When we talk about Fyodor Rokotov (1735-1808), we immediately remember his Russian sfumato. Like Leonardo da Vinci, his ladies seem to be covered with a light haze.
In fact, Rokotov did not even think of creating a haze effect! And even more he did not expect that this would be his most recognizable feature.
Yes, his smiles are really beautiful. Lightweight and modest. And the views of the ladies are calm and soft. As if their souls remained in these portraits.
Rokotov was an incredible colorist for his time. The subtle gradation of shades of pink in the portrait above creates the effect of fluttering air.
Compare his color schemes with those offered by other artists of the same time.
In the painting on the left, the color is too local. It has little to do with the features of the figure and the character of the heroine. While Rokotov endowed color with a special function to carry a message about his model.
Here smoky and mustard colors surprisingly suit the landowner Struyskaya. The shades themselves are complex. Moreover, her modesty and charm are so clearly emphasized.
So, in this portrait, we also see the illusion of a light haze. And it was not Rokotov who created it, but … time!
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Of course, the artist is also involved in this. He chose such a low-quality primer, which eventually penetrated into the paint layer and blurred it. This is how the smoke effect came about.
Unfortunately, such a soil cannot dry out completely, which means that the paintings will continue to “melt”. So far, no method has been invented to stop this process, alas. And one day Rokotov’s masterpieces will disappear.
But not all. Here is a portrait of Catherine II. It doesn’t have any haze!
This is an earlier portrait. Rokotov still used a standard primer. What experiments can there be when it comes to the portrait of the queen herself!
The creation of this portrait was Rokotov’s real finest hour. After all, the very picky Catherine II liked him very much. And in the case of creating engravings, she ordered to use exactly the image of Rokotov. Thus, the young artist surpassed eminent foreigners.
But still in Moscow the competition was much lower. And the artist moved to this city, becoming the main portraitist of the local world there.
Rokotov lived a long life. He brought up many students who imitated his manner. Unfortunately, in this regard, not all portraits are still correctly attributed (that is, their authorship is in doubt).
But thanks to including Rokotov, portraiture in Russia since then has almost always been at a high level.
Other portraits of Rokotov you can see below.
Main photo: Fedor Rokotov. Self-portrait. 1757. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Wikimedia Commons.
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Author: Oksana Kopenkina