10 Masterpieces from the Collection of Sculpture and Stonework
1) F. Marten. Bust of Duke de Sully. 1774, French, Marble. 70õ58õ27,8. Inv no. ÃÄÌ-43-VIII.
This bust of Duke de Sully (1560-1641) is one in a pair. The other work, a marble bust, depicts Henry IV. The bust comes from the Gatchina Palace’s original collection, and was kept in the private rooms of Paul I (The Duty Officer’s Room).
2) J.H. von Dannecker. Portrait Bust of Duke Friedrich Eugen of Württemberg, 1797, German, 18th century, Marble Bust, height:77 cm. ÃÄÌ-47-VIII.
This bust of Friedrich Eugen of Württemberg, Maria Feodorovna’s father, was sculpted in plaster shortly before the subject died. Following her father’s death, Maria Feodorovna commissioned the sculptor to model his portrait in marble. In March 1798, Dannecker received a diamond ring for his work worth 80 Louis D'ors, and an invitation to visit St Petersburg;this was in addition to payment for the work that he was allowed to set himself.
3) Bust of Philip III, King of Spain (1578-1621). Pietro Tacca (circular image). First half of 17th c. Marble. 71õ57õ15,5. ÃÄÌ-49-VIII, Ñòàðûå ¹: ã-32279, ÖÕ-314-VIII.
This bust was modelled after the subject’s antemortem portrait, painted by the court artist P.A. Vidal a year before the Spanish Monarch’s death. Until World War II, the marble was kept in the Grecian Gallery at the Gatchina Palace.
4) M.-À. Collot (1748-1821). Bas-relief portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich. 1774, French, Marble, diameter of the oval: 49õ57. ÃÄÌ-17-VIII
This portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich was created in 1774 as part of pair: the other bas-relief piece depicts the Duke’s first wife, Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeevna (nee Princess Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1755-1776). Natalia Alexeevna died while giving birth. It was after her death that Paul learned of his wife’s infidelity. The bas-reliefs that reminded him of their happy years together were then transferred to the Hermitage’s storage. In May of 1852, the portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich was moved to the Oval Study of Paul I at the Gatchina Palace by order of Nicholas I.
5) Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna. Portrait Relief of a Woman. 1794 , Russian, bas-relief, wax, glass, panel. Size: 19,5õ15 cm. ÃÄÌ-203/1-VIII.
Created by Maria Feodorovna, the spouse of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (the future Emperor Paul I). This bas-relief that depicts a female head (possibly a self-portrait) was given to Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich as a gift for his name day. The Cyrillic inscription on the bust’s frontal side reads: “Maria, June 28, 1794 at Pavlovsk.” Until World War II, the object was on display in the rooms past the Grecian Gallery. During the war, the bust was taken out of Russia, but then returned to the Palace in 1997.
6) Ì.-À. Collot (1748-1821), Portrait Bas-relief of Catherine II. 1769 , French, Marble, lapis-lazuli, diameter: 53õ63. ÃÄÌ-37-VIII.
This bas-relief decorated the Dressing Room of Maria Feodorovna in the mid-19th century. It was probably in the palace back in Grigory Orlov’s time. Created by M.-A. Collot, the bas-relief was on the list of valuable objects that the empress compiled during the war of 1812, marked as necessary to “be handled with great care”.
7) Christopher Hewetson (1739-1798). Portrait Bust of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, 1784, Irish. Marble. 63õ37,5õ26,5. ÃÄÌ-46-VIII. Old no. ¹ ã-31836, ÖÕ-292-VIII).
The portrait bust of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna (later empress) was commissioned from Christopher Hewetson (ca. 1739-98), an Irish sculptor who lived and worked in Rome, when the royal couple was on a tour of Europe in 1781-1782. The marble was in the palace in the reign of Paul I. It was on the list of valuable objects that Maria Feodorovna compiled during the 1812 war. The bust was in the Bedchamber of the Empress Maria Feodorvna in the middle of the 19th century.
8) Portrait Bust of Emperor Caracalla (211-217). Roman, first quarter III c. AD. 59õ31õ18. ÃÄÌ-190-VIII
This bust was in the White Hall during the reign of Paul I. During the war of 1812, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna compiled a list of the most valuable objects from the Gatchina Palace collection that also included the bust of Caracalla, marked as necessary to “be handled with great care”.
9) F. Martin. Portrait Bust of Henry IV, 1774, French, Marble. 70õ55õ25. ÃÄÌ-42-VIII
The portrait bust of Henry IV (1553-1610, ruled from 1589) was created as part of a pair, together with a marble bust depicting Duke de Sully, the king’s minister. It was in the original collection of Gatchina Palace and installed in the private rooms of Paul I (the Duty Officer’s Room).
10) J.H. von Dannecker. Portrait Bust of Duchess S.D. of Württemberg, German, 18th century, Marble Bust, Height:77 cm
This is a posthumous depiction of Maria Feodorovna’s mother. The marble block was sent to Russia in the spring of 1800. As bequeathed by Maria Feodorovna in the early 1830s, the busts of Duke and Duchess of Württemberg were installed at the Gatchina Palace in the Green Study of the Empress of the Arsenal Wing. Following the reconstruction of the Arsenal Wing under Nicholas I, the busts were kept in the Tower Study of Maria Feodorovna, located in the Main Building.
