A full-length portrait of Peter Ivanovitch Potemkin, the Russian Ambassador sent to the Court of Carlos II by tsar Feodor II in 1668, and between 1681 and 1682, when this work is thought to have been painted.

The composition, with the figure standing out over a black background, emphasizes his sumptuous vestments and underlines his exoticism, allowing us to imagine the impression the Russian embassy must have caused in Spain.

This painting is mentioned in 1686 in the workshop of the chamber painters at Madrid's Alcázar Palace.