Portrait of the Princess Olga Ivanovna Orlova-Davydova with her daughter Natalya Vladimirovna

Painted in 1834, this double portrait of Princess Olga Orlova-Davydova with her daughter Natalya was executed during the period when Bryullov was completing The Last Day of Pompeii and beginning to plan his return to Russia. Despite the enormous demands of the Pompeii canvas, Bryullov continued to accept portrait commissions from Russian aristocrats resident in Italy or traveling on the Grand Tour. The Orlov-Davydov family was one of the wealthiest in the Russian Empire, and a commission from them carried significant social prestige. Bryullov's ability to infuse such portraits with genuine warmth — particularly in the depiction of maternal bonds — distinguished him from more formal contemporaries. The Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow holds the work alongside other key portraits from his mature period. The painting exemplifies the Romantic celebration of private sentiment within public display, combining official dynastic purpose with intimate emotional truth.

The composition places mother and daughter in a close physical arrangement that reads as naturally affectionate rather than formally arranged. Bryullov uses a warm background tone to unify the two figures and contrasts rich dress fabrics with the softer flesh tones. The finish is high and smooth in the faces, somewhat more rapid in the drapery.