Serov's Portrit of the Emperor at Alex. Palace

[strom]

Does anyone know where Serov's dress portrit of the Emperor was displayed.  He is seen wearing a red dress uniform and holding a bear-skin hat in his hands.  I believe it was almost full-length, in the typical high Serov manner.  I heard that it was destroyed in the Revolution!  What an irrecoverable loss!  

[dp5486]

I seem to recall reading in Prince Yussupov's memoirs that he came to own several of the remains of this portrait and he took excellent care of them.

This originally confused me because I had always seen the small portrait of Nicholas by Serov with the little sketch of Alexei on the bottom. I too read that a Serov portrait of Nicholas was destroyed and I thought it was the smaller one. This confused me because the small one can clearly be seen in photographs of the Imperial Family's rooms in Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg.

[BobAtchison]

There were two copies of Serov's famous portrait of Nicholas II.  The one that was destroyed was in the Winter Palace.  Serov had a personal copy he kept - it turned up a few years ago I think.  Alexandra didn't like this painting very much and left it at the Winter Palace.

[strom]

Well, friends, here is news.  I recently purchased a catalogue of a show on N & A put up in Edinburgh where the 'red' portrait of the Emperor painted by Serov was shown.  It is a copy of the famous portrait originally displayed in the AP and destroyed in the Revolution.  The Emperor had Serov paint an exact copy for the Horse Guards of which He was an honorary member.  (The surviving uniform jacket and hat of this regiment, as given to the Emperor by Queen Victoria at Balmoral in 1895, is at the AP.)  Photos taken at Balmoral on the day that the Queen presented the Emperor with his new uniform and post were also displayed at this show.  It is clear that Serov based his study on these photos --perhaps actually painting from the uniform itself. The painting is perhaps not the flattering character study of the more famous Serov bust-portrait originally in the Kremlin palace which had a duplicate copy in the Winter Palace --this last was also destroyed in the Revolution.  The painting in England looks to be in good shape and is probably kept in London.  Best wishes to all at this marvelous Alexander Palace.  God Bless Russia!