Christina Robertson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christina Robertson
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Self-portrait
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| Born | 17 December 1796 |
| Died | 30 April 1854 Saint Petersburg, Russia
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| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Christina Saunders |
| Known for | Painter at the Russian court |
| Spouse(s) | James Robertson |
| Relatives | George Sanders (uncle) |
Christina Robertson (born 17 December 1796 – died 30 April 1854) was a talented Scottish artist. She became a special painter for the Russian royal family. She was also the first woman to be an honorary member of the Royal Scottish Academy, a famous art group in Scotland.
Contents
Life Story of Christina Robertson
Early Life and Art Training
Christina Saunders was born in December 1796 in a town called Kinghorn in Fife, Scotland. Her parents wanted her to get a good education. She learned how to paint from her uncle, George Sanders. He was an artist who specialized in painting tiny, detailed pictures called miniatures. Christina started her art career from her uncle's home in London.
Becoming a Successful Portrait Painter
Christina quickly became a very successful portrait painter. People from Scotland first asked her to paint miniatures. Later, they wanted larger paintings using oil and watercolor. She earned more money than her uncle, who had taught her!
By 1823, Christina married an artist named James Robertson. But her art became more famous than his. She showed her paintings at the Royal Academy of Arts, a very important art exhibition in London. By 1828, she had her own art studio. She might have been one of the first women artists to do this. The next year, she made history again. She became the first woman to be an honorary member of the Royal Scottish Academy.
Working for the Russian Royal Family
In the 1830s, Christina Robertson traveled a lot for her work. She had eight children, but only four lived past infancy. Around the mid-1830s, she worked in Paris, France. There, she met people from the Russian royal family. They might have already seen her art in magazines. This led her to move to Saint Petersburg, Russia.
There was a big need for new paintings in Russia. A fire had destroyed the Winter Palace in 1837, and many artworks were lost. Christina was in Saint Petersburg from 1839 to 1841. During this time, she painted full-length portraits of important people. These included Tsar Nicholas I and Empress Alexandra. She also painted their three daughters: Maria, Olga, and Alexandra.
In 1841, Christina became the first, and only, woman to be an honorary member of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Russia. She stayed in Russia for ten years, working as a royal artist. Even though some portraits of the imperial daughters-in-law were not accepted in 1849, her work continued. One of the princesses, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, later asked Christina to paint her and her children. In 1852, the Empress chose Christina to paint a new portrait of herself.
Published Works and Legacy
Some of Christina Robertson's portraits were made into engravings by 1833. These were included in a book called The portrait gallery of distinguished females. This book featured famous women, including beauties from the courts of King George IV and King William IV. It also had stories about their lives, written by John Burke.
Christina Robertson died in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1854. She is buried in the Volkovo Cemetery.
What Christina Robertson Left Behind
Christina Robertson created many paintings. These artworks are important because they show us what historical figures looked like. Sadly, many of her paintings were thought to be destroyed by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution. Christina might not be as well-known today because of past problems between the British and Russian empires.
Images for kids
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Self-portrait by Christina Robertson
See also
In Spanish: Christina Robertson para niños
