Portrait of Alexander Kokorinov, Director and First Rector of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. 1769

Dmitry Levitzky painted this portrait of Alexander Kokorinov, director of the St. Petersburg Academy, in oils sometime around the late 18th century. It offers a glimpse into the social and institutional structures of artistic production in Imperial Russia. Kokorinov stands confidently, adorned in the opulent attire befitting his high status. His hand gestures towards architectural plans, symbolizing his role in shaping the Academy and, by extension, Russian art itself. The Academy was not just a school, but a powerful institution that shaped artistic taste and promoted a distinctly Russian aesthetic, often in dialogue with European trends. This portrait thus encapsulates the Academy's mission to cultivate a national art. To understand this image more fully, art historians might delve into archival records, exploring the Academy's curriculum, its relationship to the Tsarist court, and the social backgrounds of its students. Only through such investigations can we truly appreciate the power dynamics at play and the complex interplay between art, culture, and politics in 18th-century Russia.