Portrait of Ulyana Smirnova, née Spiridonova

This Portrait of Ulyana Smirnova, née Spiridonova, in the Russian Museum is one of several Bryullov portraits whose nominal date of '1800' likely reflects a cataloguing error rather than the actual execution date, as Bryullov was born in 1799 and would have been an infant in 1800. The work was almost certainly painted in the 1830s or early 1840s, during his active portraiture period in Italy and St. Petersburg. The sitter's identity as a member of the Russian merchant or minor noble class places her among the broader clientele Bryullov served beyond the imperial aristocracy. His reputation drew commissions from Russian families of varying social levels, all seeking the social validation of a portrait by the country's premier painter. The Russian Museum holds the work as part of its comprehensive collection of Bryullov's output, which spans the full range of his portraiture from intimate personal works to grand ceremonial images.

Bryullov's portrait technique is evident in the careful attention to the face, with smooth tonal transitions achieved through layered glazes. The background remains neutral and unelaborated. Costume details are rendered with practiced accuracy, the lace and fabric edges particularly precisely described.