17 / 76
2 1 /1 9 6 2 P o r tr æ t a f s to r f y r s t P a u l a f R u s la n d
V ig iliu s E rik s e n , S k t. P e te r s b o r g 1764
O lie p å læ rre d . H :6 1 , B :4 9 u d e n r a m m e
»V. E r ik s e n P ix t. 1764« s tå r d e r a t læ se o v e r s to r
f y r s t P a u ls h ø jr e a rm . P o r tr æ tte t e r f o r m o d e n tlig
d e t, s o m b le v o v e r r a k t K a th a r in a II (1 7 2 9 -1 7 9 6 ) p å
s ø n n e n s ti å rs fø d s e ls d a g , o g h u n b le v så b e g e js tr e t
f o r d e t, a t h u n b e o r d re d e E rik s e n til a t g e n ta g e d e t
i h e l fig u r, lig e s o m d e r fin d e s e n d e l v æ r k s te d s
g e n ta g e ls e r a f h a lv f ig u r