The ceremonial portrait of Catherine II from the Radishchev Museum collection was painted by an unknown artist in the second half of the 18th century. In such paintings, masters sought to convey the sitter’s high status, so the model was usually portrayed in expensive clothes against a luxurious interior.
Roslin Alexander. Portrait of Catherine II
Rokotov F.S. Portrait of Catherine II
Portrait of Catherine II
1 / 4
Portrait of Catherine II
Creation period
Second half of the 18th century
Dimensions
241,5x176,5 cm
Technique
Oil on canvas
Collection
5
Open in app#1
Unknown Author
Portrait of Catherine II
#2
#3
The unknown artist captured the empress in her coronation dress. Behind her, on the banquette, are symbols of the monarch’s power – the orb and cross and the Great Imperial Crown. On the chest of Catherine is the chain of the highest Russian order of St. Andrew the First-Called, decorated with diamonds. This is a mandatory reward for the rulers, which confirmed their right to the throne. Next to it is the star and orange-black ribbon of the Order of St. George. Catherine II instituted this insignia and awarded herself first.
#4
When creating the portrait, the master drew on two other images of the empress, which are kept in the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg. They are the works of Alexander Roslin and Fyodor Rokotov. The artists painted them in the 1770s.
#5
Roslin came to Russia in 1776 at the invitation of the imperial court. He was considered one of the leading European portrait painters and was famous for the accurate portrayal of his models.
A. Roslin, Portrait of Catherine II, late 1776 - early 1777.
#6
Catherine did not like the portrait by Roslin. She was dissatisfied with the painting and wrote to Baron Friedrich Grimm that
‘he portrayed me as a Swedish lady-cook and made me look 20 years older’.
#7
At that time, the empress was 47 years old. They paid artist the full fee, but refused to use the image as the official one.
#8
Therefore, Catherine invited another artist – Fyodor Rokotov. He painted a new version of the picture. The Russian artist kept the interior and surroundings of the portrait by Roslin. But he depicted the empress younger and made corrections to the coronation dress: removed the collar, added a deep neckline and made the bust ampler.
F.S. Rokotov, Portrait of Catherine II, 1770s.
#9
The empress deemed the portrait by Rokotov to be a model one. Therefore, it was often copied in order to place it in staterooms of government offices.
The painting by the unknown artist entered the Radishchev Museum in 1925 from the Museum of Fine Arts of the N.G. Chernyshevsky Saratov State University.
#10
A.N. Radishchev Saratov State Museum of Fine Arts
read morehide
00:00
00:00
1x
Portrait of Catherine II
Creation period
Second half of the 18th century
Dimensions
241,5x176,5 cm
Technique
Oil on canvas
Collection
5
Point your smartphone camera to open in the appOpen in app
Share
