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Peter I and his Era
The virtual exhibition is dedicated to the 350th anniversary of Peter the Great and brings together works from the collection of the Russian Museum and the leading museums of Russia - the State Hermitage Museum, the State Historical Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, the State Museum Reserve Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo, Gatchina, Pavlovsk and other museums, in the collection of which the most works are stored, dedicated to Peter I and his era.
Portrait of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich
- Before 1671 (?)/ After 1676 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3988
Alexis I Mikhailovich (March 19, 1629 – January 29, 1676)
Tsar, member of the Romanov dynasty, father of Peter the Great. Son of Mikhail Fedorovich and Eudoxia Streshneva. He assumed the throne on July 14, 1645, and was crowned on September 28, 1645. During his reign the Zemsky Sobor (Assembly of the Land) passed the Law Code of 1649; the Customs (1653) and New Trade (1667) Regulations were adopted; and Ukraine came under Russian rule (1654), which led to the signing of the Truce of Andrusovo between Russia and Poland (1667). On January 16, 1648 Alexis married Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya (April 1, 1624 – March 3, 1669), together they had 13 children. On January 22, 1671 he entered into a second marriage with Natalia Naryshkina (August 22, 1651 – January 25, 1694), and had three children with her: Peter (May 30, 1672 – January 28, 1725), Natalia (August 22, 1673 – June 18, 1716), and Feodora (September 4, 1674 – November 28, 1678).
This portrait engraved by Cornelis Meyssens (1646–?) can be found among illustrations of the book Historia di Leopoldo Cesare (History of Leopold Caesar, Vienna, 1670); that is where its traditional dating comes from. However, an inscription made on the portrait “reigned and ruled” (in Latin, in the past tense) suggests that the portrait was made after the tsar’s death. The artist’s alterations and technical characteristics do not contradict the fact that the work was painted in the end of the 17th century.
Portrait of Tsar Ioann V Alexeevich
- Late January – early February 1696
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3989
Ioann V Alexeyevich (August 27, 1666 - January 29, 1696). Tsar from the Romanov dynasty, elder brother and co-ruler of Peter the Great. He was crowned together with Peter the Great on June 25, 1682. On January 9, 1684 he married Praskovia Saltykova (October 12, 1664 – October 13, 1723). He had five daughters: Maria (March 21, 1689 – February 13, 1692), Feodosia (June 4, 1690 – 1690), Catherine (October 29, 1691 – June 14, 1733), Anna (January 28, 1693 – October 17, 1740), Praskovia (September 24, 1694 – October 8, 1731).
The original canvas, which was 89 x 63 cm, was extended along the perimeter; the hands we painted later. The painting’s technique and identification from X-ray photographs imply that the artist who created the painting was also the one who painted the portrait of Tsaritsa Natalia Kirillovna. The fact that the coat of armor worn by Tsar Ivan Alexeevich is black suggests that this is a “dormition” portrait completed at the end of January (Ivan Alexeevich died on January 29) – beginning of February in 1696.
Portrait of Tsarevich Peter
- 1670s
- Wood, oil, tempera. 20 х 17
- Alexander Pushkin State Museum, Moscow
This is one of the extremely rare painted portraits of Tsarevich Peter. Through research the dating was revised. Earlier there was a theory that this image of Peter was part of a double portrait of Peter and Ioann (State Alexander Pushkin Museum, 2004).
Portrait of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich
- Second half of the 17th century. 1680s (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3979
Alexis I Mikhailovich (March 19, 1629 – January 29, 1676). Tsar, member of the Romanov dynasty, father of Peter the Great. Son of Mikhail Fedorovich and Eudoxia Streshneva. He assumed the throne on July 14, 1645, and was crowned on September 28, 1645. During his reign the Zemsky Sobor (Assembly of the Land) passed the Law Code of 1649; the Customs (1653) and New Trade (1667) Regulations were adopted; and Ukraine came under Russian rule (1654), which led to the signing of the Truce of Andrusovo between Russia and Poland (1667). On January 16, 1648 Alexis married Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya (April 1, 1624 – March 3, 1669), together they had 13 children. On January 22, 1671 he entered into a second marriage with Natalia Naryshkina (August 22, 1651 – January 25, 1694), and had three children with her: Peter (May 30, 1672 – January 28, 1725), Natalia (August 22, 1673 – June 18, 1716), and Feodora (September 4, 1674 – November 28, 1678).
This painting is a companion piece to the portrait of Tsar Michael I Feodorovich. The portrait of Alexis Mikhailovich was probably also based on the portrait from the 1672 “Titulyarnik” (a manuscript containing titles, coats of arms, and portraits of Russian and foreign rulers). The technique is close to the one of the portraits of Michael I Feodorovich and Tsaritsa Marfa Matveyevna (“with a hand fan”) of similar size. The portrait of Alexis Mikhailovich was also painted in the end of the reign of Tsar Theodore III Alexeyevich, or during the reign of Tsarevna Sophia (1682–1689).
Portrait of Marfa Apraksina, Second Wife of Tsar Feodor Alexeevich
- December 1681 – 14 February 1682
- Canvas, oil. 89 x 72 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3985
Marfa Matveyevna Apraksina (1664–1715). Daughter of Matvey Vasilyevich Apraksin and Domna Bogdanovna Lovchikova. She was the second wife of Tsar Theodore III Alexeyevich from February 14 to April 27, 1682. She was the sister of General-Admiral Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, Andrei Matveyevich Apraksin (Maddening Andrei), and Peter Matveyevich Apraksin, a senator.
This painting was painted almost at the same time as portrait of Marfa Matveevna from the collection of the State Russian Museum. The portraits were painted when Marfa Matveevna was the tsar’s bride. This theory is supported by the fact that she is wearing a kokoshnik headdress, which was part of a maiden’s outfit. The dog was usually a symbol of marital fidelity. Recently it was suggested that the painting was painted by Johann Walter, “a foreigner from the Orenburg lands.”
Portrait of Tsaritsa Marfa Matveevna
- December 1681 – 14 February 1682
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3970
Marfa Matveyevna Apraksina (1664–1715). Daughter of Matvey Vasilyevich Apraksin and Domna Bogdanovna Lovchikova. She was the second wife of Tsar Theodore III Alexeyevich from February 14 to April 27, 1682. She was the sister of General-Admiral Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, Andrei Matveyevich Apraksin (Maddening Andrei), and Peter Matveyevich Apraksin, a senator.
This portrait was painted at the same time as the so-called portrait with a little dog. It was painted when Marfa Matveevna was the tsar’s bride. A hand fan wasn’t one of specific details of the pre-Petrine everyday life, but its “language” was well-known. Tsaritsa Marfa holds her hand fan as an “arrow,” meaning in a closed position, in her right hand, and it is pointed at her companion. This hand fan’s position is a sign of love and sympathy.
Portrait of Governess Sofya Alexeevna
- 1682–1689
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5942
Sophia Alexeyevna (September 17, 1657 – July 3, 1704). Tsarevna, fourth daughter of Tsar Alexis I Mikhailovich with Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya. She came to power through the Moscow Uprising (1682). During the period from May 1682 to September 1689 she ruled over Russia as regent for her younger brothers, Peter and Ivan. In September 1689 her attempt to become Tsaritsa failed and she was confined to the Novodevichy Convent. In 1698 she was made to take the veil under the name of Susanna, and later, shortly before her death, she was tonsured into the Great Schema and given the name Sophia.
Three portraits of Sophia Alexeevna of this kind are known. Soon after Sophia’s conspiracy was uncovered, most of her pictures were destroyed. The portrait of Sophia Alexeevna from the Romanov gallery is based on a portrait from the 1672 “Titulyarnik” (a manuscript containing titles, coats of arms, and portraits of Russian and foreign rulers) that was decorated with multiple rulers’ portraits. A new detail here is the image of a double-headed eagle with six medallions with allegorical figures of “Devoutness,” “Maidenhood,” “Grace,” “Justice,” “Strength,” and “Lenitude” on its wings. Sophia is depicted wearing a crown and holding a sceptre and the orb, even though she wasn’t crowned as tsaritsa.
Portrait of “Patriarch” Milak – Boyar Matvei Naryshkin
- Between 1688 and 1692. Before 1692 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3935
Matvei Naryshkin (16..–1692). Relative of Tsaritsa Natalia Kirillovna. From 1674–1679 Naryshkin was the military governor of Veliky Ustyug. In 1678 he became a nobleman of Moscow, and in 1686 – a stolnik (cupbearer). In 1688 he was given a senior court rank – an okolnichy; and in 1690 he became a boyar. He held the jesting rank of Patriarch of the Drunken Synod, and the nickname “Milak”.
The earliest reference to the painting is in the Inventory of 1735; according to which the portrait of “the personage of Matvei Filimonovich Naryshkin” was placed in the entrance hall. This would seem to be one of the earliest pictures in the “Preobrazhensky Series”. The discovery in the archives of the date of Matvei Naryshkin’s death, 1692, increases the confidence of researchers that the portrait could not have been painted later than then.
Portrait of Ivan Shchepotev
- Late 17th – early 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 92.5 x 76.5 (oval in rectangle)
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Portrait of Boyar Prince Boris Prozorovsky
- 1694
- Mounted on wood, oil. 151,8 х 118,5
- State Tretyakov Gallery
The boyar is depicted holding a pair of crutches. The maiming of the young courtier was a direct consequence of the hardships he survived in 1670 when Stepan Razin seized Astrakhan. The boyar’s father, Astrakhan Military Governor Ivan Prozorovsky, was executed; while Boris, the Younger Prozorovsky, was hung from the city wall by his legs, along with his elder brother and his uncle. Because of this torture he remained lame for life.
Boris the Younger Ivanovich Prozorovsky (1661–1718) Son of Astrakhan Military Governor Ivan Prozorovsky and Praskovia Likhacheva. Stolnik (cupbearer) (1672), room stolnik (cupbearer) of Tsarevich Therodore Alexeyevich (starting from 1674), boyar (starting from 1682), military governor in Novgorod (?–1697). Member of the Zemsky Sobor (Assembly of the Land). Attended the wedding of Peter the Great and Catherine I. Prozorovksy was in charge of the Armoury. He was married to Irina Rimskaya-Korsakova.
Portrait of Prince Anikita Repnin
- Late 1690s
- Canvas, oil. 181 х 128
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3947
Anikita Repnin (1668 – July 3, 1726). Middle son of Ivan Repnin (1615– 1697) who was a boyar close to the tsar and a house steward of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich, and Ivan’s wife Yevdokia Nikiforovna Pleshcheyeva (? – April 8, 1695). Russian Field Marshal General (1725). From his early years Anikita was close to Peter the Great and took part in the creation of the emperor’s Toy Army. In 1685 he became Lieutenant and within two years he was promoted to Colonel. Repnin participated in the Azov campaigns of 1695–1696. In 1696 he commanded a frigate. In 1699 he became Major General. In the beginning of the Northern War he commanded a division. Following the order of Peter the Great he reconstituted Russian forces withdrawing from Narva after they were defeated in 1700. He took part in the Siege of Nöteborg (1702) and Narva (1704). During the Battle of Poltava (1709) he commanded the centre of the Russian troops. During the years 1709–1710 he commanded the siege and the seizure of Riga. During the years 1712–1713 and 1715–1716 he commanded troops in Pomerania. In 1719 he was appointed Governor General of Livonia, and at the same time he acted as President of the Military College from 1724–1725. After the death of Peter the Great, he supported the enthronement of Catherine I, but shortly afterwards Alexander Menshikov sent him away to Riga.
From the second half of the 19th century to the early 21st century almost all scholars believed the person depicted here to be Ivan Borisovich Repnin; however, this traditional view was recently reconsidered. In 2014 a new version was accepted by the Attribution Council of the Russian Museum.
Portrait of Tsarina Natalia Kirillovna
- Late January – early February 1694 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3943
Natalia Naryshkina (September 1, 1651 – February 4, 1694) – mother of Peter the Great and Tsarevnas Natalia and Feodora. Daughter of Boyar Kirill Naryshkin (1623–1691) who, at the demand of the rebellious Streltsy, was sent to be a monk in the Kirillo-Belozersk Monastery in 1682, and took the name of Cyprian. Until 1671 Natalia was a ward of Boyar Artamon Matveyev. In 1671 she became Tsaritsa, being the second wife of Tsar Alexis I Mikhailovich. She was the elder sister of Boyar Lev Naryshkin (1664–1705).
The original size of the painting was different (88 x 62); also, it was oval in shape, later painted into a square. Elements that were inserted changed its format. Technical research conducted reveals several changes introduced to the hands of the character by the artist (initially she was holding a handkerchief). During the last third of the 17th century a piece with her “dormition” obtained wide circulation; it was painted for a splendid mansion for her descendants to remember her by. The famous historian Ivan Zabelin, who studied the everyday lives of Russian tsars was the first person to publish a report stating that “in 1694 (February) the painter Mikhail Choglokov painted the dormition of Her Majesty Tsarina and Grand Duchess Natalia Kirillovna, the blessed.”
Portrait of Count Boris Sheremetev
- Late 17th century
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3939
Boris Sheremetev (April 25, 1652 – February 17, 1719). Statesman, commander and diplomat. In 1682 he was made Boyar. He took part in the first Azov campaign. He was a close associate of Peter the Great and fought in all the most important battles of the Northen War (Dorpat, Narva, and Riga). He became Field Marshal General in 1701 and was the first Russian count (1706). At the battle of Poltava he commanded the centre of the Russian Army. Peter the Great called Sheremetev his “Turenne” and valued him greatly for his selflessness.
The portrait was dated based on technological research. The upper left corner of the painting features a coat of arms belonging to the Sheremetev family, corresponding to the time when the item was created. Evidence suggests that this painting was used by Leonty Tarasevich, when he created his engraving for a panegyric presented to Sheremetev in 1695, commemorating the Count’s successful seizure of four Ottoman fortresses. Sergei Sheremetev, descendant of Count Boris Sheremetev, maintained that the original painting used for the engraving, was kept in the village of Borisovka, the family estate near Belgorod. It is possible that this particular painting, now in the collection of the State Russian Museum, is the very same work.
Portrait of General Ivan Vlasov
- 1695 (?)
- Canvas, oil. 113 х 151
- Нижегородский государственный художественный музей
Ivan Vlasov (1628, Moscow – 1710, Moscow). Diplomat and military governor. He became a Moscow nobleman in 1647. Member of the embassy that went to Venice (1656). He was military governor of Irkutsk (1682–1684) and Nerchinsk (1684–1688). He also contributed to the conclusion of the first treaty between Russia and China (1689) acting as Ambassador Plenipotentiary. During the second Azov campaign of Peter the Great (1696) he was the head of the medical unit.
Portrait of Unknown Man in Uniform of the Toy Army (Peter I?)
- 1690s – early 1700s
- Canvas, oil. 99 x 77 (oval in rectangle)
- Музей-усадьба "Кусково"
The portrait was thought to depict young Peter the Great in the uniform of the Toy Army, and was believed to be painted in the 1690s; later the date was changed to the beginning of the 18th century. At an exhibition of 1973 it was exhibited as a “portrait of an unknown man in the uniform of the Toy Army” painted by an unknown artist of the beginning of the 18th century. In the catalogue of the exhibition Russian Historical Portrait. Parsuna Epoch (2004), organized by the State Historical Museum, this assessment was confirmed and it was suggested that the person depicted is a cavalry officer of the Swedish Army. However, this assessment of the portrait does not really contradict the historical attribution with Peter the Great as the subject.
Portrait of Yakov Turgenev
- 1694 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4902
Yakov Turgenev (16?–1695). Served in a Reiter regiment beginning in 1671. He was also a member of the Drunken Synod, where he had the title of the “Old Warrior and Colonel of Kiev”. He commanded a company in the Kozhukhovo Campaign (1694). Yakov Turgenev’s mock wedding was celebrated in January 1695, and he died shortly after that.
One of the most famous portraits of the so-called Preobrazhensky Series. The earliest reference to the portrait is in the Inventory of 1735; according to which, “the personage of Yakov Turgenev” was placed in the entrance hall. Later it was mentioned in the Inventory of the Hermitage Paintings. It has been argued that the portrait was painted in the summer of 1694 at the latest. However, it is possible that the work was created in the autumn of the same year.
Portrait of Andrei Besyashchy – Andrei Apraksin
- Between 8 October 1696 and 11 May 1697
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3984
Andrei Matveyevich Apraksin (1663–1731). Brother of Tsaritsa Marfa Matveyevna, General-Admiral Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, and Peter Matveyevich Apraksin, a senator. Stolnik (cupbearer) of Tsar Ioann V Alexeyevich. Member of the College of Cardinals of the Drunken Synod with the nickname “Besyashchy (Maddening) Andrei”. In 1728 he was awarded the title of Count and made chief cupbearer. In 1728 he became Major General. Author of the text published as the Notebook of Curious Accounts of the Grand Person who Travelled Incognito under the Name of a Russian nobleman with the Russian Embassy in 1697 and 1698.
The earliest reference to the portrait is from the Inventory of 1735; according to which, “the personage of Andrei Besyashchy” was placed in the entrance hall. The subject of the paining, Apraksin, received his nickname “Besyashchy” (“Madenning”) after Stolnik (Cupbearer) Vasily Zhelyabuzhsky and his son, reported Apraksin’s thuggish behavior to the tsar; after Peter the Great “marched” on the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius on October 8. 1696.
Portrait of Peter I
- Circa 1697
- Canvas, oil. 56 х 50
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
This painting was created during Peter the Great’s first trip abroad (1697–1698). It was painted in Holland. Peter is wearing a traditional Russian outfit: a long sable lined coat (okhabna) and a satin kaftan. On the right one can see a pavilion and a Kalmyk coming out to bring a hat to the tsar; on the left, in the distance, one can see a view of Azov. The Russian ambassador in Berlin, Baron Andrei Budberg, bought the painting from a Berlin bookseller in the 1860s. There is a legend that says that a Dutchman left it there as collateral in 1812. The bookseller presented the painting to the Berlin Museum, where it was confirmed to be an original piece by van der Werff. The director of the museum offered it to King Frederick William IV of Prussia for purchase so that he could make it a gift to the Russian emperor. But the king’s disease prevented him from doing so, so Baron Budberg bought the painting himself and gave it to Emperor Alexander II. Until 1917, the portrait was kept in the emperor’s parlor in the Great Palace of Tsarskoye Selo. Andrei Budberg suggested that the painting had been created by the younger brother of Adrian van der Werff, Peter. Today, there are no doubts about the fact that the piece was painted by Peter van der Werff.
Portrait of a Man with a Pipe in Hand
- Late 17th century
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4704
Scholars confidently assert that this is the same portrait mentioned in a story told by Andrei Nartov, a famous Russian scientist, engineer and sculptor active during the reign of Peter the Great. The tsar told the artist to depict him “in a painting with a smoking pipe, sitting at the table, having fun and surrounded by musical instruments with mathematical and other tools abandoned in the distance, which would mean that he hadn’t enjoyed sciences and had only learned how to play the bass viol.”
В. Ф. Люткин
- Canvas, oil. 201 х 136
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 5568 ГИМ 38134
Портрет Льва Кирилловича Нарышкина (1664-1705)
- Canvas, oil. 204 х 133
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 3461 ГИМ 91868
Medal Commemorating the Capture of Azov
- 1696
- Silver. Total weight: 36.56 g
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-340
Portrait of Peter I
- 1697 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3954
Peter I (the Great; 1672–1725) was the younger son of the Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. He became Tsar in 1682 (until 1696, he ruled jointly with his brother Ivan V). From 1721, he was the first Emperor of All the Russias.
The iconographical type of the portrait was described as the “Versailles” one. It was supposed to be “the Versailles original half-length portrait, with hands not depicted; given to Louis XV by Peter the Great”.
A legend says that the portrait was painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud. There is a similar portrait in Versailles, but French art historians believe that it originates from a portrait by Pieter van der Werff housed in the State Hermitage.
Portrait of Peter I
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-14501
Portrait of Peter I
- 1697
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-14500
Portrait of Peter I
- .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-16801
Portrait of Peter I
- 169[7]
- Canvas, oil. 57 х 47
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
According to the date on the canvas, the portrait was painted during Peter’s stay in Holland in 1697, during his first trip abroad (1697–1698). Alexander Vasilchikov noted that the body’s depiction is a bit “awkward”; he believed that the image of the head was copied from Peter van der Werff’s piece and it was supposed to fit a “different pose of the body.” The provenance of the painting is unknown. In 1872, it was in the emperor’s parlor in the Winter Palace. It was exhibited at the Tauride exhibition of 1905, and the exhibition dedicated “to the Founder of St Petersburg” (To the Founder of St Petersburg, 2003).
Portrait of Peter I
- 1697 (?)
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-14421
Portrait of Peter I
- .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-28586
Portrait of Prince Mikhail (?) Zhirovoi-Zasekin
- Before 30 August 1698
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-6340
Portrait of Stolnik Fyodor Verigin
- Before 30 August 1698
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3983
Fyodor Verigin (dates unknown). He was a stolnik (cupbearer) for Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from 1658, and also for Peter the Great until 1692. He was one of the members of the Drunken Synod. His daughter Maria was married to Vasily Dolgoruky, and his grandson was married to A.V. Sheremeteva.
The picture was first published in the anthology Art Treasures of Russia in 1903, but the name and patronymic of the person depicted were not mentioned. In the 1973 exhibition catalogue, the subject is mentioned as Fyodor Ivanovich. It has been established that Verigin was Peter’s stolnik (cupbearer) in 1692. One can assume that Verigin's portrait, like all portraiture of bearded characters in the Preobrazhensky Series, must have been painted before August 30, 1698; when Peter the Great returned from aboard and forced all boyars and his inner circle to shave their beards.
Portrait of Tsar Peter Alekseevich
- The Versailles type
- The end of the XVII century
- Canvas, oil. 74 х 54
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 288 ГИМ 15999щ
Портрет Франца Яковлевича Лефорта
- 1698
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-15482
Portrait of Peter I
- .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-29375
Portrait of Prince Andrei the Elder Repnin
- After 27 January 1699
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3945
Portrait of Prince Andrei the Younger Repnin
- School of the Armoury Chamber
- After 27 January 1699
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3946
Andrei the Younger Repnin (? – January 27, 1699)Youngest son of Ivan Repnin (1615– 1697). His father Ivan was a house steward of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich, and a boyar close to the tsar; his mother was Yevdokia Nikiforovna Pleshcheyeva (? – April 8, 1695). Andrei, together with his brother Anikita, accompanied Peter the Great during his dramatic overnight ride to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius on the night of August 7-8, 1689. In approximately 1689 Andrei married Tatiana Alexeyevna, daughter of Alexei Rzhevsky; who was an okolnichy (a senior court rank) and the military commander of Samara during the years 1689–1690. Andrei was among some 39 stolniks (cupbearers) and the same number of soldiers in February 1697 who were sent to Italy to study maritime affairs.
From the second half of the 19th century to the early 21st century scholars believed the person depicted here to be Alexander Borisovich Repnin; however, this traditional view was recently reconsidered. In 2014 a new version was accepted by the Attribution Council of the Russian Museum. Based on the clothing depicted the portrait was dated from the 1680s to 1690s. It appears that it was Anikita Ivanovich that outlived both of his brothers who ordered the painting.
The capture of Azov in 1696
- 1699
- Paper, lathe.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32261
Medal Commemorating the Signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz
- Medallist: Johannes Lefken
- 1700
- Silver. D-41.1. Total weight: 25.83 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-518
In January 1699 members of the Holy League (the Holy Roman Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Republic of Venice) signed the Treaty of Karlowitz with the Ottoman Empire. In Karlowitz, representatives of the Tsardom of Moscow also concluded a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire for two years. They continued their bilateral negotiations in Istanbul, and on July 3, 1700 they signed the Treaty of Constantinople, allowing Russia to obtain Azov, which had been captured in 1696. By concluding the peace treaty in the south for thirty years, Peter the Great immediately started a war against Sweden.
Numismatic literature traditionally refers to the medal made by the two famous Nuremberg medallists, Georg Hautsch and G.F. Nurneberger, as a medal “commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz;” although it should actually be called a medal “commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Constantinople.”
The original dies of the medal had worn out, and so when the medal was produced in the 18th century, craftsmen would use the medal type of the tsar created by Johannes Lefken for its obverse; Peter Alexeyevich was depicted as an elderly person, whereas on the original medal he was depicted as a young man.