1) F. Marten. Bust of Duke de Sully. 1774, French, Marble. 70õ58õ27,8. Inv no. ÃÄÌ-43-VIII.
This bust of Duke de Sully (1560-1641) is one in a pair. The other work, a marble bust, depicts Henry IV. The bust comes from the Gatchina Palace’s original collection, and was kept in the private rooms of Paul I (The Duty Officer’s Room).
2) J.H. von Dannecker. Portrait Bust of Duke Friedrich Eugen of Württemberg, 1797, German, 18th century, Marble Bust, height:77 cm. ÃÄÌ-47-VIII.
This bust of Friedrich Eugen of Württemberg, Maria Feodorovna’s father, was sculpted in plaster shortly before the subject died. Following her father’s death, Maria Feodorovna commissioned the sculptor to model his portrait in marble. In March 1798, Dannecker received a diamond ring for his work worth 80 Louis D'ors, and an invitation to visit St Petersburg;this was in addition to payment for the work that he was allowed to set himself.
3) Bust of Philip III, King of Spain (1578-1621). Pietro Tacca (circular image). First half of 17th c. Marble. 71õ57õ15,5. ÃÄÌ-49-VIII, Ñòàðûå ¹: ã-32279, ÖÕ-314-VIII.
This bust was modelled after the subject’s antemortem portrait, painted by the court artist P.A. Vidal a year before the Spanish Monarch’s death. Until World War II, the marble was kept in the Grecian Gallery at the Gatchina Palace.
4) M.-À. Collot (1748-1821). Bas-relief portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich. 1774, French, Marble, diameter of the oval: 49õ57. ÃÄÌ-17-VIII
This portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich was created in 1774 as part of pair: the other bas-relief piece depicts the Duke’s first wife, Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeevna (nee Princess Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1755-1776). Natalia Alexeevna died while giving birth. It was after her death that Paul learned of his wife’s infidelity. The bas-reliefs that reminded him of their happy years together were then transferred to the Hermitage’s storage. In May of 1852, the portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich was moved to the Oval Study of Paul I at the Gatchina Palace by order of Nicholas I.
5) Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna. Portrait Relief of a Woman. 1794 , Russian, bas-relief, wax, glass, panel. Size: 19,5õ15 cm. ÃÄÌ-203/1-VIII.
Created by Maria Feodorovna, the spouse of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (the future Emperor Paul I). This bas-relief that depicts a female head (possibly a self-portrait) was given to Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich as a gift for his name day. The Cyrillic inscription on the bust’s frontal side reads: “Maria, June 28, 1794 at Pavlovsk.” Until World War II, the object was on display in the rooms past the Grecian Gallery. During the war, the bust was taken out of Russia, but then returned to the Palace in 1997.
6) Ì.-À. Collot (1748-1821), Portrait Bas-relief of Catherine II. 1769 , French, Marble, lapis-lazuli, diameter: 53õ63. ÃÄÌ-37-VIII.
This bas-relief decorated the Dressing Room of Maria Feodorovna in the mid-19th century. It was probably in the palace back in Grigory Orlov’s time. Created by M.-A. Collot, the bas-relief was on the list of valuable objects that the empress compiled during the war of 1812, marked as necessary to “be handled with great care”.
7) Christopher Hewetson (1739-1798). Portrait Bust of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, 1784, Irish. Marble. 63õ37,5õ26,5. ÃÄÌ-46-VIII. Old no. ¹ ã-31836, ÖÕ-292-VIII).
The portrait bust of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna (later empress) was commissioned from Christopher Hewetson (ca. 1739-98), an Irish sculptor who lived and worked in Rome, when the royal couple was on a tour of Europe in 1781-1782. The marble was in the palace in the reign of Paul I. It was on the list of valuable objects that Maria Feodorovna compiled during the 1812 war. The bust was in the Bedchamber of the Empress Maria Feodorvna in the middle of the 19th century.
8) Portrait Bust of Emperor Caracalla (211-217). Roman, first quarter III c. AD. 59õ31õ18. ÃÄÌ-190-VIII
This bust was in the White Hall during the reign of Paul I. During the war of 1812, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna compiled a list of the most valuable objects from the Gatchina Palace collection that also included the bust of Caracalla, marked as necessary to “be handled with great care”.
9) F. Martin. Portrait Bust of Henry IV, 1774, French, Marble. 70õ55õ25. ÃÄÌ-42-VIII
The portrait bust of Henry IV (1553-1610, ruled from 1589) was created as part of a pair, together with a marble bust depicting Duke de Sully, the king’s minister. It was in the original collection of Gatchina Palace and installed in the private rooms of Paul I (the Duty Officer’s Room).
10) J.H. von Dannecker. Portrait Bust of Duchess S.D. of Württemberg, German, 18th century, Marble Bust, Height:77 cm
This is a posthumous depiction of Maria Feodorovna’s mother. The marble block was sent to Russia in the spring of 1800. As bequeathed by Maria Feodorovna in the early 1830s, the busts of Duke and Duchess of Württemberg were installed at the Gatchina Palace in the Green Study of the Empress of the Arsenal Wing. Following the reconstruction of the Arsenal Wing under Nicholas I, the busts were kept in the Tower Study of Maria Feodorovna, located in the Main Building.