Empress Catherine II
Hallberg, a sculptor of Swedish origin, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg and in Rome. In 1831 Czar Nicholas I commissioned from him a large marble statue of Catherine II for the conference hall of the Saint Petersburg Academy. This commission gained Hallberg a permanent appointment as professor at this prestigious institution. The bronze is a reduced version of the marble. The empress is depicted as a classical Roman ruler or deity wearing a laurel wreath and a richly draped robe and holding a scroll. The klismos throne chair, stripped to its bold essentials and strikingly beautiful in its curving and absolute purity, refers reassuringly to a settled past. It underlines Catherine's characterization as the embodiment of stately authority. Combined with her heroic appearance all'antiqua (in the antique manner), all this strongly emphasizes her reputation as "The Great Catherine."
Artwork Details
- Title: Empress Catherine II
- Artist: Samuel Friedrich Ivanovich Hallberg (1787–1839)
- Founder: Cast by B. Ekimov
- Artist: Chased by A. Ambyen
- Date: 1837
- Culture: Russian
- Medium: Bronze
- Dimensions: Height: 22 1/2 in. (57.2 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture-Bronze
- Credit Line: Purchase, The Caleb and Julia Dula Educational and Charitable Fund, Rogers Fund, funds from various donors, and Gift of George Blumenthal, by exchange, 1986
- Object Number: 1986.116
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Avenir Crigorjewitsch Grilliches
1888
On loan to The Met
House of Carl Fabergé
August Wilhelm Holmström
1896
On loan to The Met
House of Carl Fabergé
Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin
before 1899
On loan to The Met
Multiple artists/makers
1890
On loan to The Met
Multiple artists/makers
1893
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.