Medal Commemorating the Signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz
- 1700
- Silver. D-41. Total weight: 31.55 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-2694
In January 1699 members of the Holy League (the Holy Roman Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Republic of Venice, and the Tsardom of Russia) signed the Treaty of Karlowitz with the Ottoman Empire. Under the Treaty of Karlowitz, Russia gained Azov, which had been captured in 1696. By concluding the peace treaty in the south for thirty years, Peter the Great gained the opportunity to begin preparing for a war against Sweden.
Portrait of Alexei Lenin and a Kalmyk
- Early 18th century. Before 1707
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3982
Alexei Lenin (? –1707). Son of the Moscow nobleman Nikifor Lenin. In 1693 he became a solicitor; as solicitor he participated in the second Azov campaign in 1696. Starting from 1702 he acted as a solicitor working at higher levels. Lenin died in 1707.
For many years the painting did not have any names attached to the subjects. However, according to the Inventory of the Preobrazhensky Palace, there existed a “Picture of Alexei Lenin and a Youth” in the entrance hall. Not until the 1960s was the painting convincingly identified as the double portrait from the Russian Museum collection. Based on existing documentation, it was very recently established that Alexei Lenin was a highly placed solicitor, beginning around 1702, who died in 1707. This places the date of the portrait prior to Alexei’s death in 1707.
Portrait of Alexei Vasilkov
- 1700s (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-7886
Alexei Vasilkov (his patronymic and dates are unknown). Staring from the end of the 1660s he was an official in the Stvolny (Gun Barrel) Prikaz, and from 1700 served in the Armoury Palace. In 1715 he was a clerk of the Armoury Office.
The portrait originally appeared in the Hermitage inventory under the title “Painting of Alexei Vasikov” cataloged as № 152. All attempts to find the surname “Vasikov” (as misspelled on the portrait) in documents of late 17th and early 18th centuries failed. Finally, a theory concerning the accurate spelling of the surname helped uncover the correct name of Alexei Vasilkov. Unlike other portraits, which feature a “bearded” image, this portrait of Alexei Vasilkov was painted after August 30, 1698.
Portrait of Peter I
- Circa 1700
- Enamel, copper. 3.9 x 3.2 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-642
Peter I (the Great; 1672–1725) was the younger son of the Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. He became Tsar in 1682 (until 1696, he ruled jointly with his brother Ivan V). From 1721, he was the first Emperor of All the Russias.
The fact that there is no ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called suggests that the portrait was probably painted before 1703 (on May 10, 1703 Peter received the order for capturing two Swedish vessels at the mouth of the Neva river). The painting is based on the portrait created by Gottfried Kneller, but there are some changes introduced to the image. All famous portraits of this kind were made with the use of a copper plate unlike portraits that were painted later with the use of gold.
Portrait of Tsaritsa Marfa Matveevna, Widow of Tsar Feodor Alexeevich
- Latter quarter of the 17th – early 18th century. Before 1715 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4705
Marfa Matveyevna Apraksina (1664–1715). Daughter of Matvey Vasilyevich Apraksin and Domna Bogdanovna Lovchikova. She was the second wife of Tsar Theodore III Alexeyevich from February 14 to April 27, 1682. She was the sister of General-Admiral Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, Andrei Matveyevich Apraksin (Maddening Andrei), and Peter Matveyevich Apraksin, a senator.
This portrait of Marfa Matveevna may have been started at the end of the Moscow period of her life and finished at the beginning of the Petersburg period. In early 1708, Peter forced both widow tsarinas (Marfa Matveevna and Praskovia Feodorovna) to move to St Petersburg with their daughters. Members of the tsar’s family were allowed to build their houses on the banks of Neva to the West of the Liteyny courtyard. The palace of Tsaritsa Marfa Matveevna was located next to the palace of Tsarevich Alexis (29 Shpalernaya St). There she spent the last years of her life.
Вид Нарвы, когда Карл XII разбил Петра I
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-35160
Peter I in a Tavern
- 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 37 х 51
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
There are still three seals on the back of the painting, and on one of these seals, there is a count’s coat of arms that belongs to the Polish Raczyński family (reported by E.A. Yarovaya). The painting depicts a genre scene in a tavern, traditional for Dutch paintings. A man sitting on the right resembles Peter the Great. The simplified way of depicting the characters and interior details allow us to suggest that the painting was created by a Russian (?) artist “in the Dutch manner.”
Portrait of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov
- The beginning of the XVIII century
- Canvas, oil. 62 х 52
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-8
Portrait of Catherine I
- Canvas, oil. 97 х 76
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-304
Portrait of Catherine I
- Canvas, oil. 85 х 67
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-317
Portrait of Count Andrei Matveyev
- 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 67 х 54
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Hyacinthe Rigaud’s portrait of Andrei Matveyev (1706, State Hermitage) is quite famous. It is possible that it was inspired by a picture created in the 1720s (before 1728).
Andrei Matveyev(August 15, 1666 – September 16, 1728) Prince (1715), statesman and diplomat. Son of Artamon Matveyev, who died during the Streltsy Uprising. During the years 1691–1693, Andrei served as military governor in the Dvinsk district; in 1699–1712 he was ambassador to Holland. In 1705–1706 he acted as ambassador of Peter the Great in France, in 1706–1708 – he was ambassador in London. In 1712–1715 he was ambassador in Vienna. In 1715 Matveyev was appointed president of the Maritime Academy and Nautical School. In 1719 he was made senator and president of the College of Justice. From 1724 to 1725 he was the president of the Moscow Senate Division. In 1727 he retired.
Portrait of Grigory Dolgoruky
- 18th century (?)
- Canvas, oil. 87,5 х 65
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Grigory Dolgoruky (Dolgorukov) (1656–1723) Prince, Actual Privy Councillor (1709), diplomat. Captain of the Life-Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment (1695). Took part in the Azov campaign and the Battle of Poltava. In 1700 Peter the Great sent him to the Polish king Augustus II to discuss their military moves against the Swedes. During the following periods: 1701–1706, 1709–1712, 1715–1721 Dolgoruky was the Russian ambassador to Poland; he was also a senator (1721).
The work was acquired by the Hermitage as a portrait of Vasily Dolgoruky painted by an unknown artist. The portrait was identified based on the engraving made by Alexei Grachev in the beginning of the 19th century.
Portrait of James Bruce
- 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 69 х 55,5
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Jacob (James Daniel Bruce) (1670 – April 19, 1735) Count (1721). Descendant of an ancient Scottish family. Entered military service in 1687. Participated in the Crimean and Azov campaigns. Accompanied Peter the Great during his first trip abroad. Took part in the Northern War. Starting from 1704 he was Director General of Artillery. Artillery commander in the Battle of Poltava. General-Feldzeugmeister (1711), President of the College of Mining and Manufacturing, senator (1718), Field Marshal (1726).
In this portrait, James Bruce is depicted with the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, which he received on June 27, 1709 for skillful military leadership at the Battle of Poltava. There is another portrait of the same iconographic type, featuring Bruce wearing a costume of the holder of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called and a hat.
Portrait of Peter
- Serbia
- 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 111,5 х 81
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
In 1821 two residents of Karlovec, Pavao and Natalia Paniotovic, brought the portrait to the Velika Remeta Monastery on the Fruška Gora mountain. The painting was first mentioned in the press in 1879: it was a local legend saying that the portrait was given to the monastery by Peter the Great himself when he stopped there on his way to Russia. At solicitation of Konstantin Pobedonostsev, Attorney General of the Synod, the painting was presented to Emperor Alexander II and bought for the Romanov Gallery of the Winter Palace. It is most likely that the portrait was painted by a Serbian artist in the 18th century.
Portrait of Peter I
- Canvas, oil. 98 х 76
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-303
Portrait of Peter I
- Canvas, oil. 91 х 70
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-7
Portrait of Peter I
- Type by Godfrey Kneller
- Early 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 81.4 x 66.5 (oval in rectangle)
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Peter, the young Russian tsar, is depicted without a wig, wearing a suit of armour and a mantle lined with ermine over his right shoulder. This shoulder-length portrait is based on the original full length portrait painted by Gottfried Kneller in 1698 during Peter’s stay in London.
Portrait of Peter I
- 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 94 x 70 (oval)
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
The iconographical type of the painting originates from Adriaan Schoonebeek’s engraving, which is a full-length picture of Peter wearing a kaftan and a cuirass, with a mantle lined with ermine and a hat with curved brims decorated with feathers, and a wig with long curls coming down to his shoulders. The painting is a shoulder-length variant of the engraving, and is fairly similar to it in the details of the clothes, the body’s position and the way the artist depicted the face of the young tsar.
Portrait of an Unknown Man in Brown Fur Coat
- Early 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 82,5 х 70
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Stylistic analysis of the painting suggests that it is part of the Preobrazhensky Series. It is hard to determine the name of the person depicted. The character is wearing a vest and a sheepskin padded homespun coat.
Sword
- Early 18th century
- steel. 96
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-672
Waistcoat of Peter I
- Russia. From the collection of the Summer Palace of Peter the Great
- Early 18th century
- Silk. 100 х 42
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-559
«Round» Mantel of Peter I. Russia
- From the collection of the Summer Palace of Peter the Great
- Early 18th century
- Blue cloth, golden thread. 143 х 900
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-555
Unknown painter
Choglokov Mikhail
Circa 1650 – circa 1710Moscow painter, beginning on November 25, 1678 studied under Ivan Bezmin. In February 1684 he was sent to the Simonov Monastery “to take care of the church affairs,” and in September of the same year, painted “murals, all kinds of parables, on the walls of newly built rooms upstairs.” In 1685 he painted the walls of the rooms, which belonged to Tsaritsa Natalia Kirillovna and Tsarevnas Sofia, Catherine, Maria, Feodosia, and Natalia. In March 1690, he painted two linden wardrobes of Natalia Kirillovna. In 1694 he made an estimate of the iconostasis of thePreobrazhensky Cathedral of the Solovetsky Monastery “upon the written request” of Peter the Great. In 1694 he painted a portrait of Natalia Kirillovna “after her dormition.”
Grube Georg Ernst
Адольский (Одольский) Григорий Григорьевич
Werfe Piter van der
Weenix Jan
Шенк Петр
Gunst, Pieter Stevensz van
Choonebeck, Adrian
Lefken Johann Timofeevich
Монограммист СН
Hautsch Georg
1659‒1745Nuremberg medallist.
Ust-Ruditsa Factory of Mikhail Lomonosov
Portrait of Tsarevich Peter
- 1670s
- Wood, oil, tempera. 20 х 17
- Alexander Pushkin State Museum, Moscow
This is one of the extremely rare painted portraits of Tsarevich Peter. Through research the dating was revised. Earlier there was a theory that this image of Peter was part of a double portrait of Peter and Ioann (State Alexander Pushkin Museum, 2004).
Portrait of Peter I
- Circa 1697
- Canvas, oil. 56 х 50
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
This painting was created during Peter the Great’s first trip abroad (1697–1698). It was painted in Holland. Peter is wearing a traditional Russian outfit: a long sable lined coat (okhabna) and a satin kaftan. On the right one can see a pavilion and a Kalmyk coming out to bring a hat to the tsar; on the left, in the distance, one can see a view of Azov. The Russian ambassador in Berlin, Baron Andrei Budberg, bought the painting from a Berlin bookseller in the 1860s. There is a legend that says that a Dutchman left it there as collateral in 1812. The bookseller presented the painting to the Berlin Museum, where it was confirmed to be an original piece by van der Werff. The director of the museum offered it to King Frederick William IV of Prussia for purchase so that he could make it a gift to the Russian emperor. But the king’s disease prevented him from doing so, so Baron Budberg bought the painting himself and gave it to Emperor Alexander II. Until 1917, the portrait was kept in the emperor’s parlor in the Great Palace of Tsarskoye Selo. Andrei Budberg suggested that the painting had been created by the younger brother of Adrian van der Werff, Peter. Today, there are no doubts about the fact that the piece was painted by Peter van der Werff.
Medal Commemorating the Capture of Azov
- 1696
- Silver. Total weight: 36.56 g
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-340
Portrait of Peter I
- 1697 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3954
Peter I (the Great; 1672–1725) was the younger son of the Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. He became Tsar in 1682 (until 1696, he ruled jointly with his brother Ivan V). From 1721, he was the first Emperor of All the Russias.
The iconographical type of the portrait was described as the “Versailles” one. It was supposed to be “the Versailles original half-length portrait, with hands not depicted; given to Louis XV by Peter the Great”.
A legend says that the portrait was painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud. There is a similar portrait in Versailles, but French art historians believe that it originates from a portrait by Pieter van der Werff housed in the State Hermitage.
Portrait of Peter I
- 1697 (?)
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-14421
Portrait of Peter I
- 169[7]
- Canvas, oil. 57 х 47
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
According to the date on the canvas, the portrait was painted during Peter’s stay in Holland in 1697, during his first trip abroad (1697–1698). Alexander Vasilchikov noted that the body’s depiction is a bit “awkward”; he believed that the image of the head was copied from Peter van der Werff’s piece and it was supposed to fit a “different pose of the body.” The provenance of the painting is unknown. In 1872, it was in the emperor’s parlor in the Winter Palace. It was exhibited at the Tauride exhibition of 1905, and the exhibition dedicated “to the Founder of St Petersburg” (To the Founder of St Petersburg, 2003).
Portrait of Peter I
- .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-16801
Portrait of Peter I
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-14501
Portrait of Peter I
- 1697
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-14500
Portrait of Peter I
- .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-28586
Portrait of Tsar Peter Alekseevich
- The Versailles type
- The end of the XVII century
- Canvas, oil. 74 х 54
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 288 ГИМ 15999щ
Portrait of Peter I
- .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-29375
Medal Commemorating the Signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz
- 1700
- Silver. D-41. Total weight: 31.55 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-2694
In January 1699 members of the Holy League (the Holy Roman Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Republic of Venice, and the Tsardom of Russia) signed the Treaty of Karlowitz with the Ottoman Empire. Under the Treaty of Karlowitz, Russia gained Azov, which had been captured in 1696. By concluding the peace treaty in the south for thirty years, Peter the Great gained the opportunity to begin preparing for a war against Sweden.
Medal Commemorating the Signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz
- Medallist: Johannes Lefken
- 1700
- Silver. D-41.1. Total weight: 25.83 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-518
In January 1699 members of the Holy League (the Holy Roman Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Republic of Venice) signed the Treaty of Karlowitz with the Ottoman Empire. In Karlowitz, representatives of the Tsardom of Moscow also concluded a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire for two years. They continued their bilateral negotiations in Istanbul, and on July 3, 1700 they signed the Treaty of Constantinople, allowing Russia to obtain Azov, which had been captured in 1696. By concluding the peace treaty in the south for thirty years, Peter the Great immediately started a war against Sweden.
Numismatic literature traditionally refers to the medal made by the two famous Nuremberg medallists, Georg Hautsch and G.F. Nurneberger, as a medal “commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz;” although it should actually be called a medal “commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Constantinople.”
The original dies of the medal had worn out, and so when the medal was produced in the 18th century, craftsmen would use the medal type of the tsar created by Johannes Lefken for its obverse; Peter Alexeyevich was depicted as an elderly person, whereas on the original medal he was depicted as a young man.
Portrait of Peter I
- Circa 1700
- Enamel, copper. 3.9 x 3.2 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-642
Peter I (the Great; 1672–1725) was the younger son of the Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. He became Tsar in 1682 (until 1696, he ruled jointly with his brother Ivan V). From 1721, he was the first Emperor of All the Russias.
The fact that there is no ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called suggests that the portrait was probably painted before 1703 (on May 10, 1703 Peter received the order for capturing two Swedish vessels at the mouth of the Neva river). The painting is based on the portrait created by Gottfried Kneller, but there are some changes introduced to the image. All famous portraits of this kind were made with the use of a copper plate unlike portraits that were painted later with the use of gold.
Portrait of Peter
- Serbia
- 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 111,5 х 81
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
In 1821 two residents of Karlovec, Pavao and Natalia Paniotovic, brought the portrait to the Velika Remeta Monastery on the Fruška Gora mountain. The painting was first mentioned in the press in 1879: it was a local legend saying that the portrait was given to the monastery by Peter the Great himself when he stopped there on his way to Russia. At solicitation of Konstantin Pobedonostsev, Attorney General of the Synod, the painting was presented to Emperor Alexander II and bought for the Romanov Gallery of the Winter Palace. It is most likely that the portrait was painted by a Serbian artist in the 18th century.
Portrait of Peter I
- Canvas, oil. 91 х 70
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-7
Portrait of Peter I
- 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 94 x 70 (oval)
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
The iconographical type of the painting originates from Adriaan Schoonebeek’s engraving, which is a full-length picture of Peter wearing a kaftan and a cuirass, with a mantle lined with ermine and a hat with curved brims decorated with feathers, and a wig with long curls coming down to his shoulders. The painting is a shoulder-length variant of the engraving, and is fairly similar to it in the details of the clothes, the body’s position and the way the artist depicted the face of the young tsar.
Portrait of Peter I
- Canvas, oil. 98 х 76
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-303
Portrait of Peter I
- Type by Godfrey Kneller
- Early 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 81.4 x 66.5 (oval in rectangle)
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Peter, the young Russian tsar, is depicted without a wig, wearing a suit of armour and a mantle lined with ermine over his right shoulder. This shoulder-length portrait is based on the original full length portrait painted by Gottfried Kneller in 1698 during Peter’s stay in London.
Sword
- Early 18th century
- steel. 96
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-672
Waistcoat of Peter I
- Russia. From the collection of the Summer Palace of Peter the Great
- Early 18th century
- Silk. 100 х 42
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-559
«Round» Mantel of Peter I. Russia
- From the collection of the Summer Palace of Peter the Great
- Early 18th century
- Blue cloth, golden thread. 143 х 900
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-555
Портрет императора Петра I
- Metal, mosaic.
- The State Russian Museum
- СТ-3618
Portrait of Peter I
- 1702
- Canvas, oil, tempera. 233 х 160
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 2697 ГИМ 52472
Portrait of Peter I
- 1703–1706
- Canvas, oil. 80,5 х 64,4
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 299 ГИМ 16854щ
One-Ruble Coin of 1707
- Obverse side
- 1704
- Silver.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мон.А-3750
1 rouble coin, 1705. Peter the Great
- Silver. D-44.5. Total weight: 31.20 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мон.А-3754
Portrait of Peter I
- Early 18th century
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5479
Peter I (the Great; 1672–1725) was the younger son of the Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. He became Tsar in 1682 (until 1696, he ruled jointly with his brother Ivan V). From 1721, he was the first Emperor of All the Russias.
Iconographically, this representation of the tsar harkens back to the original work by Godfrey Kneller, and features allegoric representations of Peter the Great trampling down his enemies. It is believed that the portrait was created based on a reproduction made by John Smith (from Kneller’s original painting) by one of the tsar’s painters from the Armoury Chamber; who were apprentices of Stanislaw Lopucki. It is supposed this is the picture that was kept in “the palace of Tsarevna Maria Alexeyevna.”
Medal Commemorating the Battle of Kalisz
- Medallist: G. Haupt
- 1706
- Silver. D-43.2. Total weight: 46.38 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-317
On October 18, 1706, the united Russo-Polish-Saxon army under the command of Augustus II and Prince Alexander Menshikov defeated the Swedish-Polish forces under Colonel Mardefelt at Kalisz, 250 km to the west of Warsaw. This was the first serious field victory over the Swedish army in six years of the Northern War. Paradoxically, five days before the battle took place representatives of Augustus II had secretly signed a separate peace treaty with Sweden. Awarding these medals of different value was the first mass distribution of awards to Russian military officers. Subsequently, the St Petersburg mint also produced a considerable number of silver medals, some of which were restrike medals while others were made using newly carved dies.
Medal Commemorating the Battle of Kalisz in 1706
- Silver. D-41. Total weight: 35.54 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-355
On October 18, 1706 the united Russo-Polish-Saxon army under the command of Augustus II and Prince Alexander Menshikov defeated the Swedish-Polish forces under Colonel Mardefelt. This was the first significant victory over Sweden in six years of the Northern War. 300 gold medals of different value were produced to award military officers who distinguished themselves in the battle. Subsequently, the St Petersburg mint also produced a considerable number of silver medals, some of which were restrike medals while others were made using newly carved dies.
1 rouble coin, 1707. Peter the Great
- Medallist: G. Haupt
- Silver. D-44. Total weight: 28.75 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мон.А-3757
Bas-relief with the handprint of Peter the Great
- Russia, the City of Lipetsk
- 1707
- .
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-1041
One-Ruble Coin of 1707
- 1707
- Silver.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мон.А-11738
Medal Commemorating the Victory at Lesnaya
- Medallist: S. Gouin
- 1708
- Gold. 27.5 x 31. Total weight: 17.10 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-3259
1140 medals of different value were distributed to commemorate the victory at Lesnaya. Military officers received oval and round gold medals (from 3.5 to 40 g). Those with lower ranks were awarded silver medals.
Medal Awarded to Captain Matvei Simontov for Building the Harbour in Taganrog in 1709
- Medallist: I. P
- Silver. 42 x 38. Total weight: 34.81 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-3697
The Italian Matvei Simont (Simontov) came to Russia in 1698 with the task of teaching 10 Russians “shipping and maritime military affairs.” Peter the Great commissioned the Italian to supervise construction of a harbour in the mouth of the Mius River. Subsequently, when it turned out to be impossible to build a harbour on the selected site, it was decided to build a harbour next to Taganrog. This was accomplished based on technical drawings prepared by Simontov. In May 1709, when the tsar arrived to Taganrog, the harbour construction was almost complete, and Peter ordered that a gold medal be awarded to the engineer. On June 2, 1709 Admiral Fyodor Apraksin, who was in control of the Mint, wrote to the tsar: “I will instantly initiate the production of the medal for Matvei Simontov, with an image of Your Majesty on one side, and a depiction of the harbour on the other side, along with the inscription that you have ordered. I will send it to Your Majesty the moment it is ready.” Initially, a single gold medal was produced to be awarded to Simontov, but subsequently more copies of it were made with different metals. Apart from the medal’s original dies made by S. Gouin, we are aware of at least four pairs of renewed dies made in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Medal Commemorating the Capture of General
- Silver. D-47.1. Total weight: 48.37 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-129
On June 27, 1709, after the Battle of Poltava, what remained of the Swedish army withdrew to Perevolochna, where they planned to cross the Dnieper River. On June 30 Prince Alexander Menshikov, the commander of the Russian advanced guard, forced General Adam Ludwig Lewenhaupt, who had taken over the leadership of the Swedish army after the flight of Charles XII, to surrender. About 20,000 people were taken prisoners by the Russian forces, along with all the artillery, banners, and the treasury of the Swedish army. In 1713–1714 the famous Nuremberg medallist Philipp Heinrich Müller made a series of 26 medals commemorating the victories of the Russian army in the Northern War by order of Peter the Great. In 1715, the dies were shipped to Moscow. Medals belonging to Müller’s series were produced in large amounts, and soon the dies wore out. Osip Kalashnikov, one of the medallists of the St Petersburg mint renewed them.
Medal Commemorating the Victory at Poltava
- Medallist: S. Gouin, Medallist: G. Haupt
- 1709
- Silver. D-49.1. Total weight: 56.70 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-597
In order to award those low-ranked men from the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky Regiments, who distinguished themselves at the Battle of Poltava, two types of medals were produced at the Moscow Kadyshevsky mint: 81 g sergeants’ medals (for non-commissioned officers), and 42 g soldiers’ medals. The reverse side of the medals conferred to the non-commissioned officers contained a depiction of the cavalry battle; and the reverse side of the soldier medals depicted infantry fighting. In total, 4618 medals were produced.
Medal of Honour to Matvei Simontov for the Building of the Taganrog Harbour
- 1709
- Copper.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-4981
Medal Commemorating the Victory at Poltava
- Silver. D-44. Total weight: 30.41 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-238
Just like his fellow craftsman Philipp Heinrich Müller, the Nuremberg medallist Georg Hautsch (1659–1745) worked for many of the European courts. For instance, he made medals commemorating the victory of Charles XII. After the Battle of Poltava took place, he received an order from Peter the Great and produced medals commemorating the victory of the Russian army as well.
Medal Vommemorating the Victory at Poltava
- Silver. D-42.5. Total weight: 25.77 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-245
Several medals were produced to commemorate the Battle of Poltava. The reverse side of the medal, which was likely designed by the Danish medallist Peter Berg, shows a depiction of one of the seven triumphal arches for the victorious Russian army to pass through. The arch was decorated with an equestrian statue of Peter the Great and figures of Fortuna and Hercules. There is an inscription around the perimeter of the medal that reads: “VICIT FORTUNAE ATQUE HERCULIS AEDEM,” which means “Occupied the temple of Fortuna and Hercules.”
