Portrait of Princess Olga Orlova

Portrait of Princess Olga Orlova (c. 1888), in oil on canvas, is one of Serov's portraits of the Russian aristocracy — the princely Orlov family being one of the most illustrious dynasties in Russian history. Princess Orlova would later be depicted in Serov's famous 1911 full-length portrait (now at the Russian Museum) that became one of the defining works of his late career and one of the most psychologically penetrating images of Russian aristocratic society before the revolution. This earlier, likely more informal portrait from c. 1888 precedes the monumental 1911 work by more than two decades and shows Serov in his early mature period. If this is indeed a different work from the 1911 portrait, it offers evidence of Serov's long relationship with the Orlov family and the evolution of his portraiture over twenty-three years. The relatively early date situates this work in the period of Serov's first maturity — after his training under Repin and during the years of Girl with Peaches and Girl in the Sunlight — when he was establishing himself as the leading portraitist of his generation.

Oil on canvas with the warm, Impressionist-influenced naturalism of Serov's late 1880s style. The handling of an aristocratic female sitter at this date shows the balance between social propriety (the portrait must function as a record of status) and psychological engagement (Serov's persistent ambition to capture personality). The palette and finish are consistent with his other female portraits of the period.