Equestrian portrait of Alexander I 1820

Orest Kiprensky painted this image of Alexander the first in the style of a grand equestrian portrait popular amongst European royalty. Equestrian portraits represent the ruler as a military leader. The image shows Alexander on horseback in a landscape, accompanied by members of his retinue. Painted during a time of great social change in Russia, Kiprensky's portrait of Alexander I reflected the complex political and social dynamics of the era. As you can see, the portrait follows a well-worn formula. Alexander is depicted as a strong and decisive leader, but the artist avoids any strong sense of individual likeness. In this way, the image functions as a symbol of power rather than a psychological portrait. Art historical study of this image would require archival research into the visual culture of early 19th-century Russia and analysis of how this portrait relates to earlier examples of the genre. In understanding the social and institutional context for works like this, we can better understand the meaning of art.