Portrait of Count Alexey Bobrinsky as a Child 1760

Fyodor Rokotov painted this portrait of Count Alexey Bobrinsky as a child in oil. This portrait exists within a very particular social context: Russia in the late 18th century. The trappings of wealth and nobility are carefully presented in this image. Notice the fine fabrics, the lace trim, the fashionable cap, and, of course, the sword. But the most crucial fact about Alexey Bobrinsky isn't visible; he was the illegitimate son of Catherine the Great. Alexey's illegitimacy had enormous implications for his social position and his future, and these are bound up in the politics of succession and power that defined the Russian court at that time. Rokotov was a master of conveying the nuances of character and social standing, and in this image, he seems to hint at the complexities of Alexey's identity. The historian uses sources such as letters, diaries, and court documents to more fully understand the historical context of the artwork.