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ANASTASIA SERGEYEVNA MORGENSTIERNA, NÉE SALTYKOVA, FROM THE MIDDLETON WATERCOLOR ALBUM

Creator(s): Unknown

Currently in storage


About this object

Anastasia Sergeyevna Morgenstierna, née Saltykova (1810-1853) was born into a noble family whose ancestor, Sergey Saltykov (1726-1765), was Catherine the Great’s first favorite. A renowned collector and bibliophile, Anastasia’s father, also named Sergey (1778-1846) and nicknamed “Le Glorieux” (The Glorious), was affiliated with the Russian aristocratic Beloselsky-Belozersky family. . His mother was a Beloselsky-Belozersky. Sergey and his wife Alexandra entertained members of high society at the family mansion on Malaya Morskaya Street in St. Petersburg. The local nobility mingled with foreign visitors during their famous “European Tuesdays.” The Russian poet Alexander Pushkin and his wife Natalia were among the regular guests. Anastasia had five siblings and was called “la baronne” (the baroness) by her father, who nicknamed all of his children. She married the Norwegian statesman and diplomat Christian Frederik Jacob von Munthe af Morgenstierne (1806-1886) in 1836.

The half-length portrait presents Anastasia Sergeyevna Morgenstierna facing partly left, eyes facing forward, against a neutral background. She casually leans against her right elbow and grasps a multicolored shawl in her right hand. Her dark hair is elaborately styled in an Apollo knot. She is dressed in an elegant red-brown dress decorated with a large white frilled collar and blue-violet ribbon at the neck. Her ears are adorned with blue drop earrings and she wears a gold ring on the pointer finger of her right hand.

Object name:
ANASTASIA SERGEYEVNA MORGENSTIERNA, NÉE SALTYKOVA, FROM THE MIDDLETON WATERCOLOR ALBUM
Made from:
Watercolor on paper
Made in:
Place made unknown
Date made:
1827-1835
Size:
H. 8 in., W. 6 1/2 in.

Detailed information for this item

Catalog number:
52.39.13
Signature marks:
Inscription Madame Morghenstierna née Soltikoff Bottom of page In cursive Watermark WHATMAN / 1827
Credit line:
Museum Purchase, 2004