Portrait of Peter the Great
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5807
Emperor Peter I Alexeyevich (1672–1725) – Peter the Great – was the younger son of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich. He became Tsar in 1682 (ruling jointly with his brother Ivan V until 1696). From 1721 he was the first Emperor of All the Russias. His foreign and domestic policies were conducted with the aim of integrating Russia into the international European system. He was the first Russian monarch to go on a lengthy journey to Western Europe. On his return he began carrying out reforms in the Western (Protestant) style with his decree about shaving off beards and wearing Western clothes. Under Peter the Great, reforms were carried out in all spheres of public life: the government, the Church, the army, education, everyday culture. He founded the Russian Navy. He waged wars with Turkey, with the aim of gaining an outlet to the Black Sea, and with Sweden for an outlet to the Baltic, so as to provide Russia with a waterway to Western Europe. The transfer of the capital from Moscow to St Petersburg in 1712 became the symbol of the change of Russia from a medieval to a modern European cultural space.
Апофеоз Петра I (Аллегория Полтавской баталии)
- Canvas, oil. 141,5 х 126
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 5987 ГИМ 68257/7268
Петр I. Апофеоз Полтавы
- The beginning of the XVIII century
- Canvas, oil. 136 х 100
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 2268 ГИМ 72395
1 rouble coin, 1712. Peter the Great
- Medallist: S. Gouin
- Silver. D-42. Total weight: 27.75 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мон.А-3766
Medal Commemorating the Naval Victory at Gangut
- 1714
- Silver. D-60.2. Total weight: 27.46 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-568
Those who participated in the Battle of Gangut, which took place on June 27, 1714, received various awards. “For their service, the staff officers and the company officers were awarded medals, each of them in accordance with their ranks; and the soldiers received silver medals and money.”
Initially, 193 gold medals and 1000 silver medals were produced. However, it turned out that a lot more people had distinguished themselves in the battle, and before 1717, 144 gold medals and 3125 silver medals had been distributed. Without exception, all military men who were part of the galley squadron advanced guards received a medal.
Medal Commemorating the Naval Victory at Gangut in 1714
- Silver. D-41.3. Total weight: 28.69 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-341
Those who participated in the Battle of Gangut, which took place on June 27, 1714, received various awards. “For their service, the staff officers and the company officers were awarded medals, each of them in accordance with their ranks, and the soldiers received silver medals and money.”
Initially, 193 gold medals and 1000 silver medals were produced. However, it turned out that a lot more people had distinguished themselves in the battle, and before 1717, 144 gold medals and 3125 silver medals had been distributed. Without exception, all military men who were part of the galley squadron advanced guards received a medal.
Portrait of Peter I
- 1714
- mezzotint.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-16806
Portrait of Peter I
- Type of Johann Gottfried Tannauer
- First quarter of the 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 59 х 47
- State Tretyakov Gallery
The portrait painted by Johann Gottfried Tannauer in 1714 was engraved by Christian-Albert Wortmann. Location of the original work by Tannauer is unknown.
Portrait of Peter I Against a Background of a Seafight
- 1715 (?)
- Canvas, oil. 142,5 х 107
- Государственный музей-заповедник "Царское Село"
Originally the painting’s size was 100.5 x 107 cm. When housed in the Romanov Gallery of the Winter Palace, the painting was thought to have been painted by Jan Kupecký in 1711. One of the variants of Peter’s travel journal contains an entry dated April 30, 1715, which reads: “Ivan Nikitin painted a half-length portrait of His Majesty.” Researchers believe that it was the “Portrait of Peter I Against a Background of a Seafight,” for which Nikitin received one hundred rubles in January 1715.
Chervonets, 1716. Peter the Great
- Gold. D-23. Total weight: 3.43 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мон.А-17488
The first Russian gold coin, which had the purity and the weight of the Hungarian ducat, chervonets, was produced during the monetary reform of Peter the Great that took place in 1701–1716. In 1718, craftsmen switched to the production of two rouble coins that were less pure, but heavier. All those gold coins were made of imported gold.
Medal Commemorating the Capture of Nyenschantz in 1703
- 1703
- Silver. D-46. Total weight: 41.93 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-514
The desire of Peter the Great to make Russia one of the European commonwealths initiated the birth of medallic art, which before this was unknown in the Tsardom of Moscow. The famous Nuremberg medallist Philipp Heinrich Müller was ordered to create a series of 26 medals commemorating events of the Northern War. The medals were produced in 1713‒1714 using the highest quality materials and corresponding to European medallic traditions. Beginning in 1716, these commemorative medals were produced in Moscow for presentational purposes: they were presented as gifts to foreigners and senior officers of the state. The letters highlighted in the Latin legend refer to the date, on which the event took place.
Portrait of Peter I
- 1716
- Canvas, oil. 224 х 142
- Peterhof State Museum Reserve
On February 7, 1713 Peter the Great met with Frederick IV of Denmark (1699–1730) near the town of Tönning, and they exchanged highest state awards. Frederick received the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, and Peter – the Danish Order of the Elephant. The portrait must have been painted between 1713 (when Peter received the order) and 1722 (the year when the artist died); it is most likely that the painting was created in 1716 during Peter’s official visit to Copenhagen. The painting used to belong to Count Grigory Orlov and was housed in the Marble Palace in St Petersburg. After Orlov’s death his collection was bought by the state, but it remained in the Marble Palace. In 1832 Emperor Nicholas I granted the Marble Palace to Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich. The paintings that were housed in the palace were examined by the emperor, and he ordered to move 55 portraits (including the portrait of Peter the Great painted by Le Coffre) to Peterhof. That is when a new frame was made for the painting. However, a year after that Nicholas I decided to move the portrait to the Cabin of Peter the Great, but because “there was no suitable space for it” in the cabin, it was placed in the Summer Palace.
Portrait of Peter I
- Historical collection of the Pavlovsk Palace
- 1716–1717
- Canvas, oil. 254,5 х 165,4
- State Museum «PAVLOVSK»
Between 1795 and 1801 the portrait was kept in the Small Cabinet in the Pavlovsk Palace and was considered to be painted by Johann Gottfried Tannauer. In the 1980s G. Bartoshek suggested that the painting was created by Antoine Pesne. A shoulder-length portrait of Peter the Great was painted into an already existing composition of a full-length portrait with battle scene on the bottom right. Pesne painted the portrait in Havelberg in November 1716 while the Russian tsar was staying at the court of King Frederick William I of Prussia. This fact was reported by a newspaper published in Berlin at that time, mentioning that the only part painted from life was Peter’s face. The portrait is also mentioned in the travel diary of Peter the Great. In 1872 the portrait underwent an unfortunate restoration in the Imperial Hermitage. It wasn’t evacuated and was seriously damaged during the occupation of Pavlovsk. The painting was extensively renovated by the State Hermitage during the period from 2011 to 2015. The research conducted during the restoration proved that the canvas used for the added piece (the original shoulder-length portrait) is identical to the one used for the rest of the painting.
Portrait of Peter I
- 1717
- Canvas, oil. 370 х 265
- State Museum «PAVLOVSK»
It is possible that the picture was painted during the stay of the artist in St Petersburg. The portrait was mentioned in the 1801–1806 Inventory as work of an unknown artist. The portrait inventory of 1840–1843 of the Gatchina Palace states that the portrait was painted by Jouvenet in Paris in 1717. Scholars believed that this painting attribution has been based on some lost documents, or the artist’s signature. The Gatchina Palace received the portrait from the architect Vincenzo Brenna in 1793–1796. In the summer of 1797 Stanisław August Poniatowski paid particular attention to this painting during his visit to the Gatchina Palace.
Portrait of Peter I
- 1717
- Canvas, oil. 142,5 х 110
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Jean-Marc Nattier painted this portrait of Peter the Great from life in 1717 in Paris; the painting was a companion portrait to the portrait of Catherine I that was highly praised by the Russian tsar.
Nattier depicted Peter wearing a knight’s suit of armour against a battleship background. There are several similar variants of the portrait of Peter the Great. The one that is signed and dated is housed in the Munich Residenz. Authenticity of the Hermitage painting was questioned already in the 19th century. In 1872 the picture was housed in the former living room of Empress Elizabeth Alexeyevna in the Grand Palace in Tsarskoye Selo.
Portrait of Tsar Peter I
- 1717
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-8634
Peter I (the Great; 1672–1725) was the younger son of the Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. He became Tsar in 1682 (until 1696, he ruled jointly with his brother Ivan V). From 1721, he was the first Emperor of All the Russias.
Peter is wearing the uniform of the Preobrazhensky Regiment with a ribbon and a star of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called. This is one of the earliest portraits of Peter the Great painted by Caravaque done from a study. The work was dated in accordance with the label on the reverse side of the canvas. Technological research proved Caravaque’s authorship. The portrait has been copied many times: there are several 18th century copies of it in the State Russian Museum collection.
1 rouble coin, 1718. Peter the Great
- Medallist: O. K.
- Silver. D-40. Total weight: 28.05 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мон.А-3771
2 rouble coin, 1721. Peter the Great
- Gold. D-20. Total weight: 4.02 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мон.А-17228
The first Russian gold coin, which had the purity and the weight of the Hungarian ducat, chervonets, was produced during the monetary reform of Peter the Great that took place in 1701–1716. In 1718, craftsmen switched to the production of two rouble coins that were less pure, but heavier. All those gold coins were made of imported gold.
Medal for the Pacification of the State
- 1718
- Silver. D-46. Total weight: 44.79 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-319
The meaning of this medal and its companion medal was already unclear a few years after the death of Peter the Great. The inventory of files, sums of money, and possessions that were kept in the Chamber (1727–1729) contains a list of medals, which reads: “Two silver medals with the head of His Majesty on one side; on the other side of the first medal, there is a mountain under a crown, on the other side of the second medal, there is an eagle looking at the sun. The items were produced in Moscow and were given to His Majesty in a black leather case upholstered with sky-blue damask fabric.” Evgenia Shchukina suggested that these medals are related to the beginning and the end of the trial of Tsarevich Alexis Petrovich.
Схалкен Готфрид
Московский (Кадашёвский) монетный двор
Haput Gottfried
Gouin Solomon
Kalashnikov Osip
Зубов Алексей Федорович
Adolsky (Odolsky), Ivan-Bolshoi
After 1686 (1691?), Moscow – circa 1758, MoscowPainter and engraver. Adolsky worked at the Moscow Armoury, and in 1710 he was transferred to the Petersburg Armoury Chancellery. From 1721 he was instructor of painting and engraving at the Petersburg Printing House. His students were Moscow icon painters such as K. Yevtikhiyev, as well as painters of the Chancellery of Construction. During the mid 1720s he worked in Petersburg imperial palaces. He returned to Moscow in 1728; and in 1735–1736 he was the supervisor of the Moscow Armoury. The last reports, mentioning him as the supervisor of the Armoury, are dated 1750.
Nikitin Ivan Nikitich
1680s, Moscow (?) - After 1741Painter, portraitist. Son of a Moscow priest, brother of Roman Nikitin. Possibly educated at the Armoury School of Printing in Moscow. Lived in St Petersburg (from 1711). Studied under Tommaso Redi in Florence as a fellow of Peter the Great (1716-19). Returned to Russia (1720). Court portraitist (from 1721). Painted life portraits of Peter the Great on Kronstadt (1715-21). Married and divorced Maria Fyodorovna Mamens, lady of the bedchamber to Empress Catherine I (1727). Arrested in St Petersburg in connection with the libelling of Archbishop Feofan Prokopovich (1732). Spent five years in the Peter and Paul Fortress. Exiled to Siberia (1737). Released by the Privy Council (1742). Died on the way from Siberia to Moscow.
Benoit, Le Coffre
Müller/ Miller/ Myller Philipp Heinrich
Pesne, Antoine
Jouvenet Francois
Karavak Louis
1684, Marseille - 1754, St. PetersburgPainter, portraitist, designer, miniaturist, graphic artist. Member of the third generation of French painters working in Marseilles and Tulon. Invited to Russia by Peter the Great (1715). Lived and worked in St Petersburg (from 1716). Painted portraits of Peter the Great and members of the Imperial family. Painted murals and headed painting work in Peterhof and in the Summer Palace in St Petersburg. Compiled festival projects for the Imperial court. Court artist with an exclusive right to paint Imperial portraits during the reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740) and Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (1741-1761). Taught painting to Ivan Vishnyakov, Alexei Antropov and Mikhail Zakharov.
Nattier, Jean-Marc
Portrait of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich
- Before 1671 (?)/ After 1676 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3988
Alexis I Mikhailovich (March 19, 1629 – January 29, 1676)
Tsar, member of the Romanov dynasty, father of Peter the Great. Son of Mikhail Fedorovich and Eudoxia Streshneva. He assumed the throne on July 14, 1645, and was crowned on September 28, 1645. During his reign the Zemsky Sobor (Assembly of the Land) passed the Law Code of 1649; the Customs (1653) and New Trade (1667) Regulations were adopted; and Ukraine came under Russian rule (1654), which led to the signing of the Truce of Andrusovo between Russia and Poland (1667). On January 16, 1648 Alexis married Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya (April 1, 1624 – March 3, 1669), together they had 13 children. On January 22, 1671 he entered into a second marriage with Natalia Naryshkina (August 22, 1651 – January 25, 1694), and had three children with her: Peter (May 30, 1672 – January 28, 1725), Natalia (August 22, 1673 – June 18, 1716), and Feodora (September 4, 1674 – November 28, 1678).
This portrait engraved by Cornelis Meyssens (1646–?) can be found among illustrations of the book Historia di Leopoldo Cesare (History of Leopold Caesar, Vienna, 1670); that is where its traditional dating comes from. However, an inscription made on the portrait “reigned and ruled” (in Latin, in the past tense) suggests that the portrait was made after the tsar’s death. The artist’s alterations and technical characteristics do not contradict the fact that the work was painted in the end of the 17th century.
Portrait of Tsar Ioann V Alexeevich
- Late January – early February 1696
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3989
Ioann V Alexeyevich (August 27, 1666 - January 29, 1696). Tsar from the Romanov dynasty, elder brother and co-ruler of Peter the Great. He was crowned together with Peter the Great on June 25, 1682. On January 9, 1684 he married Praskovia Saltykova (October 12, 1664 – October 13, 1723). He had five daughters: Maria (March 21, 1689 – February 13, 1692), Feodosia (June 4, 1690 – 1690), Catherine (October 29, 1691 – June 14, 1733), Anna (January 28, 1693 – October 17, 1740), Praskovia (September 24, 1694 – October 8, 1731).
The original canvas, which was 89 x 63 cm, was extended along the perimeter; the hands we painted later. The painting’s technique and identification from X-ray photographs imply that the artist who created the painting was also the one who painted the portrait of Tsaritsa Natalia Kirillovna. The fact that the coat of armor worn by Tsar Ivan Alexeevich is black suggests that this is a “dormition” portrait completed at the end of January (Ivan Alexeevich died on January 29) – beginning of February in 1696.
Portrait of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich
- Second half of the 17th century. 1680s (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3979
Alexis I Mikhailovich (March 19, 1629 – January 29, 1676). Tsar, member of the Romanov dynasty, father of Peter the Great. Son of Mikhail Fedorovich and Eudoxia Streshneva. He assumed the throne on July 14, 1645, and was crowned on September 28, 1645. During his reign the Zemsky Sobor (Assembly of the Land) passed the Law Code of 1649; the Customs (1653) and New Trade (1667) Regulations were adopted; and Ukraine came under Russian rule (1654), which led to the signing of the Truce of Andrusovo between Russia and Poland (1667). On January 16, 1648 Alexis married Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya (April 1, 1624 – March 3, 1669), together they had 13 children. On January 22, 1671 he entered into a second marriage with Natalia Naryshkina (August 22, 1651 – January 25, 1694), and had three children with her: Peter (May 30, 1672 – January 28, 1725), Natalia (August 22, 1673 – June 18, 1716), and Feodora (September 4, 1674 – November 28, 1678).
This painting is a companion piece to the portrait of Tsar Michael I Feodorovich. The portrait of Alexis Mikhailovich was probably also based on the portrait from the 1672 “Titulyarnik” (a manuscript containing titles, coats of arms, and portraits of Russian and foreign rulers). The technique is close to the one of the portraits of Michael I Feodorovich and Tsaritsa Marfa Matveyevna (“with a hand fan”) of similar size. The portrait of Alexis Mikhailovich was also painted in the end of the reign of Tsar Theodore III Alexeyevich, or during the reign of Tsarevna Sophia (1682–1689).
Portrait of Marfa Apraksina, Second Wife of Tsar Feodor Alexeevich
- December 1681 – 14 February 1682
- Canvas, oil. 89 x 72 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3985
Marfa Matveyevna Apraksina (1664–1715). Daughter of Matvey Vasilyevich Apraksin and Domna Bogdanovna Lovchikova. She was the second wife of Tsar Theodore III Alexeyevich from February 14 to April 27, 1682. She was the sister of General-Admiral Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, Andrei Matveyevich Apraksin (Maddening Andrei), and Peter Matveyevich Apraksin, a senator.
This painting was painted almost at the same time as portrait of Marfa Matveevna from the collection of the State Russian Museum. The portraits were painted when Marfa Matveevna was the tsar’s bride. This theory is supported by the fact that she is wearing a kokoshnik headdress, which was part of a maiden’s outfit. The dog was usually a symbol of marital fidelity. Recently it was suggested that the painting was painted by Johann Walter, “a foreigner from the Orenburg lands.”
Portrait of Tsaritsa Marfa Matveevna
- December 1681 – 14 February 1682
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3970
Marfa Matveyevna Apraksina (1664–1715). Daughter of Matvey Vasilyevich Apraksin and Domna Bogdanovna Lovchikova. She was the second wife of Tsar Theodore III Alexeyevich from February 14 to April 27, 1682. She was the sister of General-Admiral Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, Andrei Matveyevich Apraksin (Maddening Andrei), and Peter Matveyevich Apraksin, a senator.
This portrait was painted at the same time as the so-called portrait with a little dog. It was painted when Marfa Matveevna was the tsar’s bride. A hand fan wasn’t one of specific details of the pre-Petrine everyday life, but its “language” was well-known. Tsaritsa Marfa holds her hand fan as an “arrow,” meaning in a closed position, in her right hand, and it is pointed at her companion. This hand fan’s position is a sign of love and sympathy.
Portrait of Governess Sofya Alexeevna
- 1682–1689
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5942
Sophia Alexeyevna (September 17, 1657 – July 3, 1704). Tsarevna, fourth daughter of Tsar Alexis I Mikhailovich with Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya. She came to power through the Moscow Uprising (1682). During the period from May 1682 to September 1689 she ruled over Russia as regent for her younger brothers, Peter and Ivan. In September 1689 her attempt to become Tsaritsa failed and she was confined to the Novodevichy Convent. In 1698 she was made to take the veil under the name of Susanna, and later, shortly before her death, she was tonsured into the Great Schema and given the name Sophia.
Three portraits of Sophia Alexeevna of this kind are known. Soon after Sophia’s conspiracy was uncovered, most of her pictures were destroyed. The portrait of Sophia Alexeevna from the Romanov gallery is based on a portrait from the 1672 “Titulyarnik” (a manuscript containing titles, coats of arms, and portraits of Russian and foreign rulers) that was decorated with multiple rulers’ portraits. A new detail here is the image of a double-headed eagle with six medallions with allegorical figures of “Devoutness,” “Maidenhood,” “Grace,” “Justice,” “Strength,” and “Lenitude” on its wings. Sophia is depicted wearing a crown and holding a sceptre and the orb, even though she wasn’t crowned as tsaritsa.
Portrait of Tsarina Natalia Kirillovna
- Late January – early February 1694 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3943
Natalia Naryshkina (September 1, 1651 – February 4, 1694) – mother of Peter the Great and Tsarevnas Natalia and Feodora. Daughter of Boyar Kirill Naryshkin (1623–1691) who, at the demand of the rebellious Streltsy, was sent to be a monk in the Kirillo-Belozersk Monastery in 1682, and took the name of Cyprian. Until 1671 Natalia was a ward of Boyar Artamon Matveyev. In 1671 she became Tsaritsa, being the second wife of Tsar Alexis I Mikhailovich. She was the elder sister of Boyar Lev Naryshkin (1664–1705).
The original size of the painting was different (88 x 62); also, it was oval in shape, later painted into a square. Elements that were inserted changed its format. Technical research conducted reveals several changes introduced to the hands of the character by the artist (initially she was holding a handkerchief). During the last third of the 17th century a piece with her “dormition” obtained wide circulation; it was painted for a splendid mansion for her descendants to remember her by. The famous historian Ivan Zabelin, who studied the everyday lives of Russian tsars was the first person to publish a report stating that “in 1694 (February) the painter Mikhail Choglokov painted the dormition of Her Majesty Tsarina and Grand Duchess Natalia Kirillovna, the blessed.”
Портрет Льва Кирилловича Нарышкина (1664-1705)
- Canvas, oil. 204 х 133
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 3461 ГИМ 91868
Portrait of Tsaritsa Marfa Matveevna, Widow of Tsar Feodor Alexeevich
- Latter quarter of the 17th – early 18th century. Before 1715 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4705
Marfa Matveyevna Apraksina (1664–1715). Daughter of Matvey Vasilyevich Apraksin and Domna Bogdanovna Lovchikova. She was the second wife of Tsar Theodore III Alexeyevich from February 14 to April 27, 1682. She was the sister of General-Admiral Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, Andrei Matveyevich Apraksin (Maddening Andrei), and Peter Matveyevich Apraksin, a senator.
This portrait of Marfa Matveevna may have been started at the end of the Moscow period of her life and finished at the beginning of the Petersburg period. In early 1708, Peter forced both widow tsarinas (Marfa Matveevna and Praskovia Feodorovna) to move to St Petersburg with their daughters. Members of the tsar’s family were allowed to build their houses on the banks of Neva to the West of the Liteyny courtyard. The palace of Tsaritsa Marfa Matveevna was located next to the palace of Tsarevich Alexis (29 Shpalernaya St). There she spent the last years of her life.
Portrait of Catherine I
- Canvas, oil. 85 х 67
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-317
Portrait of Catherine I
- Canvas, oil. 97 х 76
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-304
Portrait of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeyevna, Sister of Peter I
- Late 1700s (?)
- Canvas, oil. 77 x 62 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3936
Natalia Alexeyevna (August 22, 1673 – June 18, 1716). Favorite sister of Peter the Great, Tsarevna; daughter of Tsar Alexis I Mikhailovich and his second wife Natalia Naryshkina. After Tsatitsa Eudoxia Lopukhina, Peter’s first wife, was made to take the veil in 1698, Peter’s son the young Tsarevich Alexis stayed with Tsarevna Natalila in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Peter later also sent Marta Skowrońska (baptized as Catherine with Tsarevich Alexis becoming her godfather) to stay with Natalia. Two sisters of Alexander Menshikov also stayed at the court of the tsarevna. Starting from 1708 Natalia lived in St Petersburg.
The portrait might have been created at the end of the Moscow period of Natalia’s life, or during its Petersburg period (from 1708). Today, portraits of Natalia Alexeyevna can be found in the collections of the State Russian Museum and the State Tretyakov Gallery and are currently dated: before 1716 (?), and 1714–1715.
Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Wife of Tsarevich Alexis Petrovich
- 1710s
- Canvas, oil. 79 x 66 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3934
Charlotte Christine Sophie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (June 2, 1694–October 22, 1715). Third daughter of Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Christine Louise of Oettingen-Oettingen. She was married to Tsarevich Alexis Petrovich, and died several days after giving birth to her son Peter, future Emperor Peter II.
When the portrait was exhibited in 1870, the label said that “it was taken from the Peterhof Palace.” In the catalogue published for the Anniversary Exhibition in Memory of the Mighty Founder of St Petersburg, there is a note saying “based on Dannhauer’s original painting.” The catalogue of an exhibition of 1973 suggested that the work was painted by Johann Gottfried Tannauer (?).
Portrait of Peter the Great’s Daughters Anna Petrovna and Elizabeth Petrovna
- First half of the 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 69 х 84
- Музей изобразительных искусств Республики Карелия (Петрозаводск)
The closest analogy to the work is the “Portrait of Tsarevnas Anna Petrovna and Elizabeth Petrovna” by Louis Caravaque. Even though the plot and the composition of the paintings are really similar, the subjects are depicted in an absolutely different way. The girls’ images on the Caravaque’s painting are more personalized and the painting was obviously painted by a maestro, whereas the unknown artist depicted the subjects in a conventional baroque manner.
