Maria (1711–1729) was the third child in the Menshikov family. In March 1726 Menshikov took the first steps towards marrying her to Piotr, the son of the Polish nobleman J. Sapieha, while in May 1727 she became betrothed to Peter II. She died from smallpox(?) in exile in Berezovo, soon after her father. The twelve-year-old girl is here depicted in the pose and hairstyle of an adult lady, in a formal brocade gown and luxurious jewellery. She is wearing a princely ermine mantle and a portrait medallion of Peter the Great on her chest.
This portrait of Maria Menshikova is attributed to Johann Gottfried Tannauer and is a companion to the depiction of her younger sister Alexandra.