Alexander II, Zar of Russia 1874

This is Alexei Harlamoff’s portrait of Alexander II, Tsar of Russia, but its date remains unknown. As a figure, Alexander II sits at a fascinating intersection of reform and repression, and the painting presents the weight of these contradictions. Born into autocracy, Alexander II is remembered for emancipating the serfs in 1861, a monumental reform that sought to modernize Russia. Yet, this act of liberation was fraught with limitations, as the newly freed peasants often found themselves bound by economic constraints. Harlamoff’s portrait captures the Tsar in full regalia, a symbol of power that seems at odds with the spirit of reform. The painting’s formality speaks to the conventions of portraiture of the time, yet it also hints at the complexities of representing a ruler who embodied both progress and the preservation of autocratic power. It leaves us contemplating the burdens and contradictions inherent in leadership.