Catherine II (the Great) desired a contemporary coronation crown, in contrast with the traditional sable-trimmed Cap of Monomakh shown below. If Peter the Great is credited with Russia's cultural and political sea change, Catherine was inspired by her predecessor. In the portrait above, painted by Aleksey Antropov about three years after her 1762 coronation, the empress holds the imperial scepter, not yet set with the diamond she received from her former lover Grigory Orloff. The diadem she wears echoes the design of the full-size, five-pound crown at left. Painting by Alexei Antropov, ca. 1765.
The image is a portrait of a woman wearing an elaborate dress and crown, seated in an ornate setting with a red cushion and a golden throne.
The image is a portrait of a woman wearing an elaborate dress and crown, seated in an ornate setting with a red cushion and a golden throne.