Anna Petrovna (February 7, 1708 – May 15, 1728) Tsarevna, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine Alexeyevna, awarded the title of Tsesarevna on December 23, 1721. On May 21, 1725 she married Duke Charles Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp (April 30, 1700 – June 18, 1739). She had a son, Peter (February 21, 1728 – July 2, 1762), future Emperor Peter III, who would succeed to the throne after Elizabeth Petrovna (1741 – 1761).
Elizabeth Petrovna (December 18, 1709 – December 25, 1761) Tsarevna, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine Alexeyevna, awarded the title of Tsesarevna on December 23, 1721. Became Empress on November 25, 1741. Crowned on 25 April, 1742.
Portrait of Tsarevna Catherine Ioannovna
- Mid-1710s
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- ЖБ-534
Catherine Ioannovna (October 29, 1691 – June 14, 1733). Tsarevna, daughter of Tsar Ioann V Alexeyevich, elder sister of Empress Anna Ioannovna. In 1716 she married Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (November 26, 1678 – November 28, 1747). In 1722 she came back to Russia together with her daughter, Anna Leopoldovna (December 7, 1718 – March 19, 1746), who would give birth to Emperor Ioann VI (August 12, 1740 – July 5, 1764) and become the regent of Russia for the period of his reign (from October, 1740 to November 25, 1741).
Traditionally, the painting is attributed to Louis Caravacque. However, through the technical research conducted and comparison of the work to classic paintings by Caravacque, it was determined that there is a difference in brushwork. It is very likely that the portrait was created by Johann Gottfried Tannauer in the middle of the 1710s when Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was proposing to Catherine Ioannovna.
Image of the marriage of Peter I
- 1712
- etching, lathe.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32300
Portrait of Elisabeth of Russia as a Child
- Circa 1712–1713
- Canvas, oil. 54 х 43
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Acquired as “Portrait of a Girl” painted by an unknown artist of the 18th century, the portrait has been attributed to Ivan Nikitin based on stylistic analysis and technological examination, with the subject as Elisabeth of Russia. The dating is conventional; it is based on the age of the person depicted. The portrait is one of the earliest well-known works of Nikitin completed before he went to Italy to study in 1716–1720s.
Portrait of Tsarevich Alexis Petrovich
- Early 1710s (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5312
Alexis Petrovich (February 18, 1690 – June 26, 1718). Tsarevich, eldest son of Peter the Great. He was considered to be the legitimate successor to the throne before being arrested in February 1718. As heir to the throne he fulfilled many of his father’s assignments during the Northern War period. During the years 1709–1712 he travelled across Europe and studied in Dresden. On October 14, 1711 Alexis married Princess Charlotte Christine Sophie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, sister of Elizabeth Christine, who was married to Emperor Charles VI of Austria. Alexis had two children: Natalia (July 21, 1714 – November 22, 1728) and Peter (October 12, 1715 – January 19, 1730) – the future Emperor Peter II; who would rule after Catherine I. Alexis opposed the reforms of Peter the Great. In the end of 1716 he secretly left for Vienna and placed himself under the protection of Emperor Charles IV of Austria. He lived in the Ehrenburg castle (Tyrol), and starting from May 1717 – in Naples. In January 1718 he succumbed to persuasion of Pyotr Tolstoy and Alexander Rumyantsev and returned to Russia, where he was arrested and locked up in the Peter and Paul Fortress. He was then sentenced to death by the Supreme Court. In the end of July 1718 he died under unclear circumstances several days after being condemned.
The fact that the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called is not included in the portrait (Alexis received it in 1711 and was only stripped of it in 1718) and the subject’s age allow us to suggest that the portrait was created when Alexis met his wife (Charlotte Christine Sophie, née Princess of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel) and proposed to her in spring 1710 in Schlackenwerth (Karlovy Vary).
The Wedding of Peter I and Catherine
- 1712
- etching.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-42519
Portrait of the Tsarevna Praskovia Ivanovna
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4905
Praskovia Ioannovna (September 24, 1694 – October 8, 1731). Tsarevna, younger daughter of Tsar Ioann V Alexeyevich, and the sister of Catherine Ioannovna and Anna Ioannovna. After her mother’s death in 1723, she married General in Chief Ivan Dmitriev-Mamonov (December 10, 1680–May 24, 1730) with the consent of Peter the Great (according to other sources – secretly). In October, 1724 they had a son who died around 1730.
The Academy acquired this portrait no later than the middle of the year 1773. Subsequently, it left the academic collection. It was exhibited within the Tauride Exhibition of 1905 as a portrait of Anna Petrovna (?) painted by Tannauer (?). When part of the Oliv family collection the portrait was counted as an unknown work by Ivan Nikitin. The theory that the person depicted is actually Praskovia Ivanovna was suggested in the Guideline Catalogue of the Russian Museum published in 1948. Thereafter the attribution has never been challenged.
Portrait of Tsesarevna Anna Petrovna
- 1715 (?)
- Canvas, oil. 65 x 53 (oval)
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Anna Petrovna (February 7, 1708 – May 15, 1728) Tsarevna, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine Alexeyevna, awarded the title of Tsesarevna on December 23, 1721. On May 21, 1725 she married Duke Charles Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp (April 30, 1700 – June 18, 1739). She had a son, Peter (February 21, 1728 – July 2, 1762), future Emperor Peter III, who would succeed to the throne after Elizabeth Petrovna (1741 – 1761).
The portrait was first attributed to Ivan Nikitin in 1940. Many researchers believe that the attribution is supported by the stylistic resemblance to a portrait of Praskovia Ioannovna. Most art historians say that the portrait was painted before 1716; however some researchers believe that a more accurate date of the portrait completion is 1715.
Portrait of Tsarevich Peter Petrovich as a Cupid
- Canvas, oil. 82 х 67
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Apart from this work, there is a whole set of similar portraits with some variations: one of them can be found in the State Hermitage (unknown artist, a copy made in the first half of the 19th century from the original painting of the 18th century, standing), there is also a knee-high copy by D. Molchanov housed in the State Russian Museum (1772, 53 x 43). In the catalogue of an exhibition that took place in 1870 four similar portraits were mentioned as well. The theory that the person depicted is Peter Petrovich is supported by the letter that Alexander Menshikov wrote to Peter the Great in 1716: “I am sending Your Majesty this present that you desired […] a picture of Your dearest Cupid.” A portrait of Peter Petrovich is also mentioned in the “Inventory” of Louis Caravaque’s works, even though its location is unknown.
Peter Petrovich (October 29, 1715 – April 25, 1719) Tsarevich, son of Peter the Great and Catherine Alexeyevna. Was considered to be the official heir to the throne starting from June 26, 1718 until his death.
Portrait of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeyevna, sister of Peter I, with Portraits of Tsarina Catherine, Tsareviches Alexis Petrovich, Peter Petrovich and Peter Alexeyevich
- Between 1716 and 1718
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3930
Natalia Alexeyevna (August 22, 1673 – June 18, 1716) – favorite sister of Peter the Great, Tsarevna; daughter of Tsar Alexis I Mikhailovich and his second wife Natalia Naryshkina. After Tsatitsa Eudoxia Lopukhina, Peter’s first wife, was made to take the veil in 1698, Peter’s son the young Tsarevich Alexis stayed with Tsarevna Natalila in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Peter later also sent Marta Skowrońska (baptized as Catherine with Tsarevich Alexis becoming her godfather) to stay with Natalia. Two sisters of Alexander Menshikov also stayed at the court of the tsarevna. Starting from 1708 Natalia lived in St Petersburg.
The picture was painted following the tsarevna’s death. The painting is composed as a “conclusion:” the picture includes portraits, scenes, allegorical figures, and texts from the Bible. Usually “conclusions” were engraved; this picture is a rare example of the genre being a painting that has no engraved analogues. It is an epitaph of a kind with the tsarevna’s portrait placed in its centre. The “conclusion” was given to Peter the Great by Afanasy Zarutsky, Protopope of the Novgorod-Seversky Cathedral. The painting was probably created in the year of Natalia Alexeyevna’s death, or a year after that (before an investigation into the case of Tsarevich Alexis, whose figure wearing a suit of armor is included in the composition).
Portrait of the Tsarevna Natalia Alexeyevna, Sister of Peter I
- Before 1716
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-2
Natalia Alexeyevna (August 22, 1673 – June 18, 1716). Favorite sister of Peter the Great, Tsarevna; daughter of Tsar Alexis I Mikhailovich and his second wife Natalia Naryshkina. After Tsatitsa Eudoxia Lopukhina, Peter’s first wife, was made to take the veil in 1698, Peter’s son the young Tsarevich Alexis stayed with Tsarevna Natalila in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Peter later also sent Marta Skowrońska (baptized as Catherine with Tsarevich Alexis becoming her godfather) to stay with Natalia. Two sisters of Alexander Menshikov also stayed at the court of the tsarevna. Starting from 1708 Natalia lived in St Petersburg.
The presented portrait is one of the earliest works of national art, painted by the Russian artists in the European manner. The appearance of the heroine – style of a dress, wig, manner to behave – states that the portrait belongs to style of the New Age.
At the same time in the fine language of portraits created by I.N. Nikitin ("master of the personal crafts," a favorite of Peter I) there can still be felt echoes of medieval painting: twists and folds of fabric are painted rigorously, there is the flatness in the interpretation of figure. However, the face of the heroine is painted in a voluminous and expressive manner. The presence of multi-temporal features in the painting and the duality in the artistic decision are natural for the early stage of formation of secular art. Apparently, Nikitin I.N. (1680 – not earlier than 1742?) created the portrait before his departure to Italy, where he was sent by Peter I as a scholar. The similar portraits are located in the Pavlovsk Palace Museum and in the State Tretyakov Gallery.
Potrait of Tsarevna Elizabeth Petrovna in Childhood
- Second half of the 1710s
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5323
Elizabeth Petrovna (December 18, 1709 – December 25, 1761). Tsarevna, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine Alexeyevna, awarded the title of Tsesarevna on December 23, 1721. Became Empress on November 25, 1741. Crowned on 25 April, 1742.
The “Inventory of the Imperial Hermitage” published in 1913 mentions “two portraits of Elizabeth Petrovna “as an infant, lying,” holding a portrait of Emperor Peter the Great in her hand, which were acquired in 1763.” Both portraits are housed in the Russian Museum; they are dated based on the subject’s age and their technological characteristics.
Portrait of Catherine I
- 1717
- Canvas, oil. 83 x 66 (oval)
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Catherine Alexeyevna (née Marta Skowrońska (April 15, 1684 – May 6, 1727) Second spouse of Peter the Great (became his wife on February 19, 1712). On May 7, 1724 Peter crowned her as empress-consort and made her his co-ruler. On January, 1725 she became Empress of Russia.
The work was dated based on documentary evidence proving that in 1717, Carel de Moor painted portraits of Peter the Great and Catherine I from life.
In 1718, Ambassador Boris Kurakin sent the portrait of Peter the Great to Russia. Apparently, Kurakin kept the portrait of Catherine I and the work remained at the estate of Nadezhdino. It remained unknown until 1905 when it was exhibited at the Tauride exhibition. Researchers have noted that the image on de Moor’s painting corresponds well to the way Catherine’s contemporaries described her appearance, which revealed her humble origins and lower-class beauty; de Moor’s painting was described as a “realistic portrait that is not so flattering to the model.”
Portrait of Catherine I in a Peignoir
- First half of the 1720s
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5324
Catherine Alexeyevna (née Marta Skowrońska (April 15, 1684 – May 6, 1727). Second spouse of Peter the Great (became his wife on February 19, 1712). On May 7, 1724 Peter crowned her as empress-consort and made her his co-ruler. On January, 1725 she became Empress of Russia.
The size of the painting (51 x 42) was extended around the perimeter after its completion, but the face was painted by Louis Caravaque. Initially Catherine was depicted wearing a white square décolleté gown with a ribbon of the order over her shoulder, just like on the portrait by Jean-Marc Nattier. It is possible that this is one of the earliest studies of Catherine composed by Caravaque after Peter and Catherine came back from Europe. It is also possible that this is a companion portrait to a portrait of Peter the Great, with their size being almost identical.
Portrait of Tsarevna Anna Petrovna and Tsarevna Elizabeth Petrovna
- 1717
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4904
Louis Caravaque’s painting is dated according to the official inventory of the artist’s works that he completed in November 1723. The entry for 1717 reads: “At the command of the Most Serene Prince, two portraits of Their Imperial Highnesses, Tsarevna Anna Petrovna and Tsarevna Elizabeth Petrovna, were painted on a single canvas.” The portrait is also mentioned in Jacob Schtelin’s Notes: “Louis Caravaque ... painted the Imperial Princesses Anna and Elizabeth in their youth.”
Anna Petrovna (February 7, 1708 – May 15, 1728)
Tsarevna, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine Alexeyevna, awarded the title of Tsesarevna on December 23, 1721. On May 21, 1725 she married Duke Charles Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp (April 30, 1700 – June 18, 1739). She had a son, Peter (February 21, 1728 – July 2, 1762), future Emperor Peter III, who would succeed to the throne after Elizabeth Petrovna (1741 – 1761).
Elizabeth Petrovna (December 18, 1709 – December 25, 1761)
Tsarevna, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine Alexeyevna, awarded the title of Tsesarevna on December 23, 1721. Became Empress on November 25, 1741. Crowned on 25 April, 1742.
Portrait of Tsarina Catherine
- 1717
- Canvas, oil. 142,5 х 110
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
The portrait was painted from life in the Hague in 1717 and sent to France, where Peter was staying at that time. Both Catherine I and Peter liked the painting, so he ordered his own portrait from the artist as a companion piece to the painting. According to the information provided by Alexander Vasilchikov in 1872, the portrait was kept in the former living room of Empress Elizabeth Alexeyevna in the Grand Palace in Tsarskoye Selo; the piece was moved there from the Romanov Gallery.
Catherine Alexeyevna (née Marta Skowrońska (April 15, 1684 – May 6, 1727) Second spouse of Peter the Great (became his wife on February 19, 1712). On May 7, 1724 Peter crowned her as empress-consort and made her his co-ruler. On January, 1725 she became Empress of Russia.
Portrait of Peter Alexeyevich and Tsarevna Natalia Alexeyevna in Their Youth as Apollo and Diana
- 1721
- Canvas, oil. 94 х 118
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Louis Caravaque’s painting is dated according to the official inventory of the artist’s works that he completed in November 1723. The entry for 1721 reads: “At the command of Mr Dever, the general and the chief of the police,” Caravaque painted “portraits of Their Majesties the Grand Prince and Princess on the same canvas; the painting is housed at my place.” The “Inventory” of paintings of the Imperial Hermitage mentions a “double painting from the room of His Imperial Highness that was given away on May 21, 1761 [...] the subjects of the portrait are Emperor Peter II when he was the Grand Prince, and His Majesty’s sister, Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeyevna.”
Tsarevich Peter is depicted holding a lyre, which is an attribute of Apollo, the patron of arts and sciences, impersonating the sun. His elder sister Tsarevna Natalia is depicted as Diana, the goddess of the moon, the hunt and chasteness, which is shown by a silver crescent moon in her hair.
Natalia Alexeyevna (August 22, 1673 – June 18, 1716) Favorite sister of Peter the Great, Tsarevna; daughter of Tsar Alexis I Mikhailovich and his second wife Natalia Naryshkina. After Tsatitsa Eudoxia Lopukhina, Peter’s first wife, was made to take the veil in 1698, Peter’s son the young Tsarevich Alexis stayed with Tsarevna Natalila in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Peter later also sent Marta Skowrońska (baptized as Catherine with Tsarevich Alexis becoming her godfather) to stay with Natalia. Two sisters of Alexander Menshikov also stayed at the court of the tsarevna. Starting from 1708 Natalia lived in St Petersburg.
Portrait of Tsesarevna Natalia Petrovna
- 1721
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5322
In the “Inventory” of the collection of the Museum of the Academy of Arts completed by Golovachevsky in1773, the painting is listed as one of the “paintings received from the palace in 1762,” but the work was mistakenly referred to as a portrait of Tsesarevna Anna Petrovna (no artist’s name mentioned). The person depicted in the portrait was recently identified. Recent research established that the painted was created by Caravaque, who painted two portraits of Tsarevna Natalia Petrovna in 1721.
Natalia Petrovna (August 20, 1718 – March 4, 1725)
Tsarevna, last child born to Peter the Great and Catherine Alexeyevna. Became Tsesarevna in 1721. She was buried on the same day as her father in the Peter and Paul Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress, St Petersburg.
Peter I and Catherine I
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-14549
Portrait of Catherine I
- Enamel, gold. 3.6 x 2.8 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-267
Catherine Alexeyevna (née Marta Skowrońska) (April 15, 1684 – May 6, 1727). Second spouse of Peter the Great (became his wife on February 19, 1712). On May 7, 1724 Peter crowned her as empress-consort and made her his co-ruler. On January, 1725 she became Empress of Russia.
The painting is based on the original portrait created by Jean-Marc Nattier. These kind of images are referred to as the “Natier-Moor’s type.” The same type can be found on a miniature portrait of Catherine by Grigory Musinsky, which is slightly larger than this one and is now part of the Hermitage collection. Catherine is depicted wearing a brocade gown and an ermine mantle, with a ribbon of the Order of St. Catherine. There is a gold tiara with pearls and red stones.
Portrait of Tsesarevna Elizabeth Petrovna
- Study
- 1724 (?)
- Canvas, oil. 56.5 x 50 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4910
Elizabeth Petrovna (December 18, 1709 – December 25, 1761)
Tsarevna, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine Alexeyevna, awarded the title of Tsesarevna on December 23, 1721. Became Empress on November 25, 1741. Crowned on 25 April, 1742.
The “Inventory of the Imperial Hermitage” published in 1913 mentions a “shoulder-length portrait [of Elizabeth], which was painted when she was a tsesarevna, uncompleted.” New research established that the portrait is a study to the portrait by Louis Caravaque that was acquired by the State Hermitage and is dated 1724.
Portrait of Catherine I
- 1720s
- Enamel, gold. 4.2 x 3.5 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3056
Catherine Alexeyevna (née Marta Skowrońska) (April 15, 1684 – May 6, 1727). Second spouse of Peter the Great (became his wife on February 19, 1712). On May 7, 1724 Peter crowned her as empress-consort and made her his co-ruler. On January, 1725 she became Empress of Russia.
Traditionally the image is seen as the “Tannauer’s type.” The composition and the color of the dress make it similar to a portrait painted by Ivan Adolsky. Identical portraits created by Ovsov are housed in the State Hermitage and in the State Historical Museum. Catherine is depicted wearing a red gown and a purple mantle lined with ermine, with a ribbon and a star of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, and a small crown on her head. Her hair is plated with strings of large pearls.
Portrait of Catherine I with a Little Negro Boy
- Before December 1725 (?)
- Canvas, oil. 264 x 200
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5487
Catherine Alexeyevna (née Marta Skowrońska (April 15, 1684 – May 6, 1727). Second spouse of Peter the Great (became his wife on February 19, 1712). On May 7, 1724 Peter crowned her as empress-consort and made her his co-ruler. On January, 1725 she became Empress of Russia.
Catherine is depicted with a ribbon and a star of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called. Originally the portrait was smaller (190 x 133), the architecture and the landscape around the subject were painted later. Traditionally the portrait was dated 1725–1726 based on the engraving by Alexei Zubov. A document dated December 22, 1725 reads: “At the command of His Majesty [...] painter Ivan Adolsky received” one hundred rubles for painting these two portraits of Empress Catherine I: this one and the one housed in the State Museum-Preserve Tsarskoye Selo; the paintings are slightly different.
Portrait of Tsesarevna Anna Petrovna
- 1725
- Canvas, oil. 91,2 х 73,4
- State Tretyakov Gallery
At the Ostankino Estate, there is a copy of this portrait made by an unknown artist of the first half of the 18th century, which is proof of its popularity.
Anna Petrovna (February 7, 1708 – May 15, 1728) Tsarevna, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine Alexeyevna, awarded the title of Tsesarevna on December 23, 1721. On May 21, 1725 she married Duke Charles Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp (April 30, 1700 – June 18, 1739). She had a son, Peter (February 21, 1728 – July 2, 1762), future Emperor Peter III, who would succeed to the throne after Elizabeth Petrovna (1741 – 1761).
Портрет императрицы Екатерины I в родословии
- etching, lathe.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32306
Portrait of Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
- 1720-е (?), 1726 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- Музей «Новый Иерусалим»
Charles Frederick, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (April 30, 1700 – June 18, 1739)
Duke, husband of Tsesarevna Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great. Father of Emperor Peter III. In 1722 Charles Frederick was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called. In 1735 he established the Order of St. Anne in memory of his wife and became its Grand Master.
Information related to provenance of the portrait that was listed in the accession book as a “Portrait of an Unknown Man” has never been found. The pre-war archive of the museum was lost, except for some fragments, just like its pre-war accession books. An illegible inscription (signature?) in Latin and a date that probably reads 1726 (?) were found when the portrait was renovated in 1988 (art restorer P.S. Mishin).
Portrait of Empress Catherine I
- Enamel, gold. 3.7 x 3 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-268
Catherine Alexeyevna (née Marta Skowrońska) (April 15, 1684 – May 6, 1727). Second spouse of Peter the Great (became his wife on February 19, 1712). On May 7, 1724 Peter crowned her as empress-consort and made her his co-ruler. On January, 1725 she became Empress of Russia.
Traditionally the painting is thought to be based on the original portrait created by Johann Gottfried Tannauer; the same type was also used by Ivan Adolsky. A similar portrait signed and dated 1725 was inserted into a clock that was made in England in the 1720s and is now part of the Hillwood Collection, USA. An identical portrait of Catherine also signed and dated 1727 is now exhibited in the State Hermitage. Catherine is depicted with a ribbon and a star of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, wearing an ermine mantle, and with a small crown on her head. Her hair is plated with strings of large pearls.
Portrait of Tsarina Eudoxia Feodorovna, née Lopukhina, First Wife of Peter I
- After 1726 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3974
Eudoxia Lopukhina (née Praskovia Illarionovna; June 30, 1669 – August 27, 1731). Daughter of Illarion (Theodore) Avraamovich Lopukhin and Ustinia Bogdanovna Rtishcheva. Last Russian tsaritsa, first wife of Peter the Great (from January 27, 1689 to 1698). On September 23, 1698 her husband sent her to the Intercession Convent of Suzdal (traditional place of exile for tsarinas) where she was made to take the veil under the name of Elena. In 1718 she was transferred first to the Assumption Convent in Aleksandrov and then to the Assumption Convent in Staraya Ladoga, where she remained under strict oversight until the death of her ex-husband. Starting from 1725 she secretly remained in custody in Shlisselburg as a state prisoner. When her grandson Peter II succeeded to the throne she was brought to Moscow with great honor, there she first resided in the Ascension Convent in the Kremlin, and subsequently in the Novodevichy Convent.
Within exhibitions that took place in the beginning in the 20th century the portrait of Tsarina Eudoxia Feodorovna was exhibited with no artist’s name mentioned. Later, the assumption was made that the person depicted is Tsarina Natalia Kirillovna, and that the portrait is one of the earliest works of Ivan Nikitin. However, in a recent publication the person depicted was proved to be Tsarina Eudoxia; it was also proved that the portrait was created in 1727, the time when she returned to court after her grandson Peter II succeeded to the throne.
Portrait of Catherine I
- Late 1720s
- Canvas, oil. 247 x 180
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5488
Portrait of Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeyevna, Sister of Emperor Peter II
- Before 26 October 1731 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4000
Natalia Alexeyevna (July 21, 1714 – November 22, 1728). Grand Duchess, daughter of Alexis Petrovich and Charlotte Christine Sophie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, sister of Emperor Peter II. In her last will and testament Catherine I put Natalia Alexeyevna among those members of the imperial family who would have had the right to succeed to the Russian throne if Peter II, Anna Petrovna, Elizabeth Petrovna, and their offspring died.
Natalia Alexeyevna is depicted with a star and a ribbon of the Order of St. Catherine. The subject was thought to be the ruler Anna Leopoldovna, and the portrait used to be attributed to Johann Gottfried Tannauer. Personification of the portrait, Milyukov’s authorship and the dating were suggested in 1965. A document that was acquired later suggests that Milyukov copied a portrait painted by Louis Caravaque.
