Portrait of Catherine II

Commissioned as a formal likeness of Catherine II of Russia, this oil on canvas portrait was executed by Johann Baptist von Lampi the Elder in 1794. The artist created the work while based in Austria, depicting the Empress in court dress alongside a sceptre and table. Upon completion, the painting entered the collection of the Hermitage Museum, where it remains housed.

The large-scale work, measuring 230 cm by 162 cm, was later included in the exhibition history of the museum, specifically featured in the display titled "Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court."

The work is held in the collection of the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, where it is inventoried as accession number ЭРЖ-1118.

It was exhibited in the travelling show Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court, held in Austria during the project’s run.

Johann Baptist von Lampi the Elder completed this oil painting in 1798. Executed in a neoclassical idiom, the work presents Empress Catherine II of Russia in regal attire, holding a golden sceptre and positioned beside a richly appointed table. The canvas now belongs to the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

The painting reflects the broader European trend of portraying monarchs as enlightened patrons, aligning Catherine’s image with classical ideals of rationality and virtue. Lampi, an Austrian‑Italian painter active in Russia, blended Western neoclassical aesthetics with the specific ceremonial language of the Russian court.