ALEXANDRE DELATOUR | Portrait of Countess Elisaveta Vorontsova, née Branicka (1792-1880)

Sale, London, Sotheby's, 4 July 1983, lot 40

Fillet loss to ivory at 3 o'clock located at the extreme right edge of the ivory. Pentimenti by the artist around the sitter's jaw and neck are perhaps more evident now than at the time.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The sitter was born into one of the oldest Polish families and was the great-niece of Potemkin. In 1819, the year in which this miniature was painted, she was living in Paris and there she married Prince Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov (1782-1856). In 1823 her husband was appointed Governor-General of Caucasus and the couple moved to Odessa. While there she had a liaison with Alexander Pushkin, who was inspired to write celebrated love poems which he dedicated to her. A contemporary, Count Sollogub, wrote that the sitter was ‘short, podgy, with slightly heavy and irregular features, Princess Vorontsova was nevertheless one of the most captivating women of her time. Her whole personality was full of such a sweet and ravishing grave, such a charisma, of a nature elegance, that it is easy to see how men like Pushkin, Raevsky and many, many others fell head over heels in love with her.’