Portrait of Fedor Karlovich Korf

“Portrait of Fyodor Karlovich Korf” - a painting by George Dow and his workshop, from the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace.

George Dow and the workshop

Portrait of Fedor Karlovich Korf . 1820 year

Canvas, oil. 70 × 62.5 cm

State Hermitage Museum , St. Petersburg

( inv. GE-7868 )

The picture is a chest portrait of Lieutenant General Fyodor Karlovich Korf from the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace ^[1] .

By the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Major General and Adjutant General Baron Korf was the chief of the Pskov Dragoon Regiment and commanded the 2nd Reserve Cavalry Corps, led the rear guard of the 1st Western Army. He was in many battles to repulse the invasion of Napoleon, for the difference in the battle of Borodino received the rank of lieutenant general . During the overseas campaigns of 1813 and 1814, he was also in many important battles in Germany and France ^[2] .

Depicted in the adjutant-general uniform, introduced in 1815, on the epaulettes are the monogram of Emperor Alexander I. On the left on the chest is the Adjutant General; on the neck there is a cross of the Order of St. George of the 3rd class; on board the uniform of the Prussian Order of the Red Eagle , 2nd degree; a silver medal “In memory of the Patriotic War of 1812” on the St. Andrew’s ribbon , a bronze noble medal “In memory of the Patriotic War of 1812” on the Vladimir ribbon and stars of the orders of St. Alexander Nevsky and St. Vladimir 1st degree ^[3] on the right chest. Signature on the frame: Baron Ѳ. K. Corf, General Lieutenant . The Order of St. Vladimir of the 1st degree is mistakenly depicted, Korf did not have this order, and was awarded only the 2nd degree, respectively, together with the Vladimir star, the neck cross of this order that is missing in the portrait should be depicted.

Despite the fact that on August 7, 1820, the Committee of the General Staff for Attestation, Baron Korf, was included in the list of "generals whose service does not belong before the Committee considered", the actual decision to write his portrait took place earlier. Korf himself at this time still commanded the 2nd reserve cavalry corps and permanently resided in Orel . It is known that he came to St. Petersburg in early February 1820, after which he met with the artist. The Dow fee was paid on March 24 and June 30, 1820. The finished portrait arrived at the Hermitage on September 7, 1825 ^[4] .

Lithograph by an unknown artist, 1824, Hermitage

In 1824, in London, by Paul & Dominic Colnaghi & Co, an unknown artist made a lithograph with the date of May 1, 1824, commissioned by St. Petersburg bookseller S. Florent. A fingerprint of this lithograph is also available in the Hermitage collection (paper, lithograph, 61 × 50 cm, inventory no. ERG-408) ^[5] .

In the 1840s, in the workshop of I. P. Pesotsky , a lithograph was made from the portrait, published in the book “Emperor Alexander I and his Companions” and subsequently repeatedly reproduced ^[6] . As part of the print run, another lithograph from this portrait was printed, characterized by small details.