This fine portrait of a noble child with her family estate on the background was executed c. 1820s by famous Baltic German history painter and portraitist Johann Leberecht ( in Russian: Ivan Egorovich) Eggink ( born 1784 in Russian province Courland (now Lithuania) , died 1867 in Mitau (now Jelgava, Latvia).

Eggink was the illegitimate son of the landlord Friedrich Diedrich Freiherr Knigge (1748 – 1803) and his estate stewardess Lowisa Brihwin.He used his father´s backward-looking name as a cover name. Eggink learned painting in 1811 – 1812 in Dorpat, 1813 – 1814 studied at the Russian Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg. At the time, he became a member of a Masonic lodge. In 1816, Eggink together with the painter Gustav Adolf Gippius undertook a walking tour of Europe, visited Dresden, Berlin, Bonn, Munich and Italy, where he mainly dealt with historical painting.In 1822 he was introduced in Verona to the Emperor Alexander I, who participated in the Congress there, and introduced him to some of his works, such as "Grand Duke Vladimir chooses religion," as well as copies of paintings by Italian painters, such as Raphael and Titian. The emperor has acquired these paintings and the young painter has received a scholarship for a six-year stay in Rome. In 1828 he became a correspondent member for the Roman St. Luke Academy.After returning home in 1829, Eggink was made a classless artist in 1833 and a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg in 1834 for the portrait of the mythical poet Ivan Andreyevich Krylov. He settled in Mitau and taught drawing at the local high school in 1837 – 1858.

Works by Eggink:

Of his original works, except for the aforementioned "Grand Duke Vladimir elects religion," are known: "The death of the Marquis poses", "Ulysses and Navsikaya" (in the Courland Museum, in Mitava), "The landing of Julius Caesar in Britain" (bought by a Scottish nobleman), "the Girl From Albano "," Rimlyanka "and some very good portraits.

Literature: Russian Artist lexicons by Solovjev and Konakov; in French: E. Benezit " Dictionary of painters, sculptors, decorators and etchers"(in French), Paris, 1999; in German: Thieme/Becker, Leipzig,1999, in on-lne: Russian, German and English Wikipedia.

Inscription: signed lower left: Eggink fecit (painted by Eggink).

Technique: watercolour on paper. Matted and in the original period fire-gilded bronze frame.

Measurements: image w 5 3/8" x h 7 1/8" (13,5 x 18 cm), matted and fr amed w 11" x 12 1/3" (28 x 31,5 cm).

Condition: in very good condition.