Portrait of Tsarevna Anna Petrovna
- The first half of the XVIII century
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4722
Portrait of a Child
- Unfinished
- Before 8 August 1732
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3969
Scholars believe the child depicted is the son of Tsarevna Praskovia Ioannovna whom she had from her morganatic marriage with Ivan Dmitriev-Mamonov; the child died when he was still an infant. Today there is no doubt that the work was created by Ivan Nikitin.
Peter the Great During Catherine I’s Meeting with Her Brother Karl Skavronsky
- After the original work by Clément Pierre Marillier
- Late 18th century
- Paper, . Image: 15.7 х 9.3. Panel: 15.7 х 9.3. Sheet:15.7 х 9.3
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-14547
Peter the Great Taking Catherine from Menshikov
- Еngraver; Sebastian Le Roy
- 1832
- Paper, . image: 24 х 32; sheet: 30,2 х 34,5
- Peterhof State Museum Reserve
- ПДМП 4895-гр
Peter the Great in Childhood, Saved from the Fury of the Streltsy by His Mother
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4582
As the Miloslavskys wanted to incite the streltsy to rebel, they spread a rumour that Tsarevich Ivan had been strangled, and gave them a list of “traitor boyars”. On 15 May 1682 armed streltsy came to the Kremlin, burst into the palace and carried out a savage massacre. The dead included the boyar Artamon Matveyev, Peter’s guardian, as well as the two brothers of Tsarina Natalia Naryshkina. These terrible events were permanently seared into Peter’s memory, and were probably the origin of his heightened irritability and burning hatred for the streltsy. Charles de Steuben has treated the scene romantically, bringing drama and dynamism into the composition. He has transferred the action from within the royal palace to one of the cathedrals in the Kremlin.
Петр Великий берет от князя Меньшикова Екатерину
- 1833
- Paper, lithography.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.Луб.-2696
Портрет царевны Натальи Петровны, дочери Петра I
- Canvas, oil. 95,5 x 71,5
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4718
Портрет принцессы Шарлотты-Софии (1694–1715)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4702
Портрет царевны Екатерины Иоанновны
- Canvas, oil. 96 х 71,5
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3963
Портрет царицы Евдокии Фёдоровны
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-6240
Анна Петровна, дочь Петра I, супруга герцога Карла-Фридриха Шлезвиг-Голштейн-Готторпского
- 1853 - 1858
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-4318
Наталья Петровна, дочь императора Петра I
- 1853 - 1858
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-4319
Петр I, защищаемый своей матерью
- 1869
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-14540
Peter I Interrogating Tsarevich Alexis at Peterhof
- Late 1860s – early 1870s
- Terracotta. Height 23; length 27.5; width 20
- The State Russian Museum
- ФС-1269
Петр I допрашивает царевича Алексея
- 1872
- Paper, etching.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-13203
Tannauer (Tanauer, Danhauer, Danauer) Johann Gottfried
1680, Saxony (?) – 1737(3?), St PetersburgGerman painter, portrait artist, and miniaturist. Initially, Tannauer would practice watchmaking and music. He studied painting in Venice under S. Bombelli. Subsequently, he lived in Holland, where he would copy Rubens’s paintings. When Peter the Great was abroad, he invited Tannauer to come to Russia upon the recommendation of Johannes Kupezky. On October 1, 1710 an agreement was signed in Vienna, making Tannauer a painter serving in Russia. In March 1711 the artist came to Smolensk. During the Pruth River Campaign, he accompanied Peter the Great, and then settled down in St Petersburg. He was a court artist. Tannauer painted portraits, historical pictures, and miniatures; he also created ink drawings and fixed clocks. His son, Johann Sebastian Tannauer, studied engraving at the Academy of Sciences.
Moor, Carel de
Grigory Musikiysky
1670 (1671 ?) – after 1739Enamellist, one of the pioneers of the miniature portraiture in Russia. First mentions of him are dated 1709. Musikiysky was an artist at the Armoury, and in 1711 he was transferred from Moscow to Petersburg, where he became an enamellist at the Armoury Chancellery. In 1720 he became a member of the College of Mining and the College of Manufacturing. In 1730s he painted pictures for the Senate Hall in the Twelve Colleges. He also created multiple portraits of Peter the Great, the Tsar’s family members, and his confidants. Today, we are aware of sixteen signed works created by the artist.
Andrey Ovsov
1678 (1679 ?) – 1740sOne of the first Russian enamellists. Artist of the Armoury. During the 1710s he painted banners and church items. In the middle of 1724 he was summoned to Petersburg to work as an enamellist at the Cabinet of Peter the Great; subsequently, he would also work for the College of Foreign Affairs. He decorated enamels both with portraits, and religious subjects. At the moment, we are aware of eleven signed works of the artist.
Милюков Иван Лукьянович
Longueil Joseph de
1730–1792Bosselman A.
Аctive in the 1st half of the 19th century
Steuben Carl (Steuben, Charles Auguste de)
1788, Bauerbach, the Grand Duchy of Baden – 1856, ParisBovin Vasily
Трифонов (?) Николай Иванович
Ульрих Вильгельм Карл
Ge Nikolai Nikolaevich
1831, Voronezh - 1894, Ivanovskoe (Chernihiv Province)Painter, draughtsman, history and religious painter, portraitist, landscapist. Studied mathematics at Kiev University (1847-48) and St Petersburg University (1848- 50). Studied under Pyotr Basin at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1850-57) and influenced by Karl Brullov and Alexander Ivanov. Fellow of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Rome and Florence (1857-63). Lived in Florence (until 1869). Professor (1863; resigned 1869). Founding member of the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions (1871). Influenced by Leo Tolstoy (i88os). Lived in Kiev and St Petersburg, moved to Ivanovskoe in Chernihiv Province (1876). Contributed to the exhibitions of the Imperial Academy of Arts (from 1857), Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions (1871-94), Exposition Universelle in Paris (1867) and the International Exhibitions in Munich (1869) and London (1873). One-man show at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1870).
Portrait of Prince Anikita Repnin
- Late 1690s
- Canvas, oil. 181 х 128
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3947
Anikita Repnin (1668 – July 3, 1726). Middle son of Ivan Repnin (1615– 1697) who was a boyar close to the tsar and a house steward of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich, and Ivan’s wife Yevdokia Nikiforovna Pleshcheyeva (? – April 8, 1695). Russian Field Marshal General (1725). From his early years Anikita was close to Peter the Great and took part in the creation of the emperor’s Toy Army. In 1685 he became Lieutenant and within two years he was promoted to Colonel. Repnin participated in the Azov campaigns of 1695–1696. In 1696 he commanded a frigate. In 1699 he became Major General. In the beginning of the Northern War he commanded a division. Following the order of Peter the Great he reconstituted Russian forces withdrawing from Narva after they were defeated in 1700. He took part in the Siege of Nöteborg (1702) and Narva (1704). During the Battle of Poltava (1709) he commanded the centre of the Russian troops. During the years 1709–1710 he commanded the siege and the seizure of Riga. During the years 1712–1713 and 1715–1716 he commanded troops in Pomerania. In 1719 he was appointed Governor General of Livonia, and at the same time he acted as President of the Military College from 1724–1725. After the death of Peter the Great, he supported the enthronement of Catherine I, but shortly afterwards Alexander Menshikov sent him away to Riga.
From the second half of the 19th century to the early 21st century almost all scholars believed the person depicted here to be Ivan Borisovich Repnin; however, this traditional view was recently reconsidered. In 2014 a new version was accepted by the Attribution Council of the Russian Museum.
Portrait of Count Boris Sheremetev
- Late 17th century
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3939
Boris Sheremetev (April 25, 1652 – February 17, 1719). Statesman, commander and diplomat. In 1682 he was made Boyar. He took part in the first Azov campaign. He was a close associate of Peter the Great and fought in all the most important battles of the Northen War (Dorpat, Narva, and Riga). He became Field Marshal General in 1701 and was the first Russian count (1706). At the battle of Poltava he commanded the centre of the Russian Army. Peter the Great called Sheremetev his “Turenne” and valued him greatly for his selflessness.
The portrait was dated based on technological research. The upper left corner of the painting features a coat of arms belonging to the Sheremetev family, corresponding to the time when the item was created. Evidence suggests that this painting was used by Leonty Tarasevich, when he created his engraving for a panegyric presented to Sheremetev in 1695, commemorating the Count’s successful seizure of four Ottoman fortresses. Sergei Sheremetev, descendant of Count Boris Sheremetev, maintained that the original painting used for the engraving, was kept in the village of Borisovka, the family estate near Belgorod. It is possible that this particular painting, now in the collection of the State Russian Museum, is the very same work.
Portrait of General Ivan Vlasov
- 1695 (?)
- Canvas, oil. 113 х 151
- Нижегородский государственный художественный музей
Ivan Vlasov (1628, Moscow – 1710, Moscow). Diplomat and military governor. He became a Moscow nobleman in 1647. Member of the embassy that went to Venice (1656). He was military governor of Irkutsk (1682–1684) and Nerchinsk (1684–1688). He also contributed to the conclusion of the first treaty between Russia and China (1689) acting as Ambassador Plenipotentiary. During the second Azov campaign of Peter the Great (1696) he was the head of the medical unit.
Portrait of Yakov Turgenev
- 1694 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4902
Yakov Turgenev (16?–1695). Served in a Reiter regiment beginning in 1671. He was also a member of the Drunken Synod, where he had the title of the “Old Warrior and Colonel of Kiev”. He commanded a company in the Kozhukhovo Campaign (1694). Yakov Turgenev’s mock wedding was celebrated in January 1695, and he died shortly after that.
One of the most famous portraits of the so-called Preobrazhensky Series. The earliest reference to the portrait is in the Inventory of 1735; according to which, “the personage of Yakov Turgenev” was placed in the entrance hall. Later it was mentioned in the Inventory of the Hermitage Paintings. It has been argued that the portrait was painted in the summer of 1694 at the latest. However, it is possible that the work was created in the autumn of the same year.
Portrait of Andrei Besyashchy – Andrei Apraksin
- Between 8 October 1696 and 11 May 1697
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3984
Andrei Matveyevich Apraksin (1663–1731). Brother of Tsaritsa Marfa Matveyevna, General-Admiral Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, and Peter Matveyevich Apraksin, a senator. Stolnik (cupbearer) of Tsar Ioann V Alexeyevich. Member of the College of Cardinals of the Drunken Synod with the nickname “Besyashchy (Maddening) Andrei”. In 1728 he was awarded the title of Count and made chief cupbearer. In 1728 he became Major General. Author of the text published as the Notebook of Curious Accounts of the Grand Person who Travelled Incognito under the Name of a Russian nobleman with the Russian Embassy in 1697 and 1698.
The earliest reference to the portrait is from the Inventory of 1735; according to which, “the personage of Andrei Besyashchy” was placed in the entrance hall. The subject of the paining, Apraksin, received his nickname “Besyashchy” (“Madenning”) after Stolnik (Cupbearer) Vasily Zhelyabuzhsky and his son, reported Apraksin’s thuggish behavior to the tsar; after Peter the Great “marched” on the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius on October 8. 1696.
Портрет Франца Яковлевича Лефорта
- 1698
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-15482
Portrait of Prince Andrei the Elder Repnin
- After 27 January 1699
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3945
Portrait of Prince Andrei the Younger Repnin
- School of the Armoury Chamber
- After 27 January 1699
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3946
Andrei the Younger Repnin (? – January 27, 1699)Youngest son of Ivan Repnin (1615– 1697). His father Ivan was a house steward of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich, and a boyar close to the tsar; his mother was Yevdokia Nikiforovna Pleshcheyeva (? – April 8, 1695). Andrei, together with his brother Anikita, accompanied Peter the Great during his dramatic overnight ride to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius on the night of August 7-8, 1689. In approximately 1689 Andrei married Tatiana Alexeyevna, daughter of Alexei Rzhevsky; who was an okolnichy (a senior court rank) and the military commander of Samara during the years 1689–1690. Andrei was among some 39 stolniks (cupbearers) and the same number of soldiers in February 1697 who were sent to Italy to study maritime affairs.
From the second half of the 19th century to the early 21st century scholars believed the person depicted here to be Alexander Borisovich Repnin; however, this traditional view was recently reconsidered. In 2014 a new version was accepted by the Attribution Council of the Russian Museum. Based on the clothing depicted the portrait was dated from the 1680s to 1690s. It appears that it was Anikita Ivanovich that outlived both of his brothers who ordered the painting.
Portrait of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov
- The beginning of the XVIII century
- Canvas, oil. 62 х 52
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-8
Portrait of Count Andrei Matveyev
- 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 67 х 54
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Hyacinthe Rigaud’s portrait of Andrei Matveyev (1706, State Hermitage) is quite famous. It is possible that it was inspired by a picture created in the 1720s (before 1728).
Andrei Matveyev(August 15, 1666 – September 16, 1728) Prince (1715), statesman and diplomat. Son of Artamon Matveyev, who died during the Streltsy Uprising. During the years 1691–1693, Andrei served as military governor in the Dvinsk district; in 1699–1712 he was ambassador to Holland. In 1705–1706 he acted as ambassador of Peter the Great in France, in 1706–1708 – he was ambassador in London. In 1712–1715 he was ambassador in Vienna. In 1715 Matveyev was appointed president of the Maritime Academy and Nautical School. In 1719 he was made senator and president of the College of Justice. From 1724 to 1725 he was the president of the Moscow Senate Division. In 1727 he retired.
Portrait of Grigory Dolgoruky
- 18th century (?)
- Canvas, oil. 87,5 х 65
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Grigory Dolgoruky (Dolgorukov) (1656–1723) Prince, Actual Privy Councillor (1709), diplomat. Captain of the Life-Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment (1695). Took part in the Azov campaign and the Battle of Poltava. In 1700 Peter the Great sent him to the Polish king Augustus II to discuss their military moves against the Swedes. During the following periods: 1701–1706, 1709–1712, 1715–1721 Dolgoruky was the Russian ambassador to Poland; he was also a senator (1721).
The work was acquired by the Hermitage as a portrait of Vasily Dolgoruky painted by an unknown artist. The portrait was identified based on the engraving made by Alexei Grachev in the beginning of the 19th century.
Portrait of James Bruce
- 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 69 х 55,5
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Jacob (James Daniel Bruce) (1670 – April 19, 1735) Count (1721). Descendant of an ancient Scottish family. Entered military service in 1687. Participated in the Crimean and Azov campaigns. Accompanied Peter the Great during his first trip abroad. Took part in the Northern War. Starting from 1704 he was Director General of Artillery. Artillery commander in the Battle of Poltava. General-Feldzeugmeister (1711), President of the College of Mining and Manufacturing, senator (1718), Field Marshal (1726).
In this portrait, James Bruce is depicted with the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, which he received on June 27, 1709 for skillful military leadership at the Battle of Poltava. There is another portrait of the same iconographic type, featuring Bruce wearing a costume of the holder of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called and a hat.
Capture of Azov
- Allegorical painting
- After 1702
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3981
This painting copies the composition of Leonty Tarasevich’s engraving that was placed on the frontispiece of the Kiev-Pechora Patericon, but with some alterations. In the center, there is a double-headed eagle with the Holy Mother and the Christ Child (Our Lady of the Sign icon type). Above them, you can see God the Father surrounded by cherubim. Below them a dove represents the Holy Spirit. To the right and to the left, the artist depicted the patron saints of the imperial family (Saint Peter and Saint Alexius, Man of God). Below on the clouds you can see the Kiev-Pechora saints (Theodosius of Kiev, also called Theodosius of the Caves, and Anthony of Kiev, also called Anthony of the Caves) on the left and on the right there are the Moscow saints (Alexius, Metropolitan of Moscow, Sergius, Nikon and Kirill of Radonezh). An equestrian portrait of Peter the Great is placed in the bottom row of persons depicted together with portraits of Alexei and Boris Sheremetev. Saint George, who has the face of Sheremetev (with no nimbus), is defeating the dragon, which symbolizes the Ottoman Empire; and heaven’s wrath, represented by lighting, is defeating the lion, which is a symbol of Sweden.
Portrait of Prince Ivan Troubetzkoy
- Sweden (?)
- 1703
- Canvas, oil. 88 x 68 (oval in rectangle)
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Ivan Yuryevich Trubetskoy (1667–1750) Eldest son of Boyar Yury Trubetskoy and Princess Irina Golitsyna (?–1679), sister of a Tsarevna Sofia’s favorite. He was one of the first persons to join the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In 1673 he became Captain, and in a year he was promoted Lieutenant Colonel. He gained the trust of Peter the Great. Under the instruction of the tsar he was put in charge of overseeing Tsarevna Sofia while she was placed in the Novodevichy Convent. In 1698, while holding the rank of Major General, he was also appointed governor of Novgorod. During the Northern War he commanded a division and was taken captive and remained in captivity for eighteen years. When he returned to Russia in 1718 he was made governor of Kiev. In 1721 he was promoted General in Chief. Trubetskoy was a member of the Military College. During the reign of Peter II in 1728 he was appointed Field Marshal General. In 1730 he became a senator and was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called and the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. His first wife was Princess Anastasia Stepanovna Tateva (?–1690), a rich heiress and the last surviving member of her family. In 1691 he entered into a second marriage with Irina Naryshkina (1669–1749), a boyar’s daughter who would become a lady-in-waiting.
The portrait was acquired as Ivan Nikitin’s work. As the researchers of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm assume, the portrait may be attributed to the German artist David von Krafft (1655–1724) or one of his pupils, e. g. Lukas von Breda (1676–1752).
Конный портрет светлейшего князя А.Д. Меншикова
- etching, lathe.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-39849
Medal Commemorating Achievements of the Admiral Count Fyodor Apraksin
- Medallist: S. Gouin
- 1708
- Silver. D-52.5. Total weight: 83.54 g.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-237
In 1708 Admiral Fyodor Apraksin (1661–1728) successfully rebuffed a Swedish attack on St Petersburg, and inflicted several serious defeats on them. For this, the tsar heaped favours upon him: Apraksin was appointed General Admiral and was conferred the title of Count. A gold medal was made to commemorate Apraksin’s achievements. Subsequently, the St Petersburg mint produced multiple medals of this kind using different metals, so that these medals could be used as mementos and become part of various collections.
Portrait of Christian Baur
- Western Europe
- After 1708
- Canvas, oil. 71 х 57
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Christian Felix Bauer (Rodion Christianovitch Baur) (1667–1717)
Descendant of a famous Swedish noble family that had moved to Germany. In the beginning of the Northern War he defended Narva from the Russian army as Captain of Horse. In 1700 Bauer left the Swedish army and joined the Russian troops. Having gained the trust of the Russian tsar, he was sent to Augustus II as an ambassador. In 1701 he was bestowed the rank of Major, Colonel, and Commander of a Dragoon Regiment. In 1702 he became Major General, in 1706 – Lieutenant General, and in 1717 – General of the Cavalry. From the autumn of 1709 he was Cavalry Commander in the army of Field Marshal General Sheremetev. From October 1709 to June 1710 he took part in the siege of Riga, and subsequently in the conquest of Estonia. He took Pernov on August 14, 1710, and then the island of Ezel, forcing the Swedish garrison of Revel to surrender. During the last year of his life he commanded a division in Ukraine. Shortly before his death he was bestowed the rank of General of the Cavalry. He was awarded the Polish Order of the White Eagle, and received a diamond-encrusted badge with a portrait of Peter the Great for the Battle of Poltava. Bauer was married to Maria von Balmont (? – 1717).
Baur is depicted wearing a bouffant wig, a cuirass, and a miniature portrait of Peter the Great – an award received in 1709 for bravery displayed at the Battle of Poltava. Another version of this portrait is exhibited in the Kuskovo Estate Museum.
Portrait of Prince Andrei Khilkov
- Sweden (?)
- Between 1700 and 1718
- Canvas, oil. 90.7 x 67.7 (oval)
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Andrei Yakovlevich Khilkov (1676–1718) Son of Okolnichy Yakov Vasilyevich Khilkov (?–1681) and his wife Anna Illarionovna, the daughter of Illarion Lopukhin; nobleman and member of the Boyar Council. In 1697 Peter the Great sent him to Italy to study maritime affairs and sciences. Upon his return to Russia in June 1700, he was sent to Sweden as a resident (representative). In the beginning of the Northern War he was captured and died in captivity. In 1719 his remains were brought to St Petersburg and buried in the St. Alexander Nevsky Monastery. He was married to Maria Yevropkina and had a daughter, Irina Andreyevna; who was married to Prince Alexey Golitsyn (1697–1768).
As the researchers of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm assume, the portrait may be attributed to Martin van Meytens the Elder, or one of his pupils.
Martin Mijtens the Elder (1648–1736) – born in the Hague; son of the portraitist Isaac Mijtens, father of Martin Mijtens the Younger. In 1667 inscribed in the painters guild of the Hague. In 1677 moved to Stockholm. In 1697 and 1701 lived in Holland, later returned to Sweden. Died in Stockholm.
Portrait of Field Marshal Boris Sheremetev
- West-European
- 1710
- Canvas, oil. 102 x 79 (oval)
- Музей-усадьба "Кусково"
The painting was mentioned in the Inventory of 1839 as “Portrait of Count Boris Petrovich wearing a Spanish wig, oval, signed.” The painting was created in the spirit of European portraits of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The provenance and brushwork of the portrait do not shed light on the artist’s name; but there is no doubt that the painting is an important iconographic document.
Boris Sheremetev (April 25, 1652 – February 17, 1719) Statesman, commander and diplomat. In 1682 he was made Boyar. He took part in the first Azov campaign. He was a close associate of Peter the Great and fought in all the most important battles of the Northen War (Dorpat, Narva, and Riga). He became Field Marshal General in 1701 and was the first Russian count (1706). At the battle of Poltava he commanded the centre of the Russian Army. Peter the Great called Sheremetev his “Turenne” and valued him greatly for his selflessness.
Portrait of Field Marshal Boris Sheremetev
- After 1710
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5798
Boris Sheremetev (April 25, 1652 – February 17, 1719). Statesman, commander and diplomat. In 1682 he was made Boyar. He took part in the first Azov campaign. He was a close associate of Peter the Great and fought in all the most important battles of the Northen War (Dorpat, Narva, and Riga). He became Field Marshal General in 1701 and was the first Russian count (1706). At the battle of Poltava he commanded the centre of the Russian Army. Peter the Great called Sheremetev his “Turenne” and valued him greatly for his selflessness.
In 1905 the painting was kept in the Sheremetev Palace and exhibited within the Tauride Exhibition as work of Ivan Argunov. Later the portrait was attributed to Schurmann, even though some scholars have doubted the existence of this artist. An inscription recently read on the portrait; “Karl Schurmann pictorducalis curl […]” suggests that during the siege of Riga in 1710, Karl Schurmann was painter to Frederick William, the Duke of Courland, and the future husband of Anna Ioannovna.
Portrait of His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Menshikov
- 1710s
- Enamel, copper. 6 x 5 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-264
Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (November 6, 1673 – November 12, 1729). Statesman and military leader, associate of Peter the Great. His father was a horseman at the court. He began his career in the Toy Army of Peter the Great as his batman (1693). Menshikov participated in the Azov campaign. At the end of the 17th century he travelled incognito as a member of the Grand Embassy. In 1703 he became the first governor of St Petersburg. In 1707 he was awarded the title His Highness the Prince. He defeated the Swedish army in the Battle of Lesnaya (1708) and in the Battle of Perevolochnaya (1709). For the Battle of Poltava he was promoted to Field Marshal General. Menshikov was the president of the Military College. In 1725 he took an active part in the enthronement of Catherine I. He was also the head of the Supreme Privy Council. In 1727 he was awarded the title of Generalissimo. During the reign of Peter II Menshikov was arrested, stripped of his titles and property and banished to Ranenburg, and later to Beryozov where he died and was buried.
Menshikov is depicted wearing a suit of armor and a raspberry-red mantle lined with ermine; his scarf is fastened with a precious stone pin; he has a ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called over his shoulder. Menhsikov was basically the only person whose portraits were painted on enamel, even though he wasn’t part of the imperial family. For instance, in 1709 Musikiysky painted 11 miniature portraits of Menshikov.
