Lot 8: Jean-Louis Voille (1744-1806)

Jean-Louis Voille (1744-1806)
Portrait of Brigadier Valerian Aleksandrovich Zubov (1771-1804), half-length, wearing the Order of Saint George, Fourth Class
oil on canvas
32½ x 26 in. (82.9 x 66 cm.)

Property from the Collection of the late John Appleby
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 17.5% on the buyer's premium.
The son of Aleksandr Zubov, Count Valerian Zubov was the youngest and most talented brother of Platon Zubov, one of Catherine the Great's favourites. He began his service in the Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment and was later transferred to the cavalry where he was made a cornet at the age of 17. Even more attractive than his brother, he caught the Empress's attention: 'The younger brother, a mere child, is a boy of exceptional beauty'. P. Zubov, driven by fear of rivalry, did all he could to send his brother to join Grigory Potemkin's army. Sent there as a courier to bring 'good news' about the seizure of Bendery, V. Zubov soon became a colonel (1789) and aide-de-camp. For purposes of comparison, Alexander Suvorov, the fourth and last generalissimo of the Russian Empire and one of the few great generals in history who never lost a battle, only became a colonel at the age of 32, after ten years of service and extensive battle experience. After re-joining the army V. Zubov displayed unprecedented courage during the battle of Izmail (11 December 1790), for which he received the Order of Saint George, Fourth Class. Potemkin informed the Empress: 'Valerian Aleksandrovich has proved himself worthy of your favour. He shows great promise'. In 1792 he was promoted to the rank of major-general. A year later, together with his family, V. Zubov was granted the title of Count. In 1794, he participated in the war with Poland where, according to one contemporary, '[Zubov] left many traces of his recklessness and cruelty'.
During the Polish campaign, he lost his leg to a cannonball. For his service he received the Order of Saint George, Third Class, the title of Lieutenant-General and the supreme Russian award - the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle. In 1796 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army sent to fight Persia. Under P. Zubov's command, Russia hoped to conquer all of Western Asia, including India. However, with the exception of the seizure of Derbent and Baku, this military campaign failed. Even so, 25-year old V. Zubov was awarded the Order of Saint George, Second Class and promoted to the rank of General-in-Chief. After the accession of Paul I, V. Zubov was forced to retire to the estate in Curland granted to him by the Empress. Later forgiven by the Emperor, the Zubov brothers took a very active part in the plot against Paul and his eventual murder. Under Emperor Alexander I, V. Zubov was appointed director of the military school in St Petersburg and became a member of the State Council.
V. Zubov married Maria Fedorovna Pototskaya, née Princess Lubomirskaya. The couple, however, did not have any children. V. Zubov died at the age of 33 and was buried in Sergiev cemetery near St Petersburg in the crypt of a church built by his brothers.
Contemporaries argue about V. Zubov's personality. Some thought his character mismatched his handsome looks. Count Zubov was famous for levity and wastefulness; equally, he was vindictive and even cruel. In contrast, the writer Gavriil Derzhavin highly praised his bravery, nobility and honesty.
The present portrait by the French artist Jean-Louis Voille (1744-1806) is a rare version held in private hands; another version is held in the collection of the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg. In this portrait V. Zubov is represented in the uniform of an infantry officer, with the Order of Saint George, Fourth Class. Across his chest he wears a sash with the gilded monogram of Catherine the Great. Considering Zubov's age and the absence of the Order of Alexander Nevsky (1793), we would date this painting to the beginning of 1791 - the early period of Voille's work in Russia. In this ceremonial portrait we see a young and brave officer who excelled in the battle of Izmail against the Turks in 1791.

We are grateful to Dr Ludmila Markina, Director of the 18th and 19th century paintings department at the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, for her assistance in cataloguing this work and providing this note.