Along with Olenins, the portrait of the Naryshkins deserves special attention. Different in terms of composition and color scheme, they are similar in the generality of tasks that Brullov set for himself. For the portrayal of Naryshkin’s travelers, Bryullov used the difficult form of a horse portrait, showing in it his gift of an animal painter.
Rhythmic and precise are the outlines of horses, as always with Bryullov, a noble breed. Their dark silhouettes stand out against the background of a high clear sky. Avoiding intrusive repetitions, highlighting Naryshkin and thus pushing the figure of her husband, Briullov introduced various emotional shades into their images. He calmly and restrainedly sits on his horse, holding the reins in his hand, Naryshkin, contemplating the somewhat harsh nature of the environs of Rome. Naryshkin is another.
In the animatedness of his face, in the affectation of the figure slightly raised in the stirrups and in the welcoming gesture of the hand with the hat, the features of a man combining, according to the characterization of VA Sollogub, the mind and wit of an enlightened person with the quirks and expansiveness of the capricious grandee are guessed.
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