Conferință științifică internațională, Chișinău, 22-23 septembrie 2020, ediția a II-a
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A white marble sculpture was considered to be the best decoration of such interior, effectively
prominent on the backdrop of the exotic plants’ greenery. Combination of sculptures and plants
takes its roots in Antique Art. Among many wonderful sculptures of this winter garden the bust
of the Vorontsov’s family feature prominently. The bust of Count Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov,
father of the Palace’s owner, who many years was Russian ambassador in London, the busts of
Count Mikhail Semyonovitch and Elisabeth Ksaverievna herself (fig. 3).They were all created by
the French sculptor Denis Foyatier (1793–1863) (fig. 2) in 1821 and were exhibited in Paris Salon
in 1821–1822. Galina Filatova wrote: “In Paris the married couple posed to the sculptor Denis
Foyatier…”
5
. Working in the funds of Alupka Palace-museum (in 1994) the author of this article
found out that the Elisabeth Vorontsova’s sculpture was kept in Odessa Vorontsov’s Palace while
the latter was alive. The proof may be found in the grisaille which depicts interior of M. S. Vo-
rontsov’s study in Odessa Palace. Even here one can clearly see that Elisabeth Ksaverievna’sbust
rests on a support-in the form of a truncated column by a pilaster confining the semi-circle of the
study’s space. On Boffo’s sketch (plan) of the 2
nd
floor of Vorontsov’s Palace in Odessa, light lines
depict furniture disposition in the Count’s study. And judging by the previous by described inte-
rior, the idea was strictly put into life, which testifies to the ave consideration the architects paid it
in the 19
th
century. And the place for the sculpture was defined. The portrait of M. S. Vorontsov by
Karl von Hampeln(1794–1880) is an interesting piece among these documented testimonies. The
Count is portrait sitting in an armchair almost full profile in the study (of his Odessa Palace (?)),
and behind him the marble image of his beloved spouse by Denis Foyatier. Comparing the photo
of the sculptured portrait of Elisabeth Ksaverievna, accomplished by Denis Foyatier in Paris in
1821, with “portrait of a Lady” (fig. 1)by Anselm Francois Lagrenee from the collection of the
Armouryin the Moscow Kremlin we take it for granted, that they both depict one and the same
face. Moreover, it could be stated with great certainty that the model for the miniature artist was
not the Countess herself, but her image in sculpture. Only thus we can explain the fact that Ms.
L. M. Frolova in her work states that Lagrenee has wonderfully portrayed “the
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