Ivan #Kramskoi (1837-87)
Portrait of #DagmarofDenmark (1847-1928), Empress of Russia as #MariaFeodorovna, who was #BornOnThisDay
1881
Hermitage
#Glücksburg #Romanov

A woman is dressed in a black fur and velvet coat, fur hat, with leather gloves. The woman is seated on an open carriage at the Anichkov Bridge in Saint Petersburg. Her identity has not been established by art historians. Kramskoi titled the painting Неизвестная (Unknown) and did not mention her in any of his letters or diaries, leading to much speculation and contributing to the painting's highly enigmatic reputation. Portrait of an Unknown Woman caused a sensation when first exhibited, more as a result of the subject matter than the aesthetics of the work. A number of critics presumed that the woman was a prostitute. One critic described the painting as a portrayal of "a coquette in a carriage", while another wrote of "a provocatively beautiful woman, all in velvet and fur, throwing you a sneeringly sensuous glance from a luxurious carriage – is this not one of the effluvia of big cities that allow contemptible women dressed in outfits purchased for the price of their female chastity onto the streets". Kramskoi remarked, "Some people have said it is not known who this woman is. Is she decent, or does she sell herself? But within her is an entire epoch." However, the painting's popularity quickly grew, in part as the beauty of sin became a popular theme with the following generation of Russian artists. It has been described as "unusually bright, densely painted, and relaxed. Kramskoi clearly tried to shine with his outstanding painterly mastery."

Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Ivan Kramskoi (Russian) - Oil on canvas / 1883 - Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow, Russia) #womeninart #painting #artwork #fineart #womensart #museumart #russianart #Неизвестная #art #kramskoi #portraitofawoman #ivankramskoi #TretyakovGallery #russianartist #artoftheday