Christopher Tombs Antiques Ltd has dated this Russian Officer Portrait Painting to the 18th Century.
The green and scarlet of his uniform are colours adopted for Russian military uniforms by Peter the Great
The Order of the Black Eagle was instituted on 17th January 1701 when King Frederick 1 assumed title of King of Prussia having previously been Elector of Brandenburg.
It was occasionally, but infrequently, bestowed on members of other Ruling Houses and then only for services of exceptional merit. It can be assumed from the dress and style of painting that the subject was not Royal, therefore the implication is that he performed a highly meritorious service for the Kingdom of Prussia. It may be possible to identify the sitter from records in Germany as the Order of the Black Eagle is presumed to have been awarded to very few foreign officers.
A leading expert on military uniforms stated “I would date the painting to about 1800. The cut of the coat and its stand and fall collar and the very elegant double-breasted and collared waistcoat indicate this. The cut of the coat is definitely post 1790…The fact that the star bends round the curve of the chest would tend to indicate that it was of embroidered construction – silk, silver wire, spangles, foil etc – and not a jeweller’s metal construction with enamel colouring. Such metal examples started to be introduced shortly after this period – Sir John Moore’s Bath Star is metal and dates from about 1806 – but this is the traditional embroidered type.”
Framed in a highly elegant early 19th European century gilt wood frame
Christopher Tombs Antiques Ltd has dated this Russian Officer Portrait Painting to the 18th Century.
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An Elegant Portrait of a High Ranking Russian Officer, Circa 1790/1800,
