Russia in the 18th century is a fascinating place to study because I am filled with admiration for their patronage, collecting and connoisseurship. And because after Peter The Great died in 1725, Russia was led by intelligent and learned women almost continuously until 1796. So the arrival of the “Catherine the Great: an Enlightened Empress” exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland could not have come at a better time.
Sophia Augusta of Zerbst was an impoverished German princess, brought to Russia by the Empress Elizabeth to be the very young bride of her nephew, Grand Duke Peter, grandson of Peter the Great. Sophia had to change her name to Catherine, learn the Russian language, give up Lutheranism and convert to Russian Orthodox religion, and absorb Russian court culture. The girl’s golden wedding gown and her golden coronation gown are both preserved in the Kremlin. As is the carriage in which they drove from their wedding. But there was a great price to pay; young Catherine had to live with her moronic, drunkard and impotent husband for 18 years.
Her marriage to Grand Duke Peter (later Czar Peter III) was never consummated; instead she had many love affairs within the aristocracy. Her son and heir, the future Czar Paul I, was born in 1754; the father may have been Orlov, Potemkin or perhaps the king of Poland.
portrait of an older Catherine the Great,
painted by the French portraitist, Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun
in St Petersburg
Empress Elizabeth died in 1762. To the displeasure of the Russian nobility, the new Czar Peter III signed a treaty with Frederick of Prussia. Then he became really stupid - in 1763, only a year after Peter III was crowned, he had his wife arrested. But with her court supporters, she had him arrested instead; arrested and strangled. After the coup, Catherine was clever; she never got married again. Luckily for her and for Russia, Catherine was allowed to rule in his place, despite having no claim to the throne of her own. And she ruled alone from 1763-96!
What a woman! This very German, cultured Czarina Catherine II spoke Lithuanian, Russian, French and German fluently, and was a great reader of French enlightenment writers Rousseau, Diderot and Voltaire. At one stage she actually persuaded Diderot to come to the Russian Court! She favourite topics were history, politics and philosophy, and learned a great deal about the theory of government and of comparative politics.
What a woman! This very German, cultured Czarina Catherine II spoke Lithuanian, Russian, French and German fluently, and was a great reader of French enlightenment writers Rousseau, Diderot and Voltaire. At one stage she actually persuaded Diderot to come to the Russian Court! She favourite topics were history, politics and philosophy, and learned a great deal about the theory of government and of comparative politics.
Catherine the Great was an active ruler like Peter the Great, her grand-father in law. She took responsibility for modernising the armed forces. She travelled all over Russia, gathering intelligence and learning about her subjects. She made French the court language and promoted Enlightenment ideas. She established local responsibility for hospitals and almshouses, and opened a national network of free primary and secondary schools for boys and girls. The judicial system was also remodelled with a new network of local courts being set up.
Snuff box showing the monument to Peter the Great, by Falconet, 1780s
Hermitage
But for this exhibition in Scotland, it was Catherine’s patronage that was most interesting; she very much wanted collecting works of art to be a national priority. Her court absorbed up to 50% of state income as ship loads of art work arrived from her agents all over Europe. Iain Gale described how Old Master paintings, porcelain dinner services, silver, gold and jewellery were delivered to the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. Libraries were filled with precious books. Religious icons and vestments were welcomed with passion.
I wondered why Edinburgh, in particular, was so keen to have the Catherine exhibition. The museum made the point that Catherine sought to surround herself with men of great ability who could help her create a modern and acculturated Russia, based on European learning. Catherine the Great was a pioneer in her approach to medicine and health care. Not only did she found Russia’s College of Medicine in 1763, but she also created the first teaching hospitals. Among the Scottish physicians at her court in Russia were Doctors John Rogerson, Thomas Dimsdale and Matthew Guthrie. Dr Dimsdale went on to inoculate many members of the nobility, and ran vaccination hospitals set up by Catherine in Moscow and St Petersburg. Catherine also invited several foreign architects and builders to her court, including Scotsman Charles Cameron. Scottish craftsmen Adam Menelaws and William Hastie worked with Cameron in Russia, and also found patronage with the Imperial family.
egg-shaped gold, diamonds and rock cystal snuff box
made by by Johann Gottlieb Scharff for Peter the Great
made by by Johann Gottlieb Scharff for Peter the Great
Hermitage
Although the exhibition finished this month (Oct 2012), interested readers can still buy the catalogue which contains both images of the objects on display, and a series of essays by Russian and British scholars.
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12 comments:
Hello Hels, After reading your post, I went to Wikipedia to read some more on Catherine, and discovered the interesting fact that the American patriot John Paul Jones ("I have not yet begin to fight.") served under Catherine following the American Revolution. After initial success, he became bogged down in political intrigues, an apparently usual fate in that country.
--Road to Parnassus
Hello Helen:
This does all sound to have been a wonderful exhibition. Thank you for presenting such a delightful flavour of it to us as we know that we should have thoroughly enjoyed being there in person.
We have toyed on so many occasions now to go to Russia, Moscow and St Petersburg in particular, but it always seems to be fraught with incredible amounts of bureaucracy and expense. However, there is no doubt in our minds that the quality of Art that can be seen there is stunning and for that alone we must pursue our intention to go and see it at first hand.
Parnassus
I am not at all familiar with John Paul Jones and his connection to Catherine the Great, but her reign was so eventful, I can see I have more reading to do. Thank you.
Jane and Lance
Because my passion in Russia is the 18th century, it is St Petersburg that has the most stunning art and architecture. Alas I have no family connection to that part of the world - my own family came from cities that are now in the Ukraine.
Wouldn't it be cool to knock on the front door of a St Petersburg palace and say to the current residents "I am so sorry. This was my parents' home. Now we are coming home again" :)
Is “Catherine the Great: an Enlightened Empress” exhibition moving on to any other city, after Edinburgh has finished with it?
Hello again, As an Australian, you would be unlikely to know about John Paul Jones, but he is one of the great heroes of the American Revolution, and his story is familiar to all schoolchildren there.
By coincidence, my recent post on night-view postcards briefly features another famous American naval commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, victor of the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.
http://www.roadtoparnassus.blogspot.tw/2012/10/the-shadowy-world-of-night-view.html
Hello Hels, what an interesting post. Thanks for sharing! I will definitely check out the rest of the exhibit on line. Thanks also for commenting on my blog.
All the best,
Jennifer
We Travel
the cost of insuring, transporting and curating a very large exhibition is so expensive, you would think that different cities would want to share the costs and share the pleasures. But apparently not
Parnassus
I loved the night view postcards. I will go back and have a look at Oliver Hazard Perry, many many thanks.
the designers muse
I had seen the paintings before, and the royal costumes, but most of the small decorative art objects have never been outside the Hermitage before. And possibly never will again.
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Anon
you are so right. The final summary partially explains why Catherine the Great was so connected to Scotland:
"Catherine invited several foreign architects and builders to her court, including Scotsman Charles Cameron. Scottish craftsmen Adam Menelaws and William Hastie worked with Cameron in Russia, and also found patronage with the Imperial family"
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