Portrait of Countess Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova (1739–1792) 1762

This is a tapestry portrait of Countess Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova, made in Saint Petersburg at the Imperial Russian Tapestry Manufactory, sometime in the 18th century. This imposing portrait offers insight into the role of art and craft in solidifying social status. Note the elaborate details of Countess Vorontsova's dress, painstakingly woven. The tapestry manufactory was an institution directly tied to the Russian Imperial court. Luxury items like these served to broadcast wealth and power. Tapestries like this one often functioned as diplomatic gifts. The portrait uses visual cues such as the classical column to associate the Countess with timeless ideals of beauty, virtue, and power. To understand this piece fully, we might research the history of the Russian court, the tapestry manufactory, and the role of portraiture in constructing social identity in 18th-century Russia. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.