Portrait of A. G. and A. A. Lobanov Rostovsky 1814

Vladimir Borovikovsky painted this double portrait of A. G. and A. A. Lobanov Rostovsky in Russia sometime between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. We see a fashionable couple presented in a style that's both formal and intimate. The setting, with its classical column and idealized landscape, evokes the European aristocratic tradition of country estates and cultivated leisure. But there's also a new sensibility at play. The woman is shown with her art supplies, suggesting education and accomplishment. Her husband’s tender gesture of holding her hand speaks to a culture of sentimentality and romantic love. Even the inclusion of the dog might be read as an emblem of domesticity. What makes this painting especially interesting is how it reflects the changing roles of women within the Russian upper class. Looking at the fashion and domestic arrangements of the time can help us better understand this painting's significance. The historian's role is to reveal how artworks like this reflect social change.