Working on an official portrait, Serov often prefers not to analyse his model’s inner world. Instead, he focuses on the expressiveness of the artistic form. In the portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich (1860–1918), brother of Emperor Alexander III, the artist effectively combines the old tradition of a ceremonial portrait and impressionistic painting style. The composition is based on the contrast of the horse’s dark silhouette and the Duke’s figure in a magnificent silver-and-gold general’s uniform of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment. The golden cuirass and helmet, which reflect the surrounding buildings, are painted with special mastery. The contrast of the model’s mask-like face, turned almost into a plaster cast, and the highbred stallion’s expressive muzzle attract attention. For this portrait, in 1900, Serov received the Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow