Fydor Alexeevich Lukov, Russian General 

George Dawe painted this portrait of Fydor Alexeevich Lukov, a Russian General, in the 19th century. It is a potent image of power, rank and social status in Russia at that time. The portrait speaks to Russia’s military culture. Lukov is adorned with ornate gold epaulettes and several medals. These project authority, and signal the sitter’s position within a rigid social hierarchy. Painted in the early 1800s, it reflects the period after the Napoleonic wars when Russia asserted itself as a major European power. Dawe was an English portrait painter who found success painting members of Russian high society. The Hermitage Museum, where this painting hangs, was founded by Catherine the Great. Originally a private collection of the Imperial family, it later opened to the public, reflecting changing ideas about art’s role in society. Understanding the social conditions that shape art requires archival research, and an appreciation of the complex relations between artists, institutions, and patrons.