Portrait of Martha Dunina

Martha Dunina was a figure within the circle of Russian society that Borovikovsky served as portraitist through the 1790s and early 1800s. The 1799 portrait, held in the Tretyakov Gallery, exemplifies his approach to non-imperial female subjects — the same outdoor Sentimentalist setting, the same soft, warm colouring, the same combination of personal warmth and social propriety. By the end of the eighteenth century Borovikovsky had developed a consistent formula for female portraiture that balanced the demands of likeness and flattery with the fashionable language of Sentimentalist sensibility. The Tretyakov holds the painting as an example of his prolific production of portraits for the upper middle ranks of Russian society.

The canvas shows confident, accomplished handling throughout, with the face receiving careful attention and the dress and setting rendered with decorative elegance. Borovikovsky's characteristic soft, warm light creates a pleasing complexion and harmonious tonal balance. The paint surface is smooth and controlled, consistent with his late eighteenth-century academic training.