Portrait of E. I. Molchanova 1776

Dmitry Levitzky painted this portrait of E. I. Molchanova using oils sometime around the late 18th century. Portraits in 18th-century Russia served to reinforce social hierarchies. Levitsky, as a court painter, often portrayed members of the elite, reinforcing their status through idealized depictions and symbolic objects. Here, Molchanova is posed with refined grace, and next to a piece of scientific equipment. This was a time when the Russian Imperial court was trying to mirror the enlightenment ideals of Europe. Catherine the Great founded the first educational establishment for women in Russia, the Smolny Institute. Noble women were now expected to be educated and cultured. Molchanova's calm intelligence is emphasized through her dress and gesture, but also the objects with which she surrounds herself. The historian’s job is to use portraits like this as historical documents, teasing out the complex web of social meanings that they contain. We can use archival material and historical texts to get a sense of the norms and expectations to which people like Molchanova were subjected.