Portrait of Catherine II, Fedor Stepanovich Rokotov, 1780s 
- Posted by Fedor Stepanovich Rokotov
- Museum: Hermitage
- Year: 1780s
Overview of the painting :
Portrait of Catherine II – Fedor Stepanovich Rokotov. 1780s. Oil on canvas. 160×121
Fedor Stepanovich Rokotov is one of the greatest Russian portrait artists of the second half of the 18th century. The ceremonial portrait of Empress Catherine Alekseevna was written by him on the basis of a portrait of Swedish artist Alexander Roslin. According to the original, Rokotov recreated the image of the empress at a young age: a smooth white face, lack of wrinkles, a deep neckline, covered in adulthood.
Rokotov Catherine II has the mistress of the empire and a woman in her prime. By power clutching a scepter in her hand, she points out the imperial regalia and bust of Peter I with the motto “Beginning commits” drawn over him with an imperative gesture. The work is performed in a silver range, color gradations emphasize the whiteness and freshness of the face standing out against a dark background. Porters of a solemn red color indicate the special status of the model.
Until 1918, the portrait was in the Romanov Gallery of the Small Hermitage.