Christina Robertson
1796–1854 · Scottish portrait painter, painter to the Russian court
Christina Robertson, née Saunders (Kinghorn, Fife, 1796 - St Petersburg, 1854), was a Scottish portrait painter best remembered for her portraits of the Russian imperial family. She was the first woman honorary member of the Royal Scottish Academy, in 1829, and later received a similar honour from the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg.
She was trained by her uncle George Saunders, a miniature painter, in London. She soon attracted Scottish clients commissioning miniatures, oils and watercolours. By about 1828 she had her own studio, and after marrying the artist James Robertson she exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy. During the 1830s she travelled across Europe and worked in Paris, where she met members of the Russian court.
Between 1839 and 1841 she was in St Petersburg, painting Empress Alexandra and her three daughters, Maria, Olga and Alexandra. She remained there as a court painter for several years and also painted Maria Alexandrovna and the Empress again in 1852. After the Crimean War she fell from imperial favour, died in the city and became fairly obscure, probably because relations between Britain and Russia had deteriorated. Her works record historic figures, which gives them lasting documentary value.