Portrait of Nicholas II Presented to the Hermitage

On 2 June, 2003, the Russian diamond producing company AK ALROSA presented a portrait of Nicholas II by Ilya Repin to the museum. Painted in 1895, it is one of the most remarkable portraits of the last Russian Emperor, deriving from Repin’s sketches for the famed Meeting of the State Council. The Emperor who sat for the portrait wears the uniform of the 1st Battery of the Guards’ Mounted Artillery with a band of the Order of St. Andrew. It is against the background of this portrait that Nicholas II is depicted in Meeting of the State Council.

Prior to 1917, the painting was preserved in the Mariinsky Palace’s Round Hall, along with portraits of other Russian Emperors. After the Bolshevik Revolution, the portrait was cut out of its frame, and its trace was lost. However, in 1995 it was offered for examination and sale to Alfa-Art Auction House. Examination was made for the auctioneers by the Tretyakov Gallery which confirmed Ilya Repin’s authorship.

The portrait of Nicholas II was purchased by AK ALROSA as a gift to the Hermitage. The painting will soon take its place in the museum’s permanent exhibition.

Portrait of Nicholas II
Ilya Repin
Larger view

Ceremony in the Hermitage Theater