The bronze bas-relief is a portrait of Russian Emperor Peter the Great. The work was made by Italian sculptor Bartolomeo Carlo Rastrelli in St. Petersburg in the 1740s. The exact creation date is unknown. Stylistically, the bas-relief is a Baroque art piece, as that style was popular in the 18th century.

The bas-relief of the Italian sculptor depicts Emperor Peter the Great. Peter’s head is crowned by elegant laurels, the symbol of the Russian Empire’s victory in the Great Northern War of 1700—1721. According to fashion standards of the time, the Emperor has a large wig. 

Peter is wearing a plate armor; metallic plates protected the back and chest from enemies’ bayonets. The emperor’s suit of armor is decorated with scenes of the Battle of Poltava.

Peter the Great’s portrait was commissioned by his daughter, Empress Elizabeth, as a companion piece for her own bas-relief image.[1] The occasion was her ascension to the throne.

Peter the Great was born in 1672 in Moscow. In the Romanovs’ tsar dynasty, he was the first emperor. Peter was bestowed the title after the victory in the Great Northern War in 1721. Sweden had lost, and the Russian Empire had got a gateway to the Baltic Sea. Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg, and during his reign, the Russian Empire saw a period where sciences and arts flourished, and the country’s territory expanded significantly.

Bartolomeo Carlo Rastrelli was born in Florence in 1675. He originated from a noble Italian family, and received good education. The future sculptor displayed artistic capabilities at an early age, so the parents sent him for apprenticeship to a Florentine workshop. After he completed his studies, the young man went first to Rome, then to Paris. However, neither in Italy nor in France could the sculptor achieve any success, so he decided to try his luck in the Russian Empire. In 1716, Bartolomeo Carlo Rastrelli arrived in St. Petersburg, and soon entered Peter the Great’s service. In the Russian capital city, the Italian master designed palaces, created sculpture and even cast cannon.

Bartolomeo Carlo Rastrelli was the first sculptor in Russia of the 18th century. The contract he made with Peter the Great spelled that the Italian master would be in charge of training a few pupils. The contract was made for three years, but Bartolomeo Carlo Rastrelli remained in St. Petersburg for the rest of his life. He was the author of a few state-sponsored projects. One of them, the great Triumphal Column, was to immortalize Russia’s victories in the Great Northern War. The idea, however, was never carried out.