<p>Russian School
18TH CENTURY
PORTRAIT OF CATHERINE II 'THE GREAT', EMPRESS OF RUSSIA (1729-1796)
with small diamond crown and laurel wreath on her powdered and curled hair, wearing an ermine cape with the chain of the Order of St. Andrew and the sash of the Order of St. George
enamel, held in a silver and gold openwork frame of leaves and flowers set with emeralds, rubies and diamonds
3 by 2.5 cm.; 1 1/2 by 1 in.
READ CONDITION REPORT
PROVENANCE
Anonymous sale, Bonhams London, The Connoisseur's Cabinet, 7 November 2001, lot 250
CATALOGUE NOTE
</p>
Enamel images of Catherine were often presented by her as gifts to supporters of the throne or foreign dignitaries. The present lot, which is elaborately framed, may have been one such gift. The composition for the present enamel is derived from Fyodor Stepanovich Rokotov's 1780 full-length painting (Hermitage, St. Petersburg).
<table cellspacing="8" cellpadding="0" style="width:100%; clear:both; margin:0.5em auto; border:1px solid #aaa; background:#FAEBD7;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Young_painter_by_Ivan_Firsov_(1760s).jpg" class="image"><img alt="Young painter by Ivan Firsov (1760s).jpg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Young_painter_by_Ivan_Firsov_%281760s%29.jpg/40px-Young_painter_by_Ivan_Firsov_%281760s%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="40" height="50" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Young_painter_by_Ivan_Firsov_%281760s%29.jpg/60px-Young_painter_by_Ivan_Firsov_%281760s%29.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Young_painter_by_Ivan_Firsov_%281760s%29.jpg/80px-Young_painter_by_Ivan_Firsov_%281760s%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="729" data-file-height="914"></a>
</td>
<td>Anonymous Russian painter <i>(1670s-1917)</i>
<p><small>Public domain image <i>(according to <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:PD-RusEmpire" title="Template:PD-RusEmpire">PD-RusEmpire</a>)</i></small>
</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
18<sup>th</sup> century <div style="display: none;">date QS:P,+1750-00-00T00:00:00Z/7</div>
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