Portrait of a Man, possibly Alexander I, Emperor of Russia
Medium
watercolor on paper in a gilt metal mount and burr wood frame
Dimensions
unframed: 13.8 × 10.3 cm · framed: 23 × 17.7 cm
Classification
Portrait Miniature
Department
Modern European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Edward B. Greene Collection
Accession Number
1943.645
Tags
About this artwork
This portrait miniature is believed to be Alexander I, emperor of Russia, painted during the Congress of Vienna, convened between September 1814 and June 1815 to establish the terms of peace in Europe following the Napoleonic Wars. Singers, actors, and artists flocked to entertain the delegates when they were not engaged in negotiations. Among these was French miniature painter Jean-Baptiste Isabey. He had been patronized by Marie Antoinette and the Bonaparte family but managed to retain a clien...