Portrait of Alexander Pushkin.

Vasily Tropinin's "Portrait of Alexander Pushkin" from 1827 captures the renowned Russian poet with a striking intimacy. This painting is one of Tropinin's three most important works, alongside "The Lace Maker" and "The Gold-Embroideress." Tropinin, a master of Romanticism, spent much of his life as a serf, not gaining his freedom until he was over forty. This personal history often imbued his portraits with a profound empathy and naturalism. Painted in Moscow, where Tropinin had recently moved after gaining his freedom and becoming an Academician, this work exemplifies his mature style. He famously stated that he learned more painting "from nature without rest" in Ukraine than at the Imperial Academy, a sentiment reflected in the lifelike quality and psychological depth of his portraits. This painting is a testament to Tropinin's skill in capturing the essence of his sitters, making it a pivotal piece in both his oeuvre and the history of Russian portraiture.