The original portrait of Catherine II was painted by Vigilius Eriksen, an imperial court painter from Denmark.
The empress is portrayed in a ceremonial dress with large panniers, or skirts made of thick fabric with side hoops inserted inside. She wears a blue ribbon of the Order of Saint Andrew the First-Called. On her head, there is a small crown. In her right hand, she holds a fan, and her left hand is pressed against her chest. Her cheeks are heavily rouged. The toe of her shoe is visible under her dress. The empress looks directly at the viewer. Next to her, there is a table with a scarlet cushion, with a large imperial crown and a staff that symbolize the monarch’s absolute power. In the mirror behind the empress, the artist painted her side-face reflection against a black backdrop.
Vigilius Eriksen was born in Copenhagen and studied under the German artist Johann Salomon Wahl. He worked in Denmark until 1750. Later, he moved to St. Petersburg where he lived and worked for 15 years, from 1757 to 1772. He arrived at the court of Empress Elizabeth and was later appointed court painter after the accession of Catherine II. He created around thirty portraits of the empress, some of which she sent as presents to foreign correspondents and courts. He also painted images of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (future Emperor Paul I), Count Nikita Ivanovich Panin, chief marshal of the court Count Jacob von Sievers, Vice Chancellor Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Golitsyn, and other members of the high society. In 1772, Vigilius Eriksen left Russia and returned to Copenhagen, where he was also appointed court painter.
The earliest mention of this portrait by Vigilius Eriksen dates back to 1762–1763. In the 19th century, the painting was part of the collection of the Romanov Family Gallery in the Small Hermitage, along with other portraits of members of the House of Romanov.
The exhibit displayed at the Orenburg History Museum is a free interpretation of the original portrait of Catherine II. It was made by Vladimir Anatolyevich Yefaritsky, an Orenburg artist, a member of the Russian Union of Artists, and a teacher of the highest professional level. He created another copy of a portrait — that of Peter III, which is also demonstrated at the museum.