Portrait of Pyotr Tolstoy
- Late 1710s – 1720s
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4903
Pyotr Andreyevich Tolstoy (1645 – February 17, 1729). Count (1724), statesman and diplomat. Son of Okolnichy Andrei Tolstoy and Solomonida Miloslavskaya (a distant relative of Tsaritsa Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya). Took part in the Streltsy Uprising (1682), but after the uprising was successfully squashed, he switched sides and defected to Peter the Great. During the years 1701–1714 he was ambassador in Constantinople. He was appointed senator (1714) and president of the College of Commerce. In 1717 he convinced Tsarevich Alexis; who was hiding in Naples, to return to Russia, which made him one of the closest confidants of Peter the Great. In 1718 he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called. Tolstoy was in charge of the Secret Chancellery. In 1727 he was sentenced to death for conspiracy, but instead was sent to live in the Solovetsky Monastery.
The painting was dated based on the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called that Tolstoy received in February 1718, for his contribution to the return of Tsarevich Alexis Petrovich to Russia. The portrait was first attributed to Georg Gsell in a guidebook published by the Russian Museum. Several scholars rightfully compared the painting with a mirror portrait from the Moscow Tolstoy Museum, signed and dated by Johann Gottfried Tannauer (1719). Research conducted confirmed the existence of technical similarities between the portrait from the Russian Museum and the work from the Tolstoy Museum in Moscow.
Portrait of Sergei Bukhvostov
- After August 1711
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-6341
Sergei Bukhvostov (1642 (59?) –1728). The “first Russian soldier”, began his service at court as a solicitor (stryapchy). In 1683 he was the first person to be enrolled in the Toy Army of Peter the Great, subsequently the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In 1695 he took part in the Azov campaign as Corporal of a company of bombardiers, and was promoted to Second Lieutenant for his participation in the Northern War. After being wounded during the Siege of Stettin he was promoted to Major and transferred to the Petersburg Garrison Artillery.
The portrait of Sergei Bukhvostov, the “first Russian soldier”, was not mentioned in the 1735 inventory of the Preobrazhensky Palace, but it had a definite stylistic similarity to the eight main pictures of the series. The portrait of Bukhvostov was dated based on the gold medal attached to his buttonhole, commemorating the Pruth campaign of 1711. People remembered the “first soldier”. There are reports that in 1724 Peter the Great commissioned a bust of him from the sculptor Bartolomeo Rastrelli. In 1728 the “St Petersburg Gazette” published Bukhvostov’s obituary.
Portrait of Admiral Cornelius Cruys
- First quarter of the 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 83 x 69 (oval)
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Cornelius Cruys(1657–1727) Admiral (1721). He was born in Norway and served in the Dutch fleet. In 1698 he began serving in Russia. Cruys participated in construction of the Voronezh Admiralty, the building of the Taganrog Harbor, and the fortification of Azov. He was a commander of the Baltic Fleet and took part in the Northern War. Cruys was appointed vice president of the Admiralty College (1717) and patron of the Lutheran Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in St Petersburg.
The portrait represents a distinctive example of paintings created in the Petrine epoch; an indispensable showpiece of exhibitions dedicated to this phenomenon.
Portrait of Count Anton Devier
- First quarter of the 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 86 x 72 (oval)
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
In Hermitage publications, the portrait is dated the first quarter of the 18th century.
Anton Divier (1682?–June 24, 1745) Count (1726), General in Chief (1744). Descendant of an ancient Jewish family that had moved from Portugal to Holland. Served in the Dutch Navy. In 1697 he came to Russia being invited by Peter the Great. In 1711 he was appointed Adjutant General. In 1712 Divier married Anna Menshikova, sister of Alexander Menshikov, by Peter the Great’s wish and against her brother’s will. Divier was the first General-Chief of Police of St Petersburg (1718–1727). In 1725 he became Major General, and in 1726 he was appointed Lieutenant General. In 1727 he was deprived of his noble title and rank and banished to Siberia. In 1739 he took command of the Okhotsk Harbor. He returned from the exile in 1743. Empress Elizabeth Petrovna gave him back his former title and orders. In 1744 he was promoted to General in Chief, and in 1744 he was once again appointed General-Chief of Police of St Petersburg.
Portrait of General Admiral Fyodor Apraksin
- Mid-1710s (?)
- Canvas, oil. 196 х 92
- ГМЗ "Гатчина"
Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin (1661–1728) General-Admiral of the Russian Navy, associate of Peter the Great. Became a stolnik (cupbearer) of Peter the Great in 1682; in 1693 became military governor of the Dvinsk district and governor of Arkhangelsk. In 1707 he became Admiral commanding fleets. Apraksin took part in the Northern War; for his victories he was awarded title of Actual Privy Councillor and Count. In 1718 he became Head of the Admiralty. Member of the Committee of Inquiry investigating the case of Tsarevich Alexis. He was in favour with Catherine I; when Peter II came to power Apraksin left for Moscow.
In the 19th century, the portrait was kept in the Chinese Gallery of the Gatchina Palace and the Portrait Gallery of the Arsenal Halls, and from 1920 to 1941 it was in the Elizabeth Room on the third floor of the Central building.
Portrait of Field Marshal Mikhail Golitsyn (?)
- 1711–1725
- Canvas, oil. 148 х 112,2
- State Museum «PAVLOVSK»
Mikhail Golitsyn (November 12, 1675 – December 21, 1730) Associate of Peter the Great, Russian military commander, Field Marshal, member of the Supreme Privy Council (1727), president of Military College (1728–1730), holder of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called (1708) and the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1725). He earned fame during the Northern War.
The style and pictorial properties of the painting allow us to attribute it to Johann Gottfried Tannauer. For a long period of time, it was considered to be a portrait of Alexander Menshikov; it is known that Tannauer created portraits of His Majesty the Prince and his consort in 1722. However, the fact that iconographically this portrait is very different from the well-established portraits of Menshikov made researchers doubt the traditional attribution. The version accepted today stating that this is a portrait of Field Marshal Mikhail Golitsyn was first suggested after a careful examination of the iconography of “His Highness”.
Портрет Б. И. Куракина
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-16594
Portrait of Count Pyotr Tolstoy
- 1720s (?). Before 1729
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-8944
Pyotr Petrovich Tolstoy (second half of the 1680s–1728). Count, youngest son of Pyotr Andreyevich Tolstoy (1645–1729) and Solomonida Dubrovskaya (?–1722), who was the daughter of Stolnik (Cupbearer) Timofei Dubrovsky. Like his father, he received his title on the coronation day of Catherine I. Served in Little Russia. In 1719 he received the title of Colonel in the Nezhyn Cossack Regiment (1719–1727). Tolstoy was married to Anastasia (Yuliana) Skoropadskaya (1703–1733), the daughter of Ivan Skoropadsky who was Hetman of Little Russia, and Ivan's wife Anastasia Markevich. In 1727 Tolstoy was dismissed following the order of Alexander Menshikov. After leaving Little Russia, he settled in the village of Yakovlevo, near Moscow where he died in October 1728.
In style and technique it can be ascribed to a group of works by West European masters who worked in both Russia and the Ukraine. Probably, the portrait is a fragmentary repetition of the portrait from the collection of the Yaroslavl Art Museum.
Portrait of Yakov Evreinov
- 1723
- Canvas, oil. 69.4 x 55 (oval)
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Yakov Yevreinov (1700–1772) Originally from Poland, son of Matvey Yevreinov. Peter the Great sent Yakov to Holland when he was 15 years old, to study trade and commerce. In 1723 he was appointed Consul General in Spain (Cádiz). In 1732 he began service in the Monetary Chancellery. In 1742, by decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, he was appointed Councillor of the College of Manufacturing. In 1745 he was appointed Vice President of the College of Commerce, and in 1753 he was appointed President. In 1760 he was awarded the Order of St. Anna. In 1728 he married Yevdokia Feofilatyeva; together they had five sons and three daughters. His eldest daughter Natalia (1732–1756) married Nikita Demidov.
This portrait was included in the inventory of paintings formerly housed at the archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The work is attributed to Carel de Moor. The portrait is thought to be a Russian copy of an original painting by the foreign artist.
Portrait of Count Pyotr Tolstoy
- 1720s
- Canvas, oil. 102,5 х 79
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Pyotr Andreyevich Tolstoy (1645 – February 17, 1729) Count (1724), statesman and diplomat. Son of Okolnichy Andrei Tolstoy and Solomonida Miloslavskaya (a distant relative of Tsaritsa Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya). Took part in the Streltsy Uprising (1682), but after the uprising was successfully squashed, he switched sides and defected to Peter the Great. During the years 1701–1714 he was ambassador in Constantinople. He was appointed senator (1714) and president of the College of Commerce. In 1717 he convinced Tsarevich Alexis; who was hiding in Naples, to return to Russia, which made him one of the closest confidants of Peter the Great. In 1718 he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called. Tolstoy was in charge of the Secret Chancellery. In 1727 he was sentenced to death for conspiracy, but instead was sent to live in the Solovetsky Monastery.
This portrait was acquired by the Hermitage as a painting by an unknown artist. A 1966 catalogue says that it was created by Johann Gottfried Tannauer (?) (State Hermitage, 1966, № 51). The iconography of the work makes it close to the portrait of Pyotr Tolstoy from the collection of the State Tolstoy Museum (Moscow), which is signed and dated “Joh. Gottfrird Tannauer S. Petersbourg Anno 1719,” and a portrait from the collection of the State Russian Museum. Tolstoy is depicted with the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called that he received in February 1718.
Портрет графа Гавриила Ивановича Головкина
- 1720s
- Canvas, oil. 90,9 x 73,4
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Portrait of Artemy Volynsky
- 1730s. 1739(?)
- Canvas, oil. 77,5 х 61
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Artemy Volynsky (1689–1740) Member of the noble Volynsky family; descendent from Prince Bobrok-Volynsky, military governor. In 1704 Artemy was enrolled as a soldier in a dragoon regiment. By 1711, he was already a Captain of Horse in favour with the tsar. He also acted in the capacity of ambassador. In 1718 he was promoted to Adjutant General. One year later, he was appointed governor of Astrakan Gubernia. In 1721 his full authority was taken away from him, and he would only deal with administrative affairs. In 1722 Volynsky tried to strengthen his position by marrying Alexandra Naryshkina (169?–1730), cousin of the Emperor and daughter of Boyar Lev Naryshkin. Catherine I appointed him governor of Kazan, but in 1730 he was dismissed from this position. In 1738 he became a cabinet minister of Empress Anna Ioannovna. He sought to limit the influence of foreigners at court. Volynsky wrote Notes on Politics. In 1740 he was falsely accused of treason by Ernst Johann von Biron and Andrey Osterman, arrested and executed.
There is information suggesting that in 1739 Gsell painted a portrait (from life) of Artemy Volynsky. The portrait remained in the family of his youngest daughter Maria, who became Countess Vorontsova after her marriage (1725–1792). At the age of 15, after her father’s execution, she was forced to take the veil in the Yeniseysk Nativity Convent. In 1742, she was returned to Moscow. She was buried at Voronovo, the Volynsky family estate.
Портрет Феофана Прокоповича
- Canvas, oil. 66,5 x 50
- The State Russian Museum
- ЖБ-2018
Portrait of Admiral Count Nikolai Golovin
- Between 1740 and 1744
- Canvas, oil. 94 x 71 (oval)
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3937
Nilolai Fedorovich Golovin (1695 – July 15, 1745). Count, son of Fyodor Golovin; from 1706 he studied at the Naval School. In 1708 Peter the Great sent him to England and Holland to study maritime affairs. Upon his return to Russia in 1715, he was assigned to the Navy in position of Lieutenant. In 1720 he was promoted to Captain Lieutenant; in 1721 upon the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystad he was made Captain 3rd rank. In 1724 he was appointed attendee of the Admiralty Division. During the reign of Empress Catherine I in 1725, he was appointed special envoy to the Swedish court. In 1726 Golovin was promoted to Captain 2nd rank and Adjutant General of the fleet (Captain 1st rank). In 1730 he became Schout-bij-nacht (Rear Admiral), and in 1733 he was appointed Admiral and President of the Admiralty Board. In 1738 he took command of the galley harbor and fleet. After the restoration of the Senate in 1741, he was appointed senator, as he was still president of the Admiralty Board. During the Russo-Swedish War in 1742 he was Governor-General of St Petersburg. As Commander-in-Chief of the troops, he was assigned to protect the capital in the event of Swedish attack. He was married to Sophia Nikitishna (?) with whom he had a daughter named Natalia; Natalia later married Field Marshal General Peter August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck).
It is hard to identify the uniform because rules and regulations concerning navy uniforms constantly changed until 1745. It is possible that Golovin is depicted in civilian dress. The portrait is dated based on him having a ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called that he received on November 10, 1740, and a decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna dated June 18, 1744, according to which Count Nikolai Golovin was placed “on leave so that he can treat his disease.”
Портрет адмирала Семена Ивановича Мордвинова (1701-1777)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-6247
Портрет князя М. М. Голицына младшего, президента Адмиралтейств-коллегии
- 1763
- Canvas, oil. 126 x 102
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4928
Портрет графа Федора Матвеевича Апраксина
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-15042
Portrait of Prince Alexander Menshikov
- 19th century
- Canvas, oil. 78 х 63
- ГМЗ "Гатчина"
According to documents from 1925–1941 the portrait was kept in the Elizabeth’s room on the third floor of the Central Building of the Gatchina Palace.
Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (November 6, 1673 – November 12, 1729) Statesman and military leader, associate of Peter the Great. His father was a horseman at the court. He began his career in the Toy Army of Peter the Great as his batman (1693). Menshikov participated in the Azov campaign. At the end of the 17th century he travelled incognito as a member of the Grand Embassy. In 1703 he became the first governor of St Petersburg. In 1707 he was awarded the title His Highness the Prince. He defeated the Swedish army in the Battle of Lesnaya (1708) and in the Battle of Perevolochnaya (1709). For the Battle of Poltava he was promoted to Field Marshal General. Menshikov was the president of the Military College. In 1725 he took an active part in the enthronement of Catherine I. He was also the head of the Supreme Privy Council. In 1727 he was awarded the title of Generalissimo. During the reign of Peter II Menshikov was arrested, stripped of his titles and property and banished to Ranenburg, and later to Beryozov where he died and was buried.
Граф Федор Матвеевич Апраксин
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-21897
Граф Яков Вилимович Брюс
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-21899
Францъ Яковлевичъ Лефортъ
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-15493
Франц Яковлевич Лефорт
- 1818-1819 (?)
- Paper, lithography.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-25292
Графъ Яковъ Вилимоновичь Брюсъ ...
- 1820-1830s
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-16545
Франц Яковлевич Лефорт...
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-24600
Portrait of Ivan Buturlin
- 1836
- Canvas, oil. 88,5 х 71,5
- ГМЗ "Гатчина"
Copy of a non-extant portrait, part of the Preobrazhensky Series (mentioned in the inventory of 1735). The portrait of Ivan Buturlin was first mentioned in the inventory of the Gatchina Palace of 1840-1843. The entry documents a copy completed by artist Yakov Yanenko in 1836.
Ivan Buturlin (1661–1738) was a Russian general and an associate of Peter the Great. The descendant of a noble boyar family, he began his service at the court of Peter the Great at a young age. He took part in the Azov campaign as well as the Northern War. Buturlin was taken captive at Narva and sent to Stockholm, where he remained until 1710. He also participated in the Battle of Gangut. In 1717 he went to Paris as part of the tsar’s retinue. He also took part in investigating the case of Tsarevich Alexei. On the day of celebration of the Treaty of Nystad, Buturlin was promoted to rank of General in Chief. Subsequently, due to conflicts with Alexander Menshikov during the reign of Peter II, Burturlin was deprived of all rank and honours, and was banished to reside permanently in his manor house.
Portrait of Prince Fyodor Romodanovsky
- 1836
- Canvas, oil. 110 х 90
- State Museum «PAVLOVSK»
Copy of a non-extant portrait, part of the Preobrazhensky Series (mentioned in the inventory of 1735). The painting arrived at Pavlovsk after 1945 as part of the Gatchina Palace collection.
This portrait of Fyodor Romodanovsky was first mentioned in the inventory of the Gatchina Palace of 1840-1843. The entry documents a copy completed by artist Yakov Yanenko in 1836.
Fyodor Romodanovsky (circa 1640–1717) served at the courts of Alexis Mikhailovich and Theordore Alexeyevich. He was a close stolnik (cupbearer) of Ioann and Peter Alexeyevich; and in the mid 1680s, he became one of the closest associates of Peter the Great. He was Generalissimo of the Toy Army of Peter the Great and a permanent member of the Drunk Synod, where he had the title of “Prince-Caesar”. In 1697 he substituted for the tsar in Moscow while Peter participated in the Grand Embassy. Romodanovsky played a crucial part in strangling the Streltsy Uprising. From 1686 until his death, he was Head of Preobrazhensky Prikaz; and from 1703 he was also Head of Siberia Prikaz and Pharmaceutical Prikaz.
Peter the Great at the Grave of Russian Warriors Fallen at the Battle of Poltava in 1709
- After the original by Boris Chorikov
- 1842
- Paper, lithography. Image: 51.1 х 64.1. Sheet: 72.5х94.9
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32319
Soldiers of Peter the Great
- Aftera 1907 original. Plate No. 29 from Pictures from Russian History (Moscow: Joseph Knebel, 1908–1913)
- 1908
- Paper, chromolithography. 66.2 x 88.3
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.луб-2105
Picart, Pickaerdt Pieter
Gsell Georg
1673, St Gallen, Switzerland – 1740, St PetersburgPainter, graphic artist. He painted portraits, murals, genre paintings, and icons. In 1690–1695 he studied in Vienna under the Antwerp painter А. Schoonjans. In 1704 he moved to Antwerp, and subsequently, to Amsterdam, where he married the artist Dorothea Maria Henrietta Graff in 1715. In 1717 (other sources mention 1716 and 1718) he came to Russia at the invitation of Peter the Great, whom he met in Amsterdam. He was in charge of the Picture Gallery in Peterhof. He painted the plafonds at the Summer Palace, and the rockwork in the Summer Garden. In 1726 he taught drawing and painting in the Academy of Sciences. He also worked at the Kunstkamera, made projects of illuminations, and designed compositions for the triumphal gates. He painted the picture for the dome of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, as well as nine icons for the interior. In 1729 he created thirteen paintings for the Lutheran Church of Saint Peter on Nevsky Prospect: the knee-high images of the Apostles and Gospel writers, and an image of the Crucifixion. In 1731 he took part in decorating the Triumphal Gates for the coronation of Anna Ioannovna. In 1728–1731 he made ten paintings for the Peter and Paul Cathedral based on the Stations of the Cross and the Passion of Christ. In 1735 he presented a project of murals for the Senate Hall of the Twelve Colleges, but the commission, consisting of Mikhail Zemtsov and Andrei Matveyev, rejected it. In 1738–1739 Georg Gsell helped Jacob von Stäehlin to complete inventories of the painting collections of Peterhof Palaces: Monplaisir, Hermitage, and Marly. For many years he worked at the Kunstkamera. His two sons were painters as well, so the artist was known as “Father Gsell.” Among his students were such artists as Fyodor Cherkasov, A. Grekov, Mikhail Nekrasov, Alexei Malinovkin, Ivan Nesterov, Pyotr Pagin, A. Dedeshin, and Ivan Shereshperov.
Schurmann, Karl
Christinecke Carl Ludwig
1732 (3?), St. Petersburg - between 1792 and 1794, St. PetersburgСоколов Николай Иванович
Иванов Николай Григорьевич
Venetsianov Alexei Gavrilovich
1780, Moscow - 1847, Poddubie (Tver Province)Founding father of Russian peasant genre painting. Painter, portraitist, etcher, lithographer. Son of a Moscow merchant, educated at private boarding school, worked as a draughtsman. Moved to St Petersburg (1802) and worked as a land surveyor for the crown properties and forestry departments. Studied painting independently, copied works in the Imperial Hermitage and drew pastel portraits. Academician (1811). Resigned from the civil service, moved to the country and painted genre scenes from life (early 1820s). Exhibited at the Imperial Academy of Arts and the Society for the Encouragement of Artists. Had many students, who formed the Venetsianov school in Russian art. Killed in a road accident at the Milyukov estate.
Афанасьев Афанасий
Yanenko, Yakov
Mochilov I.
Kardovsky Dmitry
1866–1943Portrait of “Patriarch” Milak – Boyar Matvei Naryshkin
- Between 1688 and 1692. Before 1692 (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3935
Matvei Naryshkin (16..–1692). Relative of Tsaritsa Natalia Kirillovna. From 1674–1679 Naryshkin was the military governor of Veliky Ustyug. In 1678 he became a nobleman of Moscow, and in 1686 – a stolnik (cupbearer). In 1688 he was given a senior court rank – an okolnichy; and in 1690 he became a boyar. He held the jesting rank of Patriarch of the Drunken Synod, and the nickname “Milak”.
The earliest reference to the painting is in the Inventory of 1735; according to which the portrait of “the personage of Matvei Filimonovich Naryshkin” was placed in the entrance hall. This would seem to be one of the earliest pictures in the “Preobrazhensky Series”. The discovery in the archives of the date of Matvei Naryshkin’s death, 1692, increases the confidence of researchers that the portrait could not have been painted later than then.
Portrait of Ivan Shchepotev
- Late 17th – early 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 92.5 x 76.5 (oval in rectangle)
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Portrait of Boyar Prince Boris Prozorovsky
- 1694
- Mounted on wood, oil. 151,8 х 118,5
- State Tretyakov Gallery
The boyar is depicted holding a pair of crutches. The maiming of the young courtier was a direct consequence of the hardships he survived in 1670 when Stepan Razin seized Astrakhan. The boyar’s father, Astrakhan Military Governor Ivan Prozorovsky, was executed; while Boris, the Younger Prozorovsky, was hung from the city wall by his legs, along with his elder brother and his uncle. Because of this torture he remained lame for life.
Boris the Younger Ivanovich Prozorovsky (1661–1718) Son of Astrakhan Military Governor Ivan Prozorovsky and Praskovia Likhacheva. Stolnik (cupbearer) (1672), room stolnik (cupbearer) of Tsarevich Therodore Alexeyevich (starting from 1674), boyar (starting from 1682), military governor in Novgorod (?–1697). Member of the Zemsky Sobor (Assembly of the Land). Attended the wedding of Peter the Great and Catherine I. Prozorovksy was in charge of the Armoury. He was married to Irina Rimskaya-Korsakova.
Portrait of Prince Anikita Repnin
- Late 1690s
- Canvas, oil. 181 х 128
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3947
Anikita Repnin (1668 – July 3, 1726). Middle son of Ivan Repnin (1615– 1697) who was a boyar close to the tsar and a house steward of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich, and Ivan’s wife Yevdokia Nikiforovna Pleshcheyeva (? – April 8, 1695). Russian Field Marshal General (1725). From his early years Anikita was close to Peter the Great and took part in the creation of the emperor’s Toy Army. In 1685 he became Lieutenant and within two years he was promoted to Colonel. Repnin participated in the Azov campaigns of 1695–1696. In 1696 he commanded a frigate. In 1699 he became Major General. In the beginning of the Northern War he commanded a division. Following the order of Peter the Great he reconstituted Russian forces withdrawing from Narva after they were defeated in 1700. He took part in the Siege of Nöteborg (1702) and Narva (1704). During the Battle of Poltava (1709) he commanded the centre of the Russian troops. During the years 1709–1710 he commanded the siege and the seizure of Riga. During the years 1712–1713 and 1715–1716 he commanded troops in Pomerania. In 1719 he was appointed Governor General of Livonia, and at the same time he acted as President of the Military College from 1724–1725. After the death of Peter the Great, he supported the enthronement of Catherine I, but shortly afterwards Alexander Menshikov sent him away to Riga.
From the second half of the 19th century to the early 21st century almost all scholars believed the person depicted here to be Ivan Borisovich Repnin; however, this traditional view was recently reconsidered. In 2014 a new version was accepted by the Attribution Council of the Russian Museum.
Portrait of Unknown Man in Uniform of the Toy Army (Peter I?)
- 1690s – early 1700s
- Canvas, oil. 99 x 77 (oval in rectangle)
- Музей-усадьба "Кусково"
The portrait was thought to depict young Peter the Great in the uniform of the Toy Army, and was believed to be painted in the 1690s; later the date was changed to the beginning of the 18th century. At an exhibition of 1973 it was exhibited as a “portrait of an unknown man in the uniform of the Toy Army” painted by an unknown artist of the beginning of the 18th century. In the catalogue of the exhibition Russian Historical Portrait. Parsuna Epoch (2004), organized by the State Historical Museum, this assessment was confirmed and it was suggested that the person depicted is a cavalry officer of the Swedish Army. However, this assessment of the portrait does not really contradict the historical attribution with Peter the Great as the subject.
