Early 1780s
oil on canvas
110 x 76,8

The work occupies a special place in the art of the 18th century. In allegorical form it encapsulated the ideal of the age – an image of the enlightened monarch. The artist presents his heroine in the guise of a priestess of the goddess of Justice Themis. The Sovereign, wearing dress reminiscent of a toga from Antiquity, with a laurel wreath on her head in place of a crown, stands before a sculptural depiction of Themis, over whom an altar has been erected. Catherine burns poppy flowers, the symbol of sleep and peace. At her feet are the books of the Laws which are protected by an Eagle, the embodiment of authority and statesmanship. In the distance we see the sea and a ship, attesting to the defense of commerce by the navy, the surety of the empire’s economic prosperity. The strictly planned composition of the painting is an allegory of an ideally organized state as imagined in the Age of Enlightenment. The abstract idea is captured by the artist with splendid painterly sweep. The radiant figure of the Empress amidst the purple decoration of the temple creates a powerful, festive colour chord that corresponds perfectly to the task of glorification and triumph.

at 10, Lavrushinsky Lane, Hall 5