The Great Gallery
← Art Through History › Age of Reason & Revolution

1682–1725

Peter the Great & Russia Turns West

Peter the Great, tsar of Russia from 1682 to 1725, was over six and a half feet tall and wanted his country to catch up with Europe. He traveled abroad to learn shipbuilding, defeated Sweden at Poltava in 1709 and built a brand-new capital, Saint Petersburg, on swampy land beside the Baltic Sea.

Why artists painted it

Russian painters of the 1800s, like Repin and Serov, made Peter the star of Russian history paintings. They showed both his energy and his harshness.

Peter the Great Interrogating the Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich at Peterhof Peter the Great Interrogating the Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich at Peterhof · Nikolai Ge, 1871

11 artworks about this moment

Peter the Great Interrogating the Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich at Peterhof Peter the Great Interrogating the Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich at Peterhof Nikolai Ge · 1871 🕰️ Painted about 150 years later Peter the Great confronts his own son, who fled abroad, in one of the most dramatic scenes of Russian history painting. Morning of the Execution of the Streltsy Morning of the Execution of the Streltsy Vasily Surikov · 1881 🕰️ Painted about 160 years later Surikov's huge canvas shows the day Peter crushed the rebellious Streltsy guards in Red Square. Peter the Great Peter the Great Valentin Serov · 1907 🕰️ Painted about 180 years later Tsar Peter the Great strides ahead so fast that his courtiers struggle to keep up in this lively painting, which shows his energy and force of will. The Victory at Poltava The Victory at Poltava Alexander von Kotzebue · 1862 🕰️ Painted about 140 years later In 1709 Peter the Great's army defeated the Swedes under Charles XII at Poltava, a victory that made Russia a great power. The Battle of Gangut The Battle of Gangut Alexey Bogolyubov · 1877 🕰️ Painted about 150 years later In 1714 Peter the Great's new navy won its first big victory over the Swedish fleet at Gangut in the Baltic Sea. The Battle of Poltava The Battle of Poltava Pierre-Denis Martin · 1726 👁️ Painted at the time A French painter at Peter's court, Pierre-Denis Martin, painted this view of the Battle of Poltava in 1726, only 17 years after it happened. Victory at Narva Victory at Narva Gustaf Cederström · 1905 🕰️ Painted about 180 years later Swedish soldiers charge in a snowstorm at the Battle of Narva in 1700, where young King Charles XII beat the larger Russian army of Peter the Great. Menshikov in Berezovo Menshikov in Berezovo Vasily Surikov · 1883 🕰️ Painted about 160 years later Alexander Menshikov, once Peter the Great's best friend and the second most powerful man in Russia, sits in a hut in Siberia with his family after his fall from power. Grand Duchess Sofia at the Novodevichy Convent Grand Duchess Sofia at the Novodevichy Convent Ilya Repin · 1879 🕰️ Painted about 150 years later Peter the Great's half-sister Sofia, who ruled Russia in his place before he took over, was locked in a convent in 1689. Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia (1672-1725) Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia (1672-1725) Godfrey Kneller · 1698 👁️ Painted at the time Peter the Great, in armor, painted by Godfrey Kneller in 1698 while Peter was visiting England to learn about shipbuilding. The foundation of St. Petersburg The foundation of St. Petersburg Alexey Venetsianov · 1838 🕰️ Painted about 110 years later Peter the Great and his companions look over the swamp on the Neva River where he will found Saint Petersburg in 1703, a new capital that was meant to be Russia's window to Europe.