Portrait of Andrei Besyashchy – Andrei Apraksin
- Between 8 October 1696 and 11 May 1697
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3984
Andrei Matveyevich Apraksin (1663–1731). Brother of Tsaritsa Marfa Matveyevna, General-Admiral Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, and Peter Matveyevich Apraksin, a senator. Stolnik (cupbearer) of Tsar Ioann V Alexeyevich. Member of the College of Cardinals of the Drunken Synod with the nickname “Besyashchy (Maddening) Andrei”. In 1728 he was awarded the title of Count and made chief cupbearer. In 1728 he became Major General. Author of the text published as the Notebook of Curious Accounts of the Grand Person who Travelled Incognito under the Name of a Russian nobleman with the Russian Embassy in 1697 and 1698.
The earliest reference to the portrait is from the Inventory of 1735; according to which, “the personage of Andrei Besyashchy” was placed in the entrance hall. The subject of the paining, Apraksin, received his nickname “Besyashchy” (“Madenning”) after Stolnik (Cupbearer) Vasily Zhelyabuzhsky and his son, reported Apraksin’s thuggish behavior to the tsar; after Peter the Great “marched” on the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius on October 8. 1696.
Portrait of a Man with a Pipe in Hand
- Late 17th century
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4704
Scholars confidently assert that this is the same portrait mentioned in a story told by Andrei Nartov, a famous Russian scientist, engineer and sculptor active during the reign of Peter the Great. The tsar told the artist to depict him “in a painting with a smoking pipe, sitting at the table, having fun and surrounded by musical instruments with mathematical and other tools abandoned in the distance, which would mean that he hadn’t enjoyed sciences and had only learned how to play the bass viol.”
В. Ф. Люткин
- Canvas, oil. 201 х 136
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 5568 ГИМ 38134
Portrait of Prince Mikhail (?) Zhirovoi-Zasekin
- Before 30 August 1698
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-6340
Portrait of Stolnik Fyodor Verigin
- Before 30 August 1698
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3983
Fyodor Verigin (dates unknown). He was a stolnik (cupbearer) for Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from 1658, and also for Peter the Great until 1692. He was one of the members of the Drunken Synod. His daughter Maria was married to Vasily Dolgoruky, and his grandson was married to A.V. Sheremeteva.
The picture was first published in the anthology Art Treasures of Russia in 1903, but the name and patronymic of the person depicted were not mentioned. In the 1973 exhibition catalogue, the subject is mentioned as Fyodor Ivanovich. It has been established that Verigin was Peter’s stolnik (cupbearer) in 1692. One can assume that Verigin's portrait, like all portraiture of bearded characters in the Preobrazhensky Series, must have been painted before August 30, 1698; when Peter the Great returned from aboard and forced all boyars and his inner circle to shave their beards.
Portrait of Prince Andrei the Elder Repnin
- After 27 January 1699
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3945
Portrait of Prince Andrei the Younger Repnin
- School of the Armoury Chamber
- After 27 January 1699
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3946
Andrei the Younger Repnin (? – January 27, 1699)Youngest son of Ivan Repnin (1615– 1697). His father Ivan was a house steward of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich, and a boyar close to the tsar; his mother was Yevdokia Nikiforovna Pleshcheyeva (? – April 8, 1695). Andrei, together with his brother Anikita, accompanied Peter the Great during his dramatic overnight ride to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius on the night of August 7-8, 1689. In approximately 1689 Andrei married Tatiana Alexeyevna, daughter of Alexei Rzhevsky; who was an okolnichy (a senior court rank) and the military commander of Samara during the years 1689–1690. Andrei was among some 39 stolniks (cupbearers) and the same number of soldiers in February 1697 who were sent to Italy to study maritime affairs.
From the second half of the 19th century to the early 21st century scholars believed the person depicted here to be Alexander Borisovich Repnin; however, this traditional view was recently reconsidered. In 2014 a new version was accepted by the Attribution Council of the Russian Museum. Based on the clothing depicted the portrait was dated from the 1680s to 1690s. It appears that it was Anikita Ivanovich that outlived both of his brothers who ordered the painting.
Portrait of Alexei Lenin and a Kalmyk
- Early 18th century. Before 1707
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3982
Alexei Lenin (? –1707). Son of the Moscow nobleman Nikifor Lenin. In 1693 he became a solicitor; as solicitor he participated in the second Azov campaign in 1696. Starting from 1702 he acted as a solicitor working at higher levels. Lenin died in 1707.
For many years the painting did not have any names attached to the subjects. However, according to the Inventory of the Preobrazhensky Palace, there existed a “Picture of Alexei Lenin and a Youth” in the entrance hall. Not until the 1960s was the painting convincingly identified as the double portrait from the Russian Museum collection. Based on existing documentation, it was very recently established that Alexei Lenin was a highly placed solicitor, beginning around 1702, who died in 1707. This places the date of the portrait prior to Alexei’s death in 1707.
Portrait of Alexei Vasilkov
- 1700s (?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-7886
Alexei Vasilkov (his patronymic and dates are unknown). Staring from the end of the 1660s he was an official in the Stvolny (Gun Barrel) Prikaz, and from 1700 served in the Armoury Palace. In 1715 he was a clerk of the Armoury Office.
The portrait originally appeared in the Hermitage inventory under the title “Painting of Alexei Vasikov” cataloged as № 152. All attempts to find the surname “Vasikov” (as misspelled on the portrait) in documents of late 17th and early 18th centuries failed. Finally, a theory concerning the accurate spelling of the surname helped uncover the correct name of Alexei Vasilkov. Unlike other portraits, which feature a “bearded” image, this portrait of Alexei Vasilkov was painted after August 30, 1698.
Peter I in a Tavern
- 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 37 х 51
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
There are still three seals on the back of the painting, and on one of these seals, there is a count’s coat of arms that belongs to the Polish Raczyński family (reported by E.A. Yarovaya). The painting depicts a genre scene in a tavern, traditional for Dutch paintings. A man sitting on the right resembles Peter the Great. The simplified way of depicting the characters and interior details allow us to suggest that the painting was created by a Russian (?) artist “in the Dutch manner.”
Portrait of an Unknown Man in Brown Fur Coat
- Early 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 82,5 х 70
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Stylistic analysis of the painting suggests that it is part of the Preobrazhensky Series. It is hard to determine the name of the person depicted. The character is wearing a vest and a sheepskin padded homespun coat.
Portrait of Sergei Bukhvostov
- After August 1711
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-6341
Sergei Bukhvostov (1642 (59?) –1728). The “first Russian soldier”, began his service at court as a solicitor (stryapchy). In 1683 he was the first person to be enrolled in the Toy Army of Peter the Great, subsequently the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In 1695 he took part in the Azov campaign as Corporal of a company of bombardiers, and was promoted to Second Lieutenant for his participation in the Northern War. After being wounded during the Siege of Stettin he was promoted to Major and transferred to the Petersburg Garrison Artillery.
The portrait of Sergei Bukhvostov, the “first Russian soldier”, was not mentioned in the 1735 inventory of the Preobrazhensky Palace, but it had a definite stylistic similarity to the eight main pictures of the series. The portrait of Bukhvostov was dated based on the gold medal attached to his buttonhole, commemorating the Pruth campaign of 1711. People remembered the “first soldier”. There are reports that in 1724 Peter the Great commissioned a bust of him from the sculptor Bartolomeo Rastrelli. In 1728 the “St Petersburg Gazette” published Bukhvostov’s obituary.
Portrait of Anastasia Naryshkina with Her Children Alexandra and Tatyana
- Between 1709 and 1715
- Canvas, oil. 180,2 х 130,8
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Employing the method for dating portraits that is based on analyzing details of clothing depicted (the mother’s headwear and the dress of the youngest daughter) one can assume that this painting was made between 1709 and 1715.
Anastasia Naryshkina (née Princess Myshetskaya; 1680 – after 1722) Daughter of Yakov Efimovich Myshetsky and Feodora Ivanovna. Wife (from 1702) of Kirill Alexeyevich Naryshkin (circa 1670–1723), and half cousin of Tsaritsa Natalia Kirillovna. They had several children: Tatiana (1704–1757), Sophia (1708–1737), Daria (1709–1730), Semyon (1710–1775), Peter (1713–1770), Natalia (1716–1770). There is no biographical information concerning Alexandra Kirillovna, her name is not mentioned in any published genealogies of the Naryshkin family. Her daughter, Tatiana Kirillovna (1704–1757) was the second wife of General Admiral Mikhail Golitsyn (1684–1764).
Portrait of Countess Elena Ushakova
- First quarter of the 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 79,8 х 62,9
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Elena Leontyevna Ushakova (née Kokoshkina; no sooner than 1680 – ?) Daughter of Stolnik (Cupbearer) Leonty Kokoshkin; her first husband was Stolnik Fyodor Karpovich Apraksin, her second husband was Count Andrei Ivanovich Ushakov.
Researchers used to believe that this portrait of Elena Ushakova was painted by Roman Nikitin. In an exhibition catalogue from 1973, the painting was presented as a work of an unknown artist from Ivan and Roman Nikitin’s circle.
Portrait of an Old Man in a Red Coat
- First half of the 18th century
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4853
For many years, the portrait was considered to be a picture of Ivan Balakirev, the fool of Peter the Great (1699–1763). It was acquired by the Russian Museum with the attribution as a part of the famous Lobanov-Rostovsky collection. Apparently, the attribution was suggested by the notorious art collector Mikhail Botkin, who acted as intermediary when the collection was purchased. However, the attribution was already in question in the Russian Museum’s first catalogue. After that, the portrait was known under different names; and in the 1950s it was cautiously titled “Portrait of an Old Man in a Red Coat“ by an unknown artist. Half a century ago, it was suggested that the painting was painted by Georg Gsell, and recently, a new theory emerged suggesting that the person depicted is Jacob Bruce, an associate of Peter the Great.
Portrait of the Giant Nicolas Bourgeois
- After 1717 (1716 ?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5314
Nicholas Bourgeois (168?–1724). Frenchman, giant and strongman (his height was 2 m 27 cm). Peter the Great hired him during his trip abroad in the town of Calais and brought him to St Petersburg where Bourgeois would serve as a footman of the tsar. Peter made him couple with tall Finnish women to see if their children would be as tall as they were. After his death the giant’s skeleton and internal organs were sent over to the Kunstkamera where they are still exhibited. It was also in 1724 that Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli was ordered to construct a mobile wooden leather-covered model of the giant’s body. The item was kept in the Kunstkamera until the end of the 18th century.
Traditionally, the portrait is considered to be created by Georg Gsell. The hypothesis first appears in the catalogue of a portrait exhibition of 1870. In 1724, after Bourgeois’ death, Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli created a mobile, wooden, leather-covered model of Bourgeois’ gigantic figure. It is possible that the portrait was painted from this model, not from life. Thematically the “strong man” fits well in the Preobrazhensky Series; these were paintings of members of the Drunken Synod whose portraits were created during the reign of Catherine I.
Portrait of a Field Hetman
- 1720s (1726 or 1727 (?))
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4909
The portrait was included in the 1773 inventory of academic paintings as “a portrait of a field hetman, uncompleted, taken from the palace with no frame.” The portrait of Ivan Mazepa was exhibited within an exhibition of 1879 with a note in the catalogue that read “painted by Ivan Nikitin.” After that Nikitin’s authorship has never been questioned. There is a theory that the “field hetman” piece is actually a self-portrait.
Portrait of Princess Smaragda (?) Maria (?) Cantemir
- Early 1720s
- Canvas, oil.
- Музей «Новый Иерусалим»
Maria Cantemir (Maria Kantemirova; 1700–1757)
Daughter of the Moldavian Prince Dimitrie Cantemir and Kassandra Cantacuzene who both fled to Russia; sister of the Russian poet Antiochus Cantemir, and mistress of Peter the Great.
The portrait’s attribution is based on a faded inscription that survived on the back of the canvas saying “Princess Smaragda Cantemir;” however, this attribution is questionable: the youngest daughter of Dimitrie Cantemir, the prince of Moldavia, who moved to Russia to serve Peter the Great in 1711, Princess Smaragda died when she was sixteen (1703–1719); the person depicted is obviously older. The confusion might have taken place at the end of the 18th century when the Cantemir family line ended, their property was signed over “to the State,” and their family portraits were given away to guardians and new owners of their homes. It is much more likely that the person depicted is actually the eldest daughter of Cantemir, Maria (1700–1754). The theory is supported by the model’s age and family jewels she is wearing: traditionally, diamonds would belong to the eldest daughter.
Portrait of an Unknown Man in a Fancy Dress of Neptune
- 1720s
- Canvas, oil. 88 х 68
- State Tretyakov Gallery
One of the Preobrazhensky Series portraits. The person depicted is a member of the Drunken Synod of Fools and Jesters, a mock undertaking of the young tsar Peter, established “following an ancient barbaric custom.” The member of the Drunken Synod is dressed like “the god of seas, all springs and waters;” he is wearing a light brown gown, and there is a heavy carved crown atop a red cap on his head. He holds a traditional trident in his hands. He may have been a celebrant attending a costume party organized in Moscow to celebrate the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystad. In January 1722, Moscovites were treated to amusements with a “fleet” that cruised around the snow-covered streets in sleighs. The emperor himself, together with his generals and admirals, sat amongst the gilt-decorated galley, as the sea emperor pranced in front of them. The hypothesis claiming that the person depicted is Semyon Turgenev has not yet been confirmed.
Portrait of Baroness Maria Stroganova
- After April 1724
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4
Maria Stroganova (July 20, 1677 – November, 1733). Baroness, daughter of Yakov Zakharyevich Novosiltsev (? – November 16, 1676). Sister of Vasily Novosilstev, the military governor of Solikamsk. Second wife of Grigory Stroganov, a prominent person and salt manufacturer; lady-in-waiting of Catherine I and Anna Ioannovna; mother of Alexander (1698–1754), Nikolai (1700–1758) and Sergei (1707–1756) Stroganov. It was due to her successful petitioning of Peter the Great that the Stroganov family was given the title of Barons of the Russian Empire (May 30, 1722). A book by Peter Buslaev published by the Russian Academy of Arts under the title Spiritual Contemplation (1734) is dedicated to Maria Yakovlevna Stroganova.
A companion portrait to the portrait of the “nobleman” by Grigory Stroganov (Odessa Art Museum). The person depicted is Maria Stroganova, née Novosiltseva. Traditionally, the portrait is dated “between 1721 and 1724.” However, Stroganova was made lady-in-waiting and received the respective badge of honour – a pin with the portrait of Peter the Great – upon the coronation of Catherine I, which took place in Moscow on May 7, 1724. Out of particular respect, Peter the Great made an exception for Stroganova and allowed her to wear an ancient Russian dress at court.
Portrait of Baron Sergei Stroganov, Youngest Son of the Salt manufacturer Grigory Stroganov and his Wife Maria
- 1726
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4908
Sergei Stroganov (August 20, 1707 – September 30, 1756). Youngest son of Grigory Stroganov, a prominent person and salt manufacturer, and his second wife Maria Yakovlevna, née Novosiltseva. Baron (from 1722), actual gentleman-in-waiting, Lieutenant General. Owner of a palace located on Nevsky Prospect, St Petersburg designed by Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Collector and founder of the Stroganov Art Gallery. In 1735 he married Sofia Kirillovna Naryshkina. His son, Alexander Stroganov, would become president of the Imperial Academy of Arts.
The work was first attributed to Ivan Nikitin in 1804 and there is no question of his authorship. This is one of the few works of the artist that was signed and dated. Researchers note that the technique of the portrait is very good, and it has been preserved better than other works, which makes the individual manner of the artist more apparent. A similar style is visible on his portraits of Prasovia Ioannovna and Anna Petrovna.
Portrait of Princess Alexandra Menshikova
- 1725–1727
- Canvas, oil. 77,3 х 60,6
- State Museum «PAVLOVSK»
For many years both portraits were counted as works of Johann Gottfried Tannauer. Subsequently, a new rightful version was developed, stating that both works are actually copies of the non-extant Tannauer paintings that were created by Johann Heinrich Wedekind. Considering the fact that no Orders of St. Catehrine received by both princesses in June of 1727 are included in the portraits, one can assume that Wedekind painted the portraits of the Menshikov sisters in 1725–1727. The portraits originate from the collection of Prince Nikolai Gagarin (1859–1918). The Menshikov and the Gagarin families were related.
Alexandra Menshikova (December 17, 1712 – September 13, 1736) Youngest daughter of His Highness the Prince Alexander Menshikov and his wife Daria Mikhailovna. In 1728 she was banished to Beryozov together with her father, but in 1731 she was returned from exile and became lady-in-waiting of Empress Anna Ioanovna. In 1732 she married Adjutant General Gustav von Biron, younger brother of the Empress’s favourite.
Portrait of Princess Maria Menshikova
- 1725–1727
- Canvas, oil. 77,2 х 60,4
- State Museum «PAVLOVSK»
For many years both portraits were counted as works of Johann Gottfried Tannauer. Subsequently, a new rightful version was developed, stating that both works are actually copies of the non-extant Tannauer paintings that were created by Johann Heinrich Wedekind. Considering the fact that no Orders of St. Catehrine received by both princesses in June of 1727 are included in the portraits, one can assume that Wedekind painted the portraits of the Menshikov sisters in 1725–1727. The portraits originate from the collection of Prince Nikolai Gagarin (1859–1918). The Menshikov and the Gagarin families were related.
Maria Menshikova (December 26, 1711 – December 26, 1729) Eldest daughter of His Highness the Prince Alexander Menshikov and his wife Daria Mikhailovna. In 1727 she became the bride of Emperor Peter II. In 1728 she was banished to Beryozov, where she died from smallpox.
Portrait of Daria Menshikova (?)
- Before October 1727
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3998
Daria Menshikova (March 19, 1682 – May 10, 1728). Her Highness the Princess, daughter of Mikhail Arsenyev who was the military commander of Yakutia and a stolnik (cupbearer). After Alexander Menshikov was arrested in autumn 1727 she was banished together with him. She died on May 10, 1728 near Kazan.
It is possible that the portrait is based on the original painted by Louis Caravaque. In order to be placed in the Romanov Gallery the original canvas was extended along the perimeter. For many years, starting from the portrait exhibition of 1870, the painting was counted as a portrait of Tsarevna Catherine Ioannovna. However, it is obvious that the person depicted is actually Daria Menshikova, the wife of Prince Alexander Menshikov. The portrait has to have been painted before September 1727 when Menshikov was arrested and banished.
Self-Portrait with Wife
- 1729 (?). After 1727 (?)
- Canvas, oil. 75,5 x 90,5
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4913
Andrei Matveyev (1702, (?) – 1739, St Petersburg). Painter, portrait artist, and icon painter, who created allegorical, and decorative and monumental compositions. In 1716, at the request of Peter the Great, he was then sent to study painting in Holland. From September 1717 to September 1723, he studied under Arnold Boonen in Amsterdam, and from December 1723 to May (?) 1727 – in the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts under (?) Sperwer. In August 1727, he came back to Petersburg and began his work in the Chancellery of Construction. In 1731, Matveyev attained the rank of Master and became the head of the Painting Brigade of the Chancellery of Construction. He participated in creating murals for the Peter and Paul Cathedral, as well as tsarist residences in Petersburg, he also painted icons for the Church of The Holy Righteous Simeon and Anna The Prophetess.
Irina Matveyeva (1712/14–1740s). Daughter of the blacksmith Stepan Antropov. In 1729 (or 1728) she married the artist Andrey Matveyev. She later entered into a second marriage with the merchant Turgenev.
The portrait is thought to have been painted in 1729, the year the artist got married. Some researchers believed that the woman depicted is much older than the artist’s wife (who was only 16 years old when the portrait was painted), and that the people depicted are Princess Anna Leopoldovna and her husband Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick. Modern technical analysis established that the woman’s face was “aged” by alterations introduced after the work was completed.
Portrait of a Young Man in a Green Coat
- Before 8 August 1732
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4712
Catalogues listing paintings from the Collection of the Russian Museum previously counted the portrait as a work of an unknown artist; however, already in the 1980s credible researchers stated that there was no doubt that the portrait was created by Ivan Nikitin, and the person depicted is the painter Andrei Matveyev. Nikitin’s authorship was confirmed by the Attribution Council of the Russian Museum in 2015. The portrait was painted before August 8, 1732, the day when Nikitin was arrested and committed to the Peter and Paul Fortress.
Prince Mikhail Golitsyn Handing the Keys to the Captured Swedish Fortress Nöteborg to Peter the Great
- After the original by Kimpfel
- Early 19th century
- Paper, etching with hand colouring. Image: 41.8 х 54.9. Panel: 41.8 х 54.9. Sheet: 41.8 х 54.9
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-16060
Session of the Senate During the Reign of Peter the Great
- Aftera 1907 original. Plate No. 31 from Pictures from Russian History (Moscow: Joseph Knebel, 1908–1913)
- 1908
- Paper, chromolithography. 66,4 х 88,2
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.луб-2095
Nikitin Roman
Circa 1690, Moscow – 1753 (1754?), MoscowPainter, icon painter, decorator, portraitist. Son of a Moscow priest, brother of Ivan Nikitin, father of architect Pyotr Nikitin. Together with his brother, he went to Italy as a fellow of Peter the Great, where he studied under Tommaso Redi in Florence (1716‒1719). In 1719 he moved to Paris and to study under Nicolas de Largilliere, and returned to Russia in 1720. Helped to design the Triumphal Gates in Moscow celebrating the victory over Sweden in the Great Northern War. Married Maremiana Petrovna, widow of the artist Maxim Birovsky (1725). Arrested (1731), released (1731) and rearrested (1732) in connection with the libelling of Archbishop Feofan Prokopovich. Exiled to Tobolsk with his wife (1737). Released by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (1742). Returned to Moscow (1742). Painted icons for the St John Chrysostom Monastery and helped to restore the Triumphal Gates opposite the Annenhof Palace in Moscow. Had his school of painting.
Wedekindt, Wedekind Johann Heinrich
Matveyev Andrei Matveyevich
1702, ? – 1739, St PetersburgPainter, portraitist, iconpainter, author of allegorical and decorative-monumental compositions. Awarded a fellowship to study in Holland by Peter the Great (1716). Studied under Arnold Boonen in Amsterdam (1717–1723) and under Sperwer at the Antwerp Academy of Arts (1723–1727). Returned to St Petersburg and employed by the Chancellery of Construction (1727). Awarded the title of master and headed the team of painters at the Chancellery of Construction (1731). Helped to decorate the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul and Imperial residences in St Petersburg. Painted icons for the Church of St Simeon and St Anne.
Claar A.R.
The capture of Azov in 1696
- 1699
- Paper, lathe.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32261
Вид Нарвы, когда Карл XII разбил Петра I
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-35160
Capture of Azov
- Allegorical painting
- After 1702
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-3981
This painting copies the composition of Leonty Tarasevich’s engraving that was placed on the frontispiece of the Kiev-Pechora Patericon, but with some alterations. In the center, there is a double-headed eagle with the Holy Mother and the Christ Child (Our Lady of the Sign icon type). Above them, you can see God the Father surrounded by cherubim. Below them a dove represents the Holy Spirit. To the right and to the left, the artist depicted the patron saints of the imperial family (Saint Peter and Saint Alexius, Man of God). Below on the clouds you can see the Kiev-Pechora saints (Theodosius of Kiev, also called Theodosius of the Caves, and Anthony of Kiev, also called Anthony of the Caves) on the left and on the right there are the Moscow saints (Alexius, Metropolitan of Moscow, Sergius, Nikon and Kirill of Radonezh). An equestrian portrait of Peter the Great is placed in the bottom row of persons depicted together with portraits of Alexei and Boris Sheremetev. Saint George, who has the face of Sheremetev (with no nimbus), is defeating the dragon, which symbolizes the Ottoman Empire; and heaven’s wrath, represented by lighting, is defeating the lion, which is a symbol of Sweden.
Описание свадьбы остроумнолиотного Феофилакта Шанского ... в палате ... генерала Франца Лефорта
- 1702
- Paper, , etching.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32267
Взятие Нотебурга
- 1703
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32262
Medal Commemorating the Victory in the Battle of Poltava
- 1709
- Copper.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-938
Апофеоз Петра I (Аллегория Полтавской баталии)
- Canvas, oil. 141,5 х 126
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 5987 ГИМ 68257/7268
Петр I. Апофеоз Полтавы
- The beginning of the XVIII century
- Canvas, oil. 136 х 100
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 2268 ГИМ 72395
Medal Commemorating the Building of the Four Fleets in 1711
- Silver. 3,92 х 3,44
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-489
Image of the marriage of Peter I
- 1712
- etching, lathe.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32300
The Wedding of Peter I and Catherine
- 1712
- etching.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-42519
Ввод судов в Петербург после Гангутской победы
- etching.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-32299
Battle of Lesnaya (Battle of Poltava)
- 1717
- Canvas, oil.
