Portrait of Empress Catharine II of Russia 1774

This commanding portrait of Empress Catherine II was painted by Joseph Darbes sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century, using oil on canvas. Note the painstaking detail, typical of the period, aimed at conveying the opulence of the Russian court. The ermine trim and the intricate folds of the Empress’s gown are rendered with precision. The labor involved in producing such garments was immense, from the sourcing of precious materials, to the weaving of fabrics, and the skilled handwork of the royal atelier. Darbes clearly wants us to understand that Catherine, like the Roman columns behind her, is a pillar of society. Of course, this kind of portraiture was itself a kind of industry, with many hands involved in the preparation of canvases, the grinding of pigments, and the finishing and framing of the final artwork. By attending to the materials and making, we can consider not only the Empress’s power, but also the means by which it was visually constructed.