Catherine the Great’s Danish Portraitist: Projecting Majesty across the Baltic Sea

This chapter considers the Baltic Sea as a unique conduit for Russia’s transcultural exchange, with all imperialist rivalry that this entailed. It takes its case study handful of portraits Danish artist Vigilius Eriksen painted Catherine Great in 1760s and ‘70s, way which their circulation display enabled empress to become arguably most efficient ruler her generation foster personal iconography announced then cemented eminence on European stage. Tracing trajectories Eriksen’s reveals commanding nexus between political ascendency, international relations, visual imagery, function paintings highly charged conductors regal clout around Sea. Collectively, they engaged power differentials suggestive ways, confirming vitality portraiture constructed signalled status authority some Baltic’s competitive courts.