Charles de Steuben, a Russian-French painter, spent his early years in Russia under the care of his father. As a young man, he studied informally (as a non-matriculated student) at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. His first major work, “Peter the Great Rescues Drowning Men During a Storm on Lake Ladoga”, was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1812 and made a profound impression on viewers. The painting attracted the attention of Napoleon Bonaparte and was acquired for the French royal collection.
Later, by order of King Louis XVIII of France, the composition was reproduced as a tapestry and presented to Emperor Alexander I of Russia as a diplomatic gift. In the early 20th century, this tapestry hung in the Peterhof Palace; today, it is displayed in the Catherine Block of the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve.
The scene depicts a pivotal moment from November 1724. After surveying the newly constructed Ladoga Canal, Peter the Great was returning by sailing vessel when his ship ran aground near the mouth of the Svir River. Near the village of Lakhty, he transferred to a small fishing skiff — only to be caught in a sudden and violent storm. Despite the peril, the Emperor personally steered the boat through the tempest, saving the lives of those aboard. However, exposed to freezing water and harsh winds, he contracted a severe cold that led to his fatal illness and death in January 1725.
In 1828, the French engraver Adrien Migneret created an etching based on Steuben’s painting, dedicating it to Emperor Nicholas I. This print, now held in the collection of the Irbit Museum of Fine Arts, captures the full drama of the event.
In the engraving, Peter the Great stands resolute at the stern of the rocking skiff, his right hand gripping the tiller, his left steadying the terrified fishermen. He is clad in a fur-trimmed coat (“zipun”) over his military uniform, with a military order visible on his chest. A heavy saber hangs at his side, yet it does not hinder his commanding posture.
Beside him, two fishermen embody human vulnerability: an elderly man clutches a splintered mast, while a barefoot youth strains at the oars. Above, a tattered sail flaps violently; waves crash with ferocity; seagulls cry out in alarm — all elements heighten the scene’s emotional intensity. Peter emerges as a mythological figure — lord of the elements, calm amid catastrophe, powerful, and resolute. This episode became a staple of Russian national mythology. In the 1840s and 1850s, it was widely reproduced in decorative arts.
Steuben’s oil painting remains in the collection of the Fine Arts Museum in Amiens, France. The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg holds a scaled-down copy of the original canvas painted by the Russian artist Alexander Kotzebue.
