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ELISABETH VASILEVNA MEYENDORF, NÉE D’HOGGUER, FROM THE MIDDLETON WATERCOLOR ALBUM

Creator(s): Unknown

Currently in storage


About this object

Elisabeth Vasilevna Meyendorf, née d’Hogguer (1802-1873) was one of two daughters of Baron Vasily Danilovich d’Hogguer (ca. 1731-1816), Governor of Courland. Her sister Alexandra is also portrayed in the Middleton Album (52.39.36). Both spent time with the Middleton daughters. Elisabeth married the Russian statesman Alexander Casimirovich Meyendorf (1798-1865), later a member of the Board of the Ministry of Finance and a great traveler, in 1825. The couple was highly fashionable in St. Petersburg and was mentioned as part of Alexander Pushkin’s circle. Elisabeth was known for her beauty and had an excellent sense of fashion, as demonstrated by her portrait. She was an amateur painter as well.

The half-length portrait depicts Elisabeth Vasilevna Meyendorf facing partly left, with eyes looking left, against a light grey-brown background. She wears a sumptuous red dress with “leg of mutton” sleeves. Her dark brown ringlets peek out from beneath a large red hat adorned with gold ribbons. She wears a pair of gold pendant earrings and a long beaded gold necklace.

Object name:
ELISABETH VASILEVNA MEYENDORF, NÉE D’HOGGUER, FROM THE MIDDLETON WATERCOLOR ALBUM
Made from:
Watercolor on paper
Made in:
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Date made:
1825-1835
Size:
H. 8 1/8 in., W. 6 1/4 in.

Detailed information for this item

Catalog number:
52.39.16
Signature marks:
Inscription La Baronne de Meyendorf née d'Hogguer Bottom of page In cursive
Credit line:
Museum Purchase, 2004