Description of the picture:
Portrait of A.F. Kokorinov – Dmitry Grigoryevich Levitsky. 1769. Oil on canvas. 134×102
An outstanding portrait painter of the 18th century, Levitsky served as an artist at the court of Catherine II. In the era characteristic of the parade portrait tradition, the painter captured a circle of privileged aristocracy.
The composition of the portrait of the architect Alexander Filippovich Kokorinov is full of allegorical details, so beloved in the aforementioned century, full of conventions and manners of high-society etiquette. There are no random objects, everything is designed to emphasize the character and dignity of the personality of the hero. Kokorinov points to the plan of the building of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg that he built at the behest of Catherine the Great. Later, he will become the rector of this first and for a long time the only institution in Russia that gave art education.
The architect is represented by Levitsky in all his splendor. A masterly mastery of pictorial technique makes the objects in his works surprisingly material and tactile – as if real folds of silk, overflows of a camisole satin and elegant shining fur coat are visible.
For this portrait Levitsky was awarded the title of academician of painting – the highest award for the artist."
