Portrait of Tsar Peter I

Jean-Marc Nattier painted the portrait of Peter the Great from life in 1717 during the Tsar's visit to Paris. It was created as a companion piece to a portrait of Catherine I that the Russian ruler highly praised. The Rococo style captures Peter's reformist energy and imperial ambition.

The background often includes naval motifs alluding to Peter's establishment of the Russian Navy. The Tsar ruled from 1682 until his death in 1725, transforming Russia into a major European power. Nattier was a prominent painter at the French court known for combining grandeur with refined elegance. This portrait is now at the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.