This pastell on pergament, created ca. 1800-1802 and due to the personality of the sitter , style , technique and time of creation attributed to the hand of renown german portrait painter Johann Heinrich Schroeder (1757-1812). With the large probability it is author`s version of the famous pastel portrait by J.H.Schroeder , depicting Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna also, which was situated in the City Castle Potsdam and since end of WWI is valid as missing.(illustrated in the monography "Preussische Porträts"; for comparison with our painting see additional image of this portrait).The sitter of our  portrait - Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia (Russian: Великая Княжна Елена Павловна; 24 December 1784 – 24 September 1803) was a daughter of Grand Duke, later Tsar Paul I of Russia and his second wife Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg (later Tsarin Maria Feodorvna). After marrying the son and heir of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin she became spouse to the heir and thus dropped her Russian title.Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna was born in Saint Petersburg, capital city of the Russian Empire. The arrival of a second daughter was happy news to her father, Tsarevich Paul Petrovich, who had lost his first wife Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt in childbirth, eight years before. She was also said to be very beautiful so her grandmother, the Empress Catherine, named her after Helen of Troy.Elena was a sister of: futured tsar Alexander I , Grand duke Constantin, Grand Duchesses Alexandra and Catharine. Full bography see under follower link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchess_Elena_Pavlovna_of_Russia

The author of the painting , famous German portrait artist Johann Heinrich Schröder was born 28 August 1757 in Meiningen;, died on 29 January 1812 ebenda . Johann Heinrich Schröder studied at the academy of arts in Kassel( „the Académie at that time de Peinture “). Like his teacher Johann Heinrich Tischbein sen. , he provided mainly small portraits n Pastell technique. Schröder was for different prince houses actively, among other s since 1785 as court painter at the court of Braunschweig and later at the ourt of Baden. In Berlin he can be proven in the years 1790 and around 1800. On study trips, which led him 1793 to England and the Netherlands, he trained himself further and took up the won influences to his painting. Johann Heinrich Schröder is considered to late 18 as one the best Pastell painters. of the end of 18th century.

Literature: Thieme/Becker Vo11, 1915; Vo5, 1961. Jansa, 1912; Boetticher I.1, 1891

Inscription: unsigned

Technique: pastel on stretched parchment, luxuriousy original period gold-plated frame.

Measurements: unframed 12 " x 14 3/4 " (30,5 x 37,5 cm ), framed w 18 1/4 " x h 21 1/4" (46,5 x 54 cm)

Condition: in very good condition.