Grand Duchess Xenia (or Ksenia) Alexandrovna, an amusing cartoon of a young hen with bright red comb & wattle in watercolor, ink, & pencil on paper, painted for her granddaughter Princess Xenia Andreevna Romanoff (known as Mysh in the family), the reverse inscribed in ink & pencil (in Cyrillic) Mysh from Amama 24 Jan 1925. 6 7/8 x 5 3/16 in. (17.5 x 13.2 cm).

Provenance:
Princess Xenia Andreevna Romanoff (1919-2000)
A member of the Imperial family
Private Collection

Grand Duchess Xenia (or Ksenia) was particularly close to her granddaughter & namesake Princess Xenia Andreevna Romanoff (1919-2000), who,together with her parents & two brothers, lived at Frogmore House, a British royal residence the elder family member had been granted for her use. The princess was educated at home & spent much of her early childhood with her grandmother. In January 1925, she was a bit less than six years old & the amusing, lively images would surely have delighted the little girl.The grand duchess frequently painted Easter gifts & postcards for her family members & those meant for her grandchildren were signed from Amama, the Danish word for grandmother used as a term of endearment among members of the Imperial family. This playful image is extraordinarily rare & demonstrates her closeness to & desire to entertain her beloved grandchildren.