Portrait of Princess Smaragda Cantemir

The portrait of Princess Smaragda Cantemir was painted by an unknown artist in the 1720s–1730s. The New Jerusalem Museum names it among the few portraits of the early 18th century in its collection that demonstrate the high level of portrait painting in Russia at the time.

The young woman is shown half-length within an oval, her body almost frontal and her head turned to the right. She has lively brown eyes under black brows, and her black hair is curled into ringlets and arranged in a high coiffure. Her dark green velvet dress is trimmed with white lace at the neckline; an ermine-edged burgundy mantle lies on her shoulders, and diamond clasps adorn her hair, bodice and sleeves.

The face and body are painted in pink with bluish touches, the figure is rendered flatly, and the background is dark. Oil on canvas.