This painting is traditionally attributed to Alexei Antropov, who painted a series of portraits of the archimandrites of the St Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St Petersburg in the 1760s and 1770s. Theodosius Jancowski (1696–1750) was of Lithuanian descent. He held the posts of superior of the St Sergius Trinity Monastery (from 1742), Archbishop of St Petersburg (1745), and Archimandrite of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery (1745–1750). The subject is depicted in the vestments of an archbishop, with a crozier and a panagia. On the background is, possibly, a Polish (?) coat of arms.

Antropov Alexei

Antropov, Alexei Petrovich
1716, St Petersburg - 1795, St Petersburg
Painter, portraitist, icon-painter. Studied under Louis Caravaque, Andrei Matveyev and Alexander Zakharov, took lessons from Pietro de Rotari (from 1732). Joined the painting department of the Ministry of Construction (1739), foreman (1749). Helped to decorate the interiors of palaces in and around St Petersburg and Moscow. Painted the interior decor of the Si Petersburg Opera House (1750). Created murals and icons for St Andrew’s Cathedral in Kiev (1750-55). Lived in St Petersburg (from 1758). Worked for the Holy Synod and supervised the work of painters (from 1761), Taught Dmitry Levitsky and Pyotr Drozhdin.