Portrait of Catherine II in front of a Mirror

The portrait was created in 1763 by the artist Vigilius Eriksen. Produced in Denmark, the work depicts Catherine II of Russia adorned in court dress, holding a hand fan, and wearing the Order of St. Andrew, with the Imperial Crown of Russia visible in the reflection of a mirror. The painting is executed in oil on canvas and measures 262.5 cm in height by 201.5 cm in width. It currently resides in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

The painting is held in the collection of the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.

Its inventory record is recorded as ГЭ-6557. The work was painted in 1763 by Vigilius Eriksen.

The painting has been exhibited at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg as part of its permanent display.

Vigilius Eriksen’s Portrait of Catherine II in front of a Mirror (1763) became a foundational image in the visual canon of Russian imperial authority. Entering the Hermitage Museum’s collection, the work shaped later depictions of Catherine the Great by establishing a regal iconography, court dress, imperial regalia, and the mirror as a symbol of self-reflection, that subsequent artists, including Dmitry Levitsky and Vladimir Borovikovsky, echoed in their portraits of the empress.

The painting’s compositional innovations, particularly its use of reflective surfaces to convey power and introspection, influenced 18th-century Russian court portraiture. Its prominence in the Hermitage further cemented its status as a key reference for scholars studying Catherine’s self-fashioning and the role of portraiture in legitimizing her reign.

This 1763 oil painting by Danish artist Vigilius Eriksen depicts Catherine II of Russia. The work, titled Portrait of Catherine II in front of a Mirror, captures the empress in her formal court attire, holding the Imperial Crown. Reflecting the Rococo aesthetic, the portrait is a significant example of royal portraiture from the period. It is currently housed in the collection of the State Hermitage Museum.