1905
Paper on cardboard, gouache
43,5 х 62

Lansere succeeds perfectly in portraying the marriage between the way of life and the style of art in the past ages. Elizabeth Petrovna emerging with her retinue is interpreted as a theatrical show, with the empress' magnificent figure seen as growing out of the palace's facade. The composition is built on a contrast between exuberant Baroque architecture and deserted ground floor in the park. The artist uses irony in drawing comparisons between the massive architectural forms, monumental sculpture and dramatis personae. He is fascinated by matching elements of architectural decor with details of dress. The empress' train resembles a raised stage curtain, with court actors caught unawares as they make haste to perform their familiar parts. The pile-up of faces and figures conceals a "hidden character": an Arab boy diligently carrying the imperial train. The artist's eye catches even such an amusing detail as a snuffbox, left open in the hurrying hands of the favourite gentleman companion. The flashing patterns and colour patches create the sensation of a frozen moment in the past coming alive.