Mikhail Tikhanov in Sitka
the Russo-Tlingit war through three portraits
Some of the most historically interesting portraits Mikhail Tikhanov produced are the twin paintings of Alexandr Baranov, head of the Russian North American Company, and Chief Katlain, his greatest rival. Both men fought an extended and bloody war against each other, and had even engaged in hand-to-hand melee during a Russian assault on Sitka Sound led personally by Baranov. The campaign had ended a stalemate, with neither side being able to gain significant ground and the Russians taking heavy casualties.
The portrait Alexandr Andreyevich Baranov is a notable break from Tikhanov's usual style, and more in line with the conventions of European portraiture at the time. Rather than the colourful Pacific landscape which features in the rest of Tikhanov's work, Baranov's background is obscured in shadow. The composition of the painting is made for a rounded frame, and the usually jagged hands and features of Tikhanov's other paintings have been rounded and softened to affect a greater photo-realism. Around his neck Baranov wears the medallion of knighthood, and on his face the crooked and wyly smile of a man who, through hard work and cunning, had risen from humble beginnings to the highest ranks of Russian society.
It was Alexandr Baranov who had single-handedly brought the Russian North American Company from a failed commercial venture to a powerful and important branch of the Russian Empire; by buying pelts in North America and selling them on Chinese markets, Baranov was able to fund a series of forts and a fleet of ships which formed the backbone of commercial ventures in the area. Although a merchant, and not a sailor by trade, Baranov's ability to manage the byzantine tribal politics of coast, his fruitful commercial investments, and his bravery in the face of danger and hardship earned him the respect of many.
In the painting Kolosh Chief from Baranov Island in War Outfit we can see a young chief dressed for battle. Wearing a heavy leather armour for protection, he carries a rifle in one hand and a short sword in the other. Painted only fifteen years after the outbreak of hostilities, the war is still a recent memory, which perhaps explains the amused smirk on the nobleman's face. From behind a knotted trunk an eye and part of a face peaks out, watching the scene from a distance. Clearly not all Tlingit were willing to be painted by an enemy they had fought mercilessly with for so many years. The man in center frame, however, seems perversely proud.
Despite the early conflicts between the Tlingit and the Russians, by 1817 relations had restored to the extent that Tikhanov was able to paint members of both sides of the war. Perhaps not all Tlingit where comfortable with the presence of Tikhanov, but enough where willing to have their portrait painted, most notably Chief Katlian, who had led the vanguard assault during the first day of Russian-Tlingit hostilities.
In the painting Sitka Island Chief Katlian With His Wife we can see that Chief Katlain, in a bold statement of defiance, also wears a medallion. In this case, rather that signalling his submission to the Russian Empire, it represents the absolute sovereignty of him and his people. His wife sits in the background, drawn in both portrait and profile, as is typical of Tikhanov's paintings. In the background we see the Russian fortress of Castle Hill rising from the ocean. This Russian fort marks the first European settlement of what will eventually grow to become the city of Sitka, Alaska.
By the time Tikhanov arrived aboard the Kamchatka both groups had settled into an uneasy peace, both Russians and Tlingit alike preferring the advantages brought by sustained trade over the initial disagreements which had led to the conflict.