The ceremony of reburial of the ashes of Maria Feodorovna, Princess Dagmara, mother of Nicholas II, wife of Nicholas III. Peter and Paul's share. Relatives of the Romanovs

A group of women dressed in dark, ankle-length coats, black gloves and broad hats walks along a stone embankment or building front, past shallow water on the left. The nearest woman, holding a small booklet or program, looks down as she walks; behind her a line of similarly dressed companions follows, carrying bags and papers. A doorway and pale stone wall form the backdrop on the right.

The palette is restricted to blacks, browns and muted creams, broken only by the pale stone and grey water. Paint is applied quickly and thickly in short, confident strokes, with forms simplified to broad masses of dark clothing against light architecture. The rapid, sketch-like execution and somber dress give the scene a hushed, processional gravity.