Portrait of the Girl Zhenia 1860

Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky painted this portrait of Zhenia, a young girl, using oil, at an unknown date. Makovsky was one of the most fashionable Russian portrait painters of the late 19th century, catering to the Russian elite. The portrait offers a glimpse into the world of privileged children in Imperial Russia. Zhenia, with her delicate features and ornate dress, embodies the innocence and beauty idealized in such portraits. Yet, this idealized representation also speaks to the limitations placed on young girls of her class, whose identities were often shaped by societal expectations of beauty, purity, and domesticity. What does it mean to depict a young girl like this? Does it preserve or challenge these societal norms? As you reflect on this image, consider the power dynamics at play and the subtle ways in which identity is both constructed and constrained.