsar.

He established a large and productive studio in the Russian capital, where Russian and British assistants helped him with numerous high society commissions. He earned Pushkin's praise, and the poet dedicated one of his works to the British artist. Dawe was also a favourite of Alexander I who gave him a large studio in the Imperial Winter Palace, and paid him generously for his work. In spring 1823 Dawe wrote with evident joy and pride to a London friend, The Emperor has given me a sitting about a week ago. He will give me as many as I require and I fancy I shall make a very successful picture...

One of these 'successful pictures', showing the Emperor full-length in Life Guards' uniform with Russian and foreign decorations and cocked hat in hand, was sent to London to Lord Londonderry in 1824. It was this portrait, engraved by Thomas Wright and published in London in 1826 that became the iconic image of the Russian Tsar. Dawe was officially given the exclusive right to make and license copies of this portrait, thus the only authorized versions were produced by Dawe himself in his St. Petersburg studio. A few full-length portraits of the same type are now kept in famous collections in Russia. One larger than life size version can be seen in the Alexander Room of the Hermitage (inv no 4467) and another, dated 1825, in The State Russian Museum (inv no 3922). A third from 1826 is part of the Royal collection in England (No 746).

Similar portraits of Alexander I painted in the small format often preferred by Dawe, dated between 1825 and 1828 are now in royal collections in Britain (No.745) and the Netherlands (inv no IB 46722), in the Wellington Museum, London (dated 1825, 80 by 56.5cm), in the vaults of The State Museum at Peterhof (inv no 755). This very familiar official image of the Emperor was reproduced on porcelain, jewelry, in miniatures and in the engraving by Wright and Bennet depicting Alexander I visiting George Dawe's studio in the Winter Palace.

After the death of Alexander I, Nicholas I commissioned a number of high quality official portraits of his brother to present to royal relatives and foreign diplomats in memory of the deceased Emperor. The offered lot was given to the British diplomat Charles Moberly in 1826 and bears a seal with the Moberly arms on the reverse (fig.1). His connection to George Dawe was reinforced when Moberly, as Acting Counsel General in St. Petersburg, was responsible for the legal formalities of finalising the portraitist's estate in the early 1830s. By keeping the correspondence with Dawe's relatives and lawyers, Charles Moberly did a great deal to preserve the artist's legacy.

We are very grateful to Dr. Galina Andreeva for her help in cataloguing this lot.