Anastasia Nikolaevna 1917. The Swan

Here is my video about Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova and my painting of her from a photograph taken in the park of Alexander Palace during the summer of 1917. This is a fascinating photo. Somehow this young woman best known for being an impish child , makes a golf hat a crown and a tree stump into a throne... Usually the family’s royal heritage doesn’t impress me much, but Anastasia shows me what it’s all about here. Whether by breeding or training or both , she has an innate dignity that has been brought sharply into focus by her circumstances. The world has turned upside down seemingly over night. She , her family and Russia face an uncertain future. But she’s facing it with remarkable self possession for one so young. She has just turned 16. Yet there is fear in her expression as well, at least in the photo. The name of my painting is “the Swan“ and the thought behind it is: Anastasia reached at least the beginning of her physical maturity before she and her family were murdered a year later in the summer of 1918. She was no longer a child, yet that is how history sees her. I aimed to change that a bit. I see a remarkable young woman here: on the threshold and full of adult potential. One is keenly aware of what was lost when she, and we ,were robbed of her life But I did want to say that over the course of the painting I gained a keen sense of Anastasia’s shyness. Yes, Anastasia Nikolaevna, shy. At least as she emerges from childhood to being a young woman. Shyness can be also hidden in outlandish pranks , roughhousing and cutting mimicry. Anastasia Nikolaevna had many nicknames, “The Imp“ , being the most famous. I would add another: “Quicksilver“ . She was constantly on the move, darting about . In many family photos, someone is holding on to The Imp to keep her put. But in this photo the young woman has composed herself. It was most likely Anastasia’s sister, Marie, who took this photograph. When the photo is enlarged, Anastasia’s expression has a good deal of apprehension in it. I wonder if she was quite ready for her close up or Marie was taking a long time snap the camera ! I have certainly had such facial expressions when that happens ! But Anastasia ’s expression seems almost between set ones, a the moment caught by the camera. It’s an expression well suited to her situation. I never forgot this is a portait of a young woman in captivity. The painting took 8 1/2 months. Far from being bored, I constantly discovered new things in the photo though out that time. I could start it over tomorrow and still find it fascinating. Because a Romanov photo is never alone. All the thousands of other ones is in one’s mind as well ...plus my 45-50 years of looking at them comes into play to guide me. However I salute and thank those who kept asking after it all that time! One never knows how long a painting will take., each has its own requirements While thankfully her face came though steadily, the skirt was a real challenge of months duration. The hat was no walk in the park either . I show the process, so others can see it can start pretty bad, but it gets to a good painting eventually. That’s the important point: just keep painting! But I also take photos of the process to try and understand how I’m able to paint the family as I do... Well one can take dozens more photos, but it’s still unexplainable to me, besides “something“ happenings in the studio as brush meets canvas. It’s difficult to state the blessing I feel, as a Romanov enthusiast, to be able to somehow express my emotions in the creation of paintings of this only other Romanov fans can understand. It’s a dream come true I wish to thank my friend, Helen A. for her help with the tittles. It adds so much! And all the Imp fans who have been patiently waiting ! The music is from two flim scores by the wonderful composer, Rachel Portman : “ Lake House“ and “ One Day “