According to Russian media reports on November 9, recently, the portrait of Tsar Catherine II of the Russian Empire collected in the Hermitage Museum in Russia caused a sensation, and this huge oil painting was painted by the French painter Pierre Etienne Falconet (1741-1791). That's because while restoring this oil painting painted more than 200 years ago, conservators discovered that there was another painting hidden underneath it.
Image source: yandex.ru
Scanned by scientific instruments, it is certain that scenes from ancient mythology were originally depicted on canvas, but this is an unfinished work. Then the painter Pierre Etienne Falconet depicts the heroic gesture of the Russian tsarina on the same canvas.
According to the Hermitage Museum's Press Service, Catherine II's portrait itself was very unusual, and the painter boldly abandoned the previous compositional conventions of depicting Russian emperors in favor of novel pictorial compositions.
Empress Catherine II stands directly in front of two columns and vases as a background, wearing medals on her chest. However, the Empress did not sit on the throne as in previous portraits, but stood next to her with her hand on a chair. In addition, there is an Italian Greyhound lying on the chair, which Catherine II is known for her fondness.
News screenshots
Restoration work on the portrait began about a month ago. During the restoration work, the conservators of the Hermitage removed the dust from the painting, eliminated the deformation of the canvas, enhanced the effect of paint and base color, and covered the entire painting with new varnish to enhance the expressiveness of the painting. It is expected that in early December this year, the restored painting will be exhibited in the Hermitage Museum.
Pierre Etienne Falconet is a French painter known for his portraiture, the son of Maurice Falcone, a famous sculptor of the reign of King Louis XVI, the creator of the famous "Bronze Knight" on the banks of the Neva River. Pierre Falconett lived and worked in Russia for most of his life, especially when he painted royal portraits of Chesme Palace.
(November 10, 2019, by The Fat Swan of Petersburg)