Artwork
Portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich

Portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Stefano Torelli. It dates from 1765 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The Grand Duke is shown holding a baton, an attribute that serves as a symbol of his military rank and authority.
The painting depicts Paul I of Russia, then known as Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, standing alongside a page. The Grand Duke is shown holding a baton, an attribute that serves as a symbol of his military rank and authority. This iconography emphasizes his status within the Russian court and his role as a commander.
The work functions as a formal representation of imperial power and lineage, capturing the subject at a specific moment in his rise within the hierarchy of the Russian Empire.
Technique & Style
Stefano Torelli executed the Portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich in 1765 using oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 176 cm in height and 107 cm in width, presenting the subject in a formal portrait genre. The painting depicts the future Paul I of Russia accompanied by a page and a baton, reflecting the grandeur associated with the Russian court. This piece remains part of the collection at the Hermitage Museum in Russia.
History & Provenance
Stefano Torelli executed the oil-on-canvas Portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich in 1765. The work was created in Russia and depicts the future Paul I of Russia alongside a page and a baton. Following its completion, the painting entered the collection of the Hermitage Museum, where it remains housed.
The artwork was later included in the exhibition history of the show titled Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court.
The painting is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum in Russia. While the specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records, the work is confirmed as part of the museum's permanent holdings. The artwork was featured in the exhibition titled "Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court."
Context
Painted in 1765 by Stefano Torelli, the Portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich belongs to a category of state portraiture produced within the Russian court during the eighteenth century. The work is held by the Hermitage Museum and was included in the exhibition "Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court," situating it within displays devoted to the material culture and ceremonial imagery of the Russian monarchy.
Torelli, an Italian-born artist active in Russia, worked during a period when European painters were recruited to produce formal portraits of the imperial family. The painting's depiction of Paul I of Russia alongside attributes such as a page and baton reflects the conventions of dynastic portraiture intended to communicate rank and authority.
Overview
Stefano Torelli’s oil portrait, executed in 1765, presents Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, later Emperor Paul I of Russia, standing on a rocky shoreline. The composition includes the duke in an elaborate white‑and‑gold uniform, a ceremonial baton, and a young page in a turbaned red coat, with a sailing vessel visible on the choppy sea behind them.
Artist & collection










