Here is something you don't see often. While looking up the Russian artist, Ivan Argunov, I came across this intriguing portrait of his. I immediately had to look up this young lady. Unfortunately, there was not much information out there, and the little I found only made me want to know
more.Her name was Annushka and Argunov painted her in 1767. Annushka was a Kalmyk girl, a group from western Mongolians which had its origins in central Asia. She was a serf just like Agunov; he belonged to Count Sheremetev and Anushka belonged to his daughter, Countess Varvara Sheremeteva. It is the countess' likeness which she holds in her portrait. From the little I was able to make out, it seems that Annushka and Varvara had a special relationship, and Varvara took it upon herself to educate the cute little Kalmyk girl.
What an amazing story! And what an utterly charming little girl! I love her dress too...
ReplyDeleteYeah, definitely intriguing story. I also was captured by it after reading your post and tried to find out more... But also the Russian pages to the artist dont tell more. But at least a bit more about the Argunov Family and the Shermetevs...
ReplyDeleteLove your blog!
Lovely painting and an intriguing story! I wonder what happened to her.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting finding pics showing members of other social classes... like this one I found on bbc.co.uk
ReplyDeleteThe Black Figure in 18th-century Art
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/africans_in_art_gallery_03.shtml
Wow! I'm completely intrigued. I want to know more :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great site! That would have been handy to me in grad school when I had to give a presentation on Joshua Reynolds and the person of colour! Thanks Emmeline
ReplyDeleteBehind a painting there is always a story to tell. In this case it´s a very beautiful one, just like the girl in the portrait. Best regards from Spain!
ReplyDeleteRemarkable portrait. Both the sitter and artist remind us what an extensive and varigated phenomenon serfdom was -- not just masses of peasants and menial household servants.
ReplyDeleteAnd a nit -- it's the Countess Sheremeteva.
Thanks for the catch!
ReplyDeleteWonderful picture and story--I just learned about your site recently, but it's great!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I nominated you for a Let's Be Friends award. Keep up the good work!
Thank you very much Jane!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think there were more blacks and other ethnic groups in the aristocracy than people admitted. After all, people did travel, Africa and the Middle East were not so far away and a lot of people brought up their illegitimate children with their legitimate ones. So, while it probably wasn't common, it was most likely not too unusual either.
ReplyDeleteAnd that little girl is adorable. Wonder what happened to her as an adult?
Intriguing, yes.
ReplyDeleteI see one of your commentators refers you to a link on Africans in Art. As a Mongolian, this child may have been swarthy, but not black in the sense of African or West Indian black. I wonder whether the digital imaging programme has 'enhanced' the colouring, or perhaps it is both the artist and the programme that have worked on the final shade?
A delightful image created for what purpose?
I think you have mistaken her purpose. She was comparing this portrait of a Mongolian girl with other contemporary portraits of minorities in Europe and "other social classes." There has been a growing interest in how these groups were depicted in the Age of Enlightenment, there was actually an interesting exhibition on it recently at London's Nat Portrait Gallery that I caught. The name escapes me now, I'll have to find it. It covered the depiction of famous Native Americans, Blacks, and others!
ReplyDeleteOoops. I didn't make myself clear. It's Count Sheremetev and Countess Sheremeteva. Like Martina Navratilova -- her father would be Navratilov.
ReplyDeleteThe Shremetev family was phenomenally wealthy, with famous palaces all over the place -- Ostankino Palace in Moscow, Sheremetev Palace in Petersburg, a castle in the Volga region, etc etc.
Moscow's main international airport is Sheremetyevo -- named for the village where it was built, which was named for the family estate.
Oh dear, can you tell I'm not up on my Russian? Thanks for the catch and the explanation!
ReplyDelete