Portrait Of Irene Von Radlov 

Alexandre Jacovleff painted this portrait of Irene Von Radlov, likely in the early 20th century, using oil on canvas. The somber tones and the sitter's dark attire are softened by the geometric, almost modernist, window behind her. Jacovleff was a Russian émigré who later became a French citizen. He was part of the Mir iskusstva movement, known for its opposition to realist art and interest in stage design and symbolist styles. Considering this, the setting is deliberately artificial, a stage for the sitter. Although the portrait is traditional, the theatrical elements and the interest in design reflect a broader tendency to question realism. As historians, we can interpret art through an understanding of the social and institutional settings in which it was created. What was radical in the early 20th century can be seen as conventional today, and Jacovleff's art is a fascinating case study in the relationship between art and cultural change.