Princess
Demidoff
(Helene Petrovna
Demidova, Princess
of San Danto -- 1853-1917)
John
Singer Sargent
-- American painter
1895-1896
Toledo
Museum of Art, Ohio
Oil on
canvas
66 x
38 in.
Jpg: Alexandre
G. Tissot Demidoff
(Click on
image to Step
Closer)
Principality
of San Donato was located in what is now greater Florence.
Unfortunately,
it no longer exists and the Chateau / Villa di San Donato (thumbnail
right)
was destroyed during World War II.
Princess Helene
(the subject of Sargent's
painting) was the second wife of Prince Paul. After the death of his
first
wife and after having remarried, Princess Helene encouraged her new
husband
to leave the Villa di San Donato in 1885 to live in the Villa Pratolino
by taking the paggeria
(since the original Villa had been lost) remodeling it and renaming it
the Villa Demidoff.
This is where they were living at the time Sargent painted her --
though
it's unclear, to me, if the painting was done at
the Villa Demidoff (part of the Villa Pratolino),
or in Sargent's studio in London. Both Alexandre Tissot and I are
leaning
towards Sargent painting it in Italy.[1]
The Villa
Pratolino was originally a Medici Palatial Estate, though the
original
villa had been lost, what was left of the estate and grounds were
preserved
today thanks to Prince Paul and Princess
Helene.
It is located just north of Florence and it is very probable
that
Sargent visited there and stayed with them on more than one occasion.
Other Demidoff
Princesses painted
by Sargent during his stay must have included Princess Helen's eldest
daughter,
Auore Pavlona, Princess of San Donato (1873-1904).
Princess
Aurore Pavlona Demidoff (1873-1904)
(daughter
to Princess Helene and Prince Paul)
The Demidoffs are
remembered in Florence
to this day and the presence of the monument by Lorenzo Bartolini to Count
Nicholas Demidoff in Piazza Demidoff on the banks of the Arno River
is a daily reminder of the family's close connection to Florence.
Notes:
Special thanks to
Alexandre Tissot
Demidoff, and the Demidoff family for sharing with me these
images
and information -- many of which have never been published. Alexandre
has
been wonderful friend
of the JSS Gallery.
- For
Information
regarding the Demidoff
family, you can contact:
Alexandre Tissot
Demidoff
6 Mathews Chase
Binfield Bracknell
Berkshire RG42 4UR
UK
<Alex
tissot@aol.com>
From : Alexandre
Tissot Demidoff
The painting
[above] left the acclaimed
Collection of San Donato in 1925 when, according to the archival
records,
it was ‘reluctantly' sold at Spinks & Sons in London by Elim P.
Demidoff,
3rd Prince of San Donato. Prince Elim, who, at the time of the sale,
was
living in Greece, was the son of Prince
Paul P. Demidoff, 2nd Prince of San Donato, and his first wife,
Prince
Maria Metscherskii.
Footnote 1
The information I
have doesn't show
John traveling to Italy in 1896. In '95 he traveled to Spain and North
Africa (that I know of). I don't know why the painting is dated
1895-1896.
In '97, without a doubt, he was back in Italy. If the dating is correct
and my information is complete it would probably mean the painting was
done in London.
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