Dmitry Stasov (1828−1918) was a Russian lawyer and public figure, a barrister and the first chairman of the council of barristers at the St. Petersburg District Court. He was also the brother ofVladimir Stasov (1824−1906), a famous critic and expert on Russian art. He was friends with many artists, writers, and composers, including Mikhail Glinka, Alexander Dargomyzhsky, Mily Balakirev, César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky.
His daughter Elena Stasova (1873−1966) was a revolutionary, a member of the Bolshevik Party and the Soviet state, an associate of Vladimir Lenin (1870−1924).
The portrait was painted for the St. Petersburg Council of Barristers. Its expressiveness comes from the economy of painterly means, the skillful drawing, the silhouette of the figure against a light background, and the refined color palette.