Christina Robertson. Portrait of Princess T. V. Yusupova

This portrait of Princess Tatiana Vasilyevna Yusupova, wife of the creator of Arkhangelskoye, was painted by Christina Robertson. The elderly woman is shown full-length in an interior: she wears a green velvet dress, a white turban, large pearl earrings, bracelets and several strands of necklaces. With her right hand she holds a chain at her waist, with her left she touches a drapery on the arm of a large chair upholstered in blue fabric. On the left is a round table with a red tablecloth, a small bouquet of roses and a statuette, and behind it columns with drapery and golden tassels.

Tatiana Vasilyevna (1769–1841), née Engelhardt, was a niece of Prince Grigory Potemkin. In 1793 she married Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov. The princess collected precious stones: her collection included the "Polar Star" diamond, earrings of Marie Antoinette and the "Peregrina" pearl.

In 1840–1841 Robertson painted full-length ceremonial portraits of the Yusupov princesses; the large portrait of Tatiana Vasilyevna against columns and drapery is in the Hermitage. The ceremonial canvases were possibly preceded by small sketches, and according to researchers the sketch for the portrait of Tatiana Vasilyevna is at Arkhangelskoye. It is probably this very canvas. Oil on canvas.