The Swedish artist Carl Peter Mazér attended the Stockholm Academy of Fine Arts. He worked for several years in the workshop of the French painter Antoine Gros. In 1838, he relocated to the Russian Empire, where he lived for 15 years. Mazér specialized in portraiture and created images of numerous influential figures of his time. Carl Peter Mazér was not just an artist, but also a photographer.
Fyodor Ilyich Tyumenev, who is depicted in the painting, was born in Rybinsk in 1777 into a family of a third-guild merchant. He became a first-guild Rybinsk merchant and engaged in wholesale of bread and grains, supplying them to St. Petersburg. He is remembered for his talent as an administrator. Tyumenev served as the head of the local government in the following periods: 1821–1823, 1827–1829, 1833–1835, and 1836–1838.
The main focus of his activities was the development of Rybinsk and provision of urban amenities. During his tenure, the town was granted the right to be exempt from providing quarters to troops. Based on the designs made by the architect Abraham Ivanovich Melnikov, the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Transfiguration Cathedral were constructed in Rybinsk and the embankment along the Volga River was decorated with wrought iron railings.
Rybinsk’s merchants, actively involved in Volga trade, also played a significant role in the town’s political life, contributing to its growth and prosperity.
In the portrait by Mazér, Tyumenev is depicted seated at a table. He is wearing a navy blue double-breasted caftan. His numerous state awards are attached to ribbons tied around his neck. Specifically, these include four gold medals “For Diligence” on the ribbons of St. Anna, St. Alexander, St. Vladimir, and St. Alexander. On the left, on his chest, there is a bronze medal “In Memory of the Eastern War 1853–1856” and the insignia of the Order of St. Anna 3rd Class (which were painted after the portrait’s completion). In his left hand, Tyumenev holds a saber with a silver hilt, another telling accessory that reflects his social status. Representatives of the merchant class in the 19th century were permitted to carry edged weapons. Initially, this right was reserved for mayors and members of city councils. Later, during the second half of the 19th century, this privilege was extended to all first-guild merchants.
