Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin
Anthropology
Bulletin
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Mokhovaya st., 11, Moscow, 125009, Russia
Perevozchikov Ilya V., e-mail: perevozchikovev@mail.ru; Lock K.E., e-mail: lokkkris@rambler.ru; Sukhova Alla V., Ph.D., ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8809-3592, e-mail: alla-sukhova@bk.ru; Tikhomirov M.N., e-mail: orienter@list.ru
Results of an investigation of portrait paintings as the source of anthropological information are discussed. Methodological problems are of a particular interest. Some questions connected with a personal attitude of a painter to make a portrait more beautiful are also considered. The authors conclude that portraits painted in a realistic manner may serve as a source of anthropological information for typological racial classification. Some data of descriptive characteristics for a sample of portraits of gentry and merchants of Russian Empire, 18th -beginning of the 19th century, are given. The authors believe that observed small differences between the social layers reflect real differences in gene pools. An interesting specificity of Russian gentry and merchants is that they had darker eye color if compared with the average data for the Russians (according to Russian Anthropological Expedition, 1956-59). However at present stage of the investigation this feature cannot be interpreted as the real one, because it may be due to the darkening of pigments in paintings, or not very good quality of the illustrations in the art books.
anthropology, gentry and merchants, portrait painting, composite portrait
Цит.: Perevozchikov I.V., Lock K.E., Sukhova A.V., Tikhomirov M.N. The results of anthropological investigation of portrait paintings. Russia, 18th–19th centuries // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2011; 1/2011; с. 25-36
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