Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna
Artist: Vladimir Makovsky (Russian, 1846-1920)
Date: 1912
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: The State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Description
Maria Feodorovna (1846 - 1928), was the daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse, sister of Queen Alexandra of England; Russian Empress, wife of Emperor Alexander III, and mother of Emperor Nicholas II.
Her marriage to Alexander was a happy one: having lived together for 28 years, they maintained love and respect for each other. She was involved in charity work: she patronized the Russian Red Cross Society, the Department of Institutions of Empress Maria, the Foundling Home, the Alexander Lyceum, and other institutions (more than 120). In 1878, she was awarded the Red Cross Badge of Distinction, First Class, for her care of the wounded and sick during the Russo-Turkish War. In 1882, on her initiative, the Mariinsky Women's Schools for disadvantaged young women from the city were established.
She was an honorary member of Kazan University, a trustee of the Women's Patriotic Society, the Water Rescue Society, and the Society for the Protection of Animals. She was also the commander of several army regiments, including the Cavalry and Cuirassier Regiments. After the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II, she was evacuated to England on a British ship in 1919, then moved to Denmark.
