Portrait of Grand Duchess Catherine Alekseevna - Georg Christopher Groot. 105x85
German master Georg Grog (1716-1749), who worked a lot in Russia, lived only 33 years, but on his canvases managed to capture some of the persons of the imperial court and the Russian nobility. The oval portrait depicts 16-year-old Ekaterina Alekseevna, future Empress Catherine II, in a bright satin dress with a red moire ribbon and signs of the Order of St. Catherine, established by her predecessor, the namesake. In the elongated face of the model, one can only guess a subtle hint of that amazing charm, which, according to contemporaries, distinguished Catherine II. The dark background chosen by the painter contrasts brilliantly, emphasizing marble skin and a light lemon-yellow dress with a tightened corset. A calm, judicious person with closed lips expresses the decisive character that the ruler of the Russian Empire possessed.
