Portrait of Empress Maria Alexandrovna
1857
Oil on canvas, 120 x 95 cm
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Winterhalter, Franz Xaver (1805 - 1873)
German painter, the most successful court portraitist of his period.
He was based in Paris for most of his career, but he painted most of Europe's royalty and was a particular favourite of Queen Victoria, who called him 'excellent, delightful Winterhalter'.
