Portrait of Count Ivan Shuvalov 1760

This is Fyodor Rokotov's "Portrait of Count Ivan Shuvalov" from the late 18th century, an oil painting housed here at the Hermitage Museum. Notice the striking contrast between the red coat and the muted background. Rokotov uses color to draw our eyes to the figure of Count Shuvalov, yet he also uses soft brushstrokes which lend an ethereal, almost dreamlike quality to the portrait. The Count is positioned at an angle, which creates a dynamic tension, a departure from the more rigid portraiture conventions of the time. The portrait is not just a record of appearance but an exploration of identity and representation. Rokotov's skill lies not only in his technical ability but in his capacity to suggest something of the inner life of his subject, and the painting invites us to consider how identity is constructed and represented through art. As such, the artwork encourages ongoing dialogue between the viewer and the viewed.