- Государственный музей изобразительных искусств им. А. С. Пушкина
The painting was created in Amsterdam; Peter the Great asked Nattier to come there in 1717 to paint portraits of his wife Catherine and his confidants. Marie-Catherine Tocque, the artist’s daughter, recalled that the painter created this piece under the direct observation of Peter the Great. Madam Tocque also mentioned that the painting depicts the Battle of Poltava. However, Peter’s letter that he wrote to his wife from Paris on May 2, 1717 and sent to the Hague says that the battle depicted is actually the Battle of Lesnaya, which took place on September 28, 1708. Peter’s testimony appears to be more credible. As one of the scholars working on Nattier’s oeuvre noted, the composition can be seen as an allegory of war. The artist was depicting a generalized image of Peter’s victorious military campaigns. The picture was probably inspired by such Dutch painters of battle scenes as Maas Dirk and Jan van Huchtenburg, and plays a unique part in the oeuvre of Nattier, who was a portrait painter.
Торжественный ввод в Санкт-Петербург шведских судов после победы при Гренгаме
- etching.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-32305
Фейверк по случаю победы при Гренгаме / Гренгамская пирамида
- 1720
- etching, lathe.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-26131
Баталия при Гренгаме 27 июля 1720 года
- 1721
- Paper, etching, lathe.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32303
Конный портрет императора Петра Великого
- etching, lathe.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32355
Сражение при деревне Лесной 28 сентября 1708 г. (Битва при Лесной)
- Paper, etching, lathe, watercolours.
- The State Russian Museum
- ЛД-391
Battle of Poltava on 27 June 1709
- From the original painting by Pierre-Denis Martin the Younger
- 1722–1724
- Paper, lathe, etching, watercolours. 52 х 72
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
In the foreground one can see cavalry trumpeters and a timpanist; Peter the Great is placed to the right of them, surrounded by his retinue. On the background, there is a panoramic picture of the first phase of the battle when the Swedish army attacked the front line of the Russian redoubts.
Definitive Defeat of the Swedish Army at the Battle of Poltava
- From the original painting by Pierre-Denis Martin the Younger
- 1722–1724
- Paper, lathe, etching, watercolours. 52 х 72
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
In the foreground one can see Peter the Great riding a horse with his saber unsheathed amid the battle between Russian and Swedish cavalrymen. In the middle ground, a panoramic picture of the battle unfolds. The engraving depicts the second phase of the Battle of Poltava that ended with the resounding defeat of the Swedish army after two hours of fighting.
Medal to the Coronation of Catherine I
- 1724
- Silver.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-2707
Medal to the Coronation of Catherine I in 1724
- Second half of the 18th century
- Silver. Diameter 4.38
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед. А-240
Peter I at the Battle of Poltava
- 1724 (1725?)
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4901
Peter I (the Great; 1672–1725) was the younger son of the Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. He became Tsar in 1682 (until 1696, he ruled jointly with his brother Ivan V). From 1721, he was the first Emperor of All the Russias.
The painting was created in the European tradition, with the monarch participating in a battle scene. A scholar doing research on Peter’s iconography pointed out as far back as one and a half centuries ago that this “image of the tsar is not so similar to other portraits of his.” In the catalogue of a portrait exhibition organized in 1870, the painting was said to be a “study completed” for a large painting, which was ordered from Tannauer in 1718.
Battle of Poltava
- First half of the 18th century
- Canvas, oil. 154 х 169
- Peterhof State Museum Reserve
Initially, the painting was part of the collection of the Hermitage Pavilion built on the shores of the Gulf of Finland in the Western part of the Lower Park of Peterhof in 1721–1725. This is one of the two paintings from the historical collection of the Peterhof Hermitage that survived the fire of 1808. The picture used to be attributed to Ivan Nikitin.
View of St. Petersburg
- etching.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-41990
Battle of Poltava
- Tapestry
- Wool, silk, weaving.
- The State Russian Museum
- Тк-1032
The tapestry "Battle of Poltava" is one of the most significant and famous works of St. Petersburg Tapestry Manufactory, which was founded in 1716 on the initiative of Peter the Great. Battle paintings appeared to be a new genre in Russian art, brought to life by the brilliant victories of the Russian army in the Great Northern War. The victory at Poltava was often embodied in all kinds of art, including in weaving. "The Battle of Poltava" is one of the most significant and most famous works of the St. Petersburg Tapestry Manufactory.
In the centre of the tapestry is the equestrian portrait of Peter I, a convincing monumental image of the commander. The figure of the emperor on the rampant bay horse is spectacularly depicted against the background of the battle. The artist and the makers of the tapestry managed to find the necessary degree of generalization and achieve the monumentality necessary for this kind of work, creating an expressive artistic image through the means of carpet making.
Initially, the tapestry was surrounded by a wide frame with the images of the coats of arms of Russian towns. It is difficult to say, when and under what circumstances the tapestry lost this spectacular frame. Until 1863 the St. Petersburg furniture manufacturer Karl Tur owned the carpet. Then until 1912 the carpet decorated the rooms of the Petrovsky palace on Petrovsky island.
The fragments of the frame are currently kept in the State Russian Museum and the Historical Museum in Moscow.
The tapestry is an example of the most interesting monumental Russian decorative art of the 18th century thanks to the mastery of its performance.
Екатерина I спасает Петра под Прутом (Петр I в лагере у Прута / Екатерина входит в палатку к Петру I)
- Paper, etching, lathe.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-16819
Peter I at the Battle of Poltava
- Study for a large painting for the Resurrection Hall of St Michael’s Castle for which the artist received the title of adjunct professor
- Late 1790s
- Canvas, oil. 73 х 50
- Государственный исторический музей
- И I 1977 ГИМ 17040щ
Prince Mikhail Golitsyn Handing the Keys to the Captured Swedish Fortress Nöteborg to Peter the Great
- After the original by Kimpfel
- Early 19th century
- Paper, etching with hand colouring. Image: 41.8 х 54.9. Panel: 41.8 х 54.9. Sheet: 41.8 х 54.9
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-16060
Parade at the Monument to Peter the Great
- Paper, ink. 56,4 x 75,6
- The State Russian Museum
- Р-8041
Unveiling the Monument to Peter the Great
- Paper, ink. 57,3 x 75,9
- The State Russian Museum
- Р-8042
Battle of Lesnaya
- After the original by Pierre-Denis Martin
- 1829–1831
- Canvas, oil. 150 х 200,5
- State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
When Peter the Great went abroad for the second time, he instructed several French painters to create pictures depicting the most significant Russian victories over the Swedish army. In 1717 in Paris, Martin made a commitment to create four large cartoons for tapestries depicting the battles of Lesnaya and Gangut, as well as two main phases of the Battle of Poltava. The artist depicted the same subjects on four paintings. Only two of the signed paintings survived to this day (Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve). During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna the paintings were housed in the Picture Hall of the Tsarskoe Selo Palace, where they remain. The Hermitage painting used to be attributed to Pierre-Denis Martin the Younger. However, in 1959–1960 it was already being suggested that the painting is actually a copy of the French original. This point of view was supported with a publication containing information about the artists Bolms and Lutz creating copies of the paintings for Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia in 1829–1831. In 1832, a copy of the Battle of Lesnaya painting was placed in the chamber of Nicholas I in the Winter Palace. After the fire of 1837, both copies were housed in the Apollo Hall to the right and to the left of the bust of Peter the Great created by Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The panoramic picture of the battle is extremely accurate, because the painter used the battle plans and descriptions, which had been sent to him.
Feat of Peter the Great in the Storm
- 1832
- Canvas, oil. 49 х 58
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-2684
Smaller copy-version of Peter the Great Saving Drowning People in the Storm on Lake Ladoga by Charles de Steuben (1812; Museum of Fine Arts, Amiens).
Quite a number of myths have grown up about the death of Peter the Great, including the fateful chill that he caught when saving some drowning fishermen, and also the suggestion of a poisoning organised by some of his closest associates. In his dynamic picture, which was copied by Alexander von Kotzebue, Charles de Steuben depicted the first of these stories, one that was truly worthy of the great monarch’s heroic reputation. In its time de Steuben’s painting greatly impressed the public, and it was acquired by Napoleon Bonaparte. Louis XVIII ordered a Gobelin to be made of it which was then sent as a gift to Emperor Alexander I (it is now in the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve).
Петр I в селе Преображенском 1687 года
- 1836
- Paper, lithography.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-1149
Петр I после Полтавской победы 1709 г.
- 1836
- Paper, lithography.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-1152
Петр I при реке Пруте, 1711 года
- 1836
- Paper, lithography.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-1153
Царь Петр I принимает титло: 1721 г.
- 1836
- Paper, lithography.
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-1154
A Feat of the Merchany Igolkin from Novgogod in the Northern War against the Swedes
- 1839
- Canvas, oil.
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5063
Foundationof St Petersburgin 1703
- Not earlier than 1840
- Canvas, oil. 21,5 x 16
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-212
Peter I at Lakhta Saving Drowning Sailors and Soldiers in 172(?)
- After the original by Boris Chorikov
- 1842
- Paper, lithography. Image: 50.8х64.5. Sheet: 68.0 х 88.1
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-31989
Peter the Great at the Grave of Russian Warriors Fallen at the Battle of Poltava in 1709
- After the original by Boris Chorikov
- 1842
- Paper, lithography. Image: 51.1 х 64.1. Sheet: 72.5х94.9
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32319
Peter the Great at the Pruth River in 1711
- After the original by Vasily Demidov
- 1842
- Paper, lithography. Image: 52.8 х 66.6. Sheet: 72.7 х 94.5
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-32318
Suppressing the Uprising of Raskolniki (Peter the Great Suppressing Rebellious Raskolniki in the Palace of Facets)
- After the original by Boris Chorikov
- 1842
- Paper, lithography. Image: 51.2 х 66.0. Sheet: 72.8 х 95.0
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-32224
Transfer ofthe Relics of St Alexander Nevsky from Vladimir to St Petersburg During the Reign of Peter the Great in 1724
- Fresco study
- 1844–1846
- Canvas, oil. 13 x 33
- The State Russian Museum
- ЖБ-434
Peter I at Krasnaya Gorka Lighting a Fire on the Shore to Signal to his Sinking Ships
- 1846
- Canvas, oil. 223 х 335
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5879
Peter the Great Taking the Relics of St Alexander Nevsky from Vladimir to St Petersburg
- Model of the reliefs for the doors of St. Isaac's Cathedral
- 1847
- Gypsum. 103 х 114 х 23.5
- The State Russian Museum
- СК/ПФ-194
Suppression of the Schismatics’ Revolt by Peter the Great
- 1847
- Canvas, oil. 103 х 142
- The State Russian Museum
- ЖБ-943
The subject of this painting refers to the time when Russia had two tsars, Ivan and Peter, both of them young, and the country was effectively governed by their sister, Tsarevna Sophia Alexeyevna. Under the baldachin we can see the double throne that was made for the 10-year-old Peter and the 16-year-old Ivan. The famous “Dispute on the Confession of Faith”, a discussion of the church reforms carried out by Patriarch Nikon, took place on 5 July 1682 in the Palace of Facets, in the presence of Patriarch Joachim and the royal persons. The schismatics, who did not accept the reforms, demanded a return to the old church laws and ceremonies. The dispute turned to blows, but no decision was made. On the following day the person who had instigated the dispute, Nikita Pustosvyat, a priest from Suzdal, was executed. Tsar Peter did not take part in the debate, due to his young age, and the stern rebuke addressed to the schismatics that later historiographers have ascribed to him is a complete fabrication.
Tsarina Natalia and Tsarevich Peter at the Red Porch
- 1848
- Canvas, oil. 79 х 106
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-7642
This painting by Vasily Demidov shows Tsarina Natalia Cyrilovna coming out onto the porch of the palace with both Tsars, Ivan and Peter, and members of the clergy. In all probability the scene depicts a ritual connected to Peter’s name-day when, in reply to the greetings of the people, he could pardon criminals.
Medal Commemorating the Unveiling of the Monument to Peter the Great in Veskovo
- 1852
- Silver.
- The State Russian Museum
- Мед.А-287
Assembly Under Peter the Great
- 1858
- Canvas, oil. 113 х 176
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-8701
In 1718 Peter the Great issued a decree on assemblies, evenings of entertainment that became an essential part of society life in St Petersburg; time at them was usually spent in dancing, various games and interesting conversations. In introducing assemblies Peter was pursuing his aim of grafting onto Russian soil certain everyday West European traditions that seemed useful to him and that would also help in both the internal and the external liberation of women whose lives up to then had been devoted solely to fulfilling their domestic duties. In the painting by Stanisław Chlebowski the attention of the people present is drawn to a man who has just come in; he has a long beard and is dressed in the old style of the boyars. The guest is trying to refuse a large goblet of wine that is apparently being offered to him as a fine for his late arrival. Peter the Great is sitting at a table and watching the scene with interest. The artist has placed Empress Catherine I and one of her daughters on the right.
Peter the Great Stops His Soldiers from Marauding After Taking Narva in 1704
- 1859
- Canvas, oil. 170.3 x 214
- State Tretyakov Gallery
- инв. 10906
Петр Великий возвещает в Санкт-Петербурге народу о заключении мира со Швецией в день 4 сентября 1721 года
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр-4806
Battle of Grengam on 27 July 1720
- 1866
- Canvas, oil. 229 х 380
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5587
The last major battle of the Northern War between Russia and Sweden took place near the island of Grengam in the Baltic on 27 July 1720. A squadron commanded by General-in-Chief Mikhail Golitsyn was pursued by a Swedish fleet which found itself in shallow waters; there it was surrounded by the more manoeuvrable Russian ships which took four enemy frigates by boarding. The Battle of Grengam brought Sweden’s domination of the Baltic to an end and hastened the signing of the Treaty of Nystadt. The prominent marine artist Alexei Bogolyubov has depicted the moment when the massive Swedish ships are surrounded by the warships and galleys of the Russian squadron.
Петр Великий празднует Ништадский мир
- 1866
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-25759
Петр I, защищаемый своей матерью
- 1869
- Paper, .
- The State Russian Museum
- Гр.-14540
Battle Between the Russians and the Swedes at Lesnaya on 28 October 1708
- 1870
- Canvas, oil. 225 x 481
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-5591
Lesnaya is a village in Belarus, and a battle took place nearby on 28 September 1708, during the Northern War, in which the 12,000-strong force of Peter the Great defeated the 16,000-strong Swedish corps of General Adam Lewenhaupt. The Russians also captured a very large supply train, with food for three months, artillery and munitions. Peter the Great saw the Battle of Lesnaya as the “mother of the Battle of Poltava” – the Russian army’s main and concluding victory in the Northern War (27 June 1709) – since the army of Charles XII was greatly weakened after the loss of its supply train. Alexander von Kotzebue painted battle pieces showing victories by Russian arms to commissions from the Imperial Court. The artist’s painting devoted to the Battle of Lesnaya is remarkable both for the masterly way that he constructs dynamic scenes involving figures and also for his expressive treatment of the landscape which, with its sense of anxiety, increases the power of the emotional effect on the viewer.
Peter I Interrogating Tsarevich Alexis at Peterhof
- Late 1860s – early 1870s
- Terracotta. Height 23; length 27.5; width 20
- The State Russian Museum
- ФС-1269
Tray Peter the Great on Ladoga Lake
- Zhostovo, Moscow Province
- 1870s
- Metal, dutch metal, oil, lacquer, painting. 55 х 70.5 х 3
- The State Russian Museum
- ОНИ/Р-4592
Peter I (the Great) Interrogating Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Peterhof
- 1872
- Canvas, oil. 134,5 x 173
- The State Russian Museum
- Ж-4142
Opposition to Petrine reforms stated in the Emperor’s family. His son from the first marriage, Tsarevich Alexei, made a stand against his father’s orders. However the conspiracy was unmasked and the Tsarevich fled abroad, but was returned to Russia at the order of Peter the Great. Russian Senate based on the Emperor’s consent sentenced him to death. To recreate this historical episode in every detail, the artist thoroughly studies documents and portraits of Peter the Great and the Tsarevich, as well as the costumes dated back to the beginning of the 18th century. He also faithfully reproduced the Emperor’s study in the Monplaisir palace in Peterhof. This work is a copy of an eponymous paining dated back to 1871 that is exhibited in the State Tretyakov Gallery.
Peter the Great Portaging Ships from Onega Bay to Lake Onega
- 1872
- Paper, sauce, сharcoal , , chalk, . 52,1 х 70,7
- The State Russian Museum
- Р-5958
Judin Samuel
Jäger Johann Caspar Gottlieb
1750s – after 1791Larmessin Nicolas IV de
Simonneau, Charles Louis
Medincev (Medincov) Fedor
Unknown Medallist
Shultz Anton
Imperial Tapestry Manufactory
Catta Jacomo
Vasily Shebuev
Davydov Alexei
1761– after 1815Bolms
Lutz
Kotzebue, Alexander von
1815, Königsberg – 1889, MunichPainter, battle painter. Son of German playwright August von Kotzebue, brother of famous explorer Otto von Kotzebue (1788–1846), and eminent military leader and statesman Paul von Kotzebue (1801–1884). Studied at the Second Petersburg Cadet Corps, served as an officer in the Life Guards Lithuanian Regiment. Audited Alexander Sauerweid’s battle class at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1837–1844). By imperial decree, was sent abroad on an assignment trip (1847) to study the theatre of military operations of the Seven Year’s War and produce the commissioned paintings. Awarded the title of academician without creating a painting specifically for this honour (1850). Went to Italy (1852) to depict commissioned scenes from Alexander Suvorov’s Swiss and Italian expeditions. In 1858, exhibited three paintings related to this subject at the Imperial Academy of Art: Russians Crossing Over the Devil’s Bridgein Switzerland in 1799, Battle of Novi in 1799 and Battle in the Mutten Valley in 1799. Professor of battle painting, member of the Munich Academy of Arts (1858). Commissioned by the Emperor to execute six paintings related to the conquest of the Baltics by Peter the Great. Worked on paintings on the subject of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878.
Иванов Петр
Basin Pyotr Vasilievich
1793, St Petersburg — 1877, St PetersburgPainter, author of religious, historical and landscape compositions, monumentalist, engraver. Born to the family of a Petersburg civil servant. Attended the drawing classes at the Imperial Academy of Arts (from 1811). Awarded minor and major silver medals (1813). Studied painting under Vasily Shebuyev (from 1816). Lived in Italy (1819–1930). Returned to St Petersburg in 1830. Academician of painting (1831). Second-class professor (1836), first-class professor (1846), professor emeritus (1856). Professor of the Academy of Arts (till 1869).
Deshevoy Ivan
Circa 1820 – 1873Razumikhin Pyotr
1812–1848Shertle Valentin
1809, Willingen, Germany - 1885, Frankfurt am MainAivazovsky (Haivazovsky) Ivan (Hovhannes) Konstantinovich
1817, Theodosia - 1900, ibidemTheodosia Painter, graphic artist. Studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1833-1838). Fellow of the Imperial Academy of Arts in the Crimea and Italy (1838-1844). Academician (1844), professor (1847), honorary member of the Imperial Academy of Arts (1887). Member of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome (1840) and the academies of Paris (1843), Amsterdam (1845), Florence (1875) and Stuttgart (1879). Contributed to around 120 exhibitions (from 1835). Contributed to the exhibitions of the Imperial Academy of Arts (1835-1900), Paris Salon (1843, 1879), Society of Exhibitions of Works of An (1876-1883), Moscow Society of Lovers of the Arts (1881), Pan-Russian Exhibitions in Moscow (1882) and Nizhny Novgorod (1896), International Exhibitions in Philadelphia (1876), Munich (1879) and Berlin (1886) and the World Exhibitions in Paris (1858, 1878), London (1863) and Chicago (1893). Awarded the Legion d\'honneur (1857). Lived and worked in Theodosia, where he founded the General Art Studios (1865) and the Theodosia Picture Gallery (1880).
Vitali Ivan Petrovich
1794, St.Petersburg – 1855, St.PetersburgSculptor. Studied at the Agostino Triscorni’s studio in St Petersburg (1816–1818), and simultaneously at the Imperial Academy of Arts as an occasional student. Worked in Moscow (1818–1841). Created decorative compositions for the Board of Guardianship’s building (1823–1825), statues and reliefs for the Triumphal Arch in Moscow erected to commemorate Russia’s victory over Napoleon (1829–1834, together with I. Timofeyev). Author of fountains on Theatre and Lubyanka Squares (1835). Moved from Moscow to St Petersburg (1841). Professor of the Imperial Academy of Arts (1842). Headed the sculptural workshop during the construction of St Isaac’s Cathedral (1841–1854). Produced a number of portraits and gravestones in Moscow and St Petersburg.
Karmanov, Ivan
Artist of the first half of the 19th century
No biographical details known.
Demidov, Vasily Kuzmich
Artist of the first half of the 19th centuryYears of birth and death unknown.
Painter, author of historical subjects. Non-Commissioned Officer of the Court Stable Department. Occasional student of the Imperial Academy of Arts (from 1833), studied under Karl Brullov. Awarded the title of non-class artist (1836) for Liberation of Moscow by Prince Pozharsky and Citizen Minin. Awarded a minor silver medal (1837); nominated to the Imperial Academy of Arts (1839) for Last Fight of Ermak. Contributed to exhibitions of the Imperial Academy of Arts. The Imperial Academy of Arts Board approved a study for Olga Meeting Grand Prince Igor (1846). He was awarded the title of academician for the study Siege of the Trinity Lavra of St Sergius in 1610 (1848).
Alexeyev Vasily
Hanneman Robert
CHLEBOWSKI, Stanisław
1835, Pokutyńce (Podole) - 1884 Kowanówko (Poznań)Polish painter. Studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1853-1859). Awarded a silver medal (1857), minor gold medal (1858) for Assembly at the Court of Peter the Great; major gold medal for Catherine the Great Receiving Zaporozhian Complaints; awarded the title of class artist in genre painting. Foreign fellow of the Imperial Academy of Arts in France, Belgium and Spain (1862-1866). Court painter for Sultan Abduülaziz in Constantinople (1864-1876). Painted battle compositions related to the history of Turkey and portraits of the Sultan. Lived in Turkey and visited Germany, France, Italy and Poland. Moved to Cairo (1873) to paint ornamental compositions in oil and watercolours. Moved to Paris due to the volatile political situation in Constantinople (1876).
Zauerveyd Nikolai Aleksandrovich
1835, St.Petersburg — 1866, St.PetersburgТимм Василий Федорович (Георг Вильгельм)
Bogolyubov Alexey Petrovich
1824, the village Pomeranye in Novgorod province – 1896, ParisArtist, draughtsman; landscape painter, marine artist. Grandson of A.N. Radishchev. In 1841 he graduated from the Naval Sea Cadet Corps. Since 1850 – auditor of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, studied under the tutelage of M.N.Vorobyev and B.P. Villevalde. In 1853 he graduated from the Academy of Arts with the title of class artist of the 1st degree; in the same year was appointed painter of the Naval General Staff. In 1854–1860 worked abroad. Since 1858 – academician; since 1860 – professor of marine views painting. Since 1873 – member of the Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions (also known as Peredvizhniki). After 1873 he worked abroad, had a studio in Paris. In 1885 he founded the Museum of Russian Art in Saratov and a drawing school, which was opened in 1897. Since 1893 – an actual member of the Academy of Arts.
DMITRIEV-ORENBURGSKY, Nikolai Dmitrievich
1838, Nizhny Novgorod - 1898, St PetersburgPainter, genre artist, painter of battle-pieces. Studied under Fyodor Bruni at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1856). One of the rebellious fourteen (1863) and the St Petersburg Artel of Artists (until 1870). Academician (1868). Contributed to exhibitions (from 1860). Contributed to the exhibitions of the Imperial Academy of Arts and the Society of Russian Water-Colour Painters. Accompanied Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder on his trip across the Caucasus and compiled an album of drawings (1869). Fellow of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Germany (1871–1873), where he enjoyed the advice of Ludwig Knaus. Lived in Paris (1877–1884), visited Belgium and Bulgaria. Pro-fessor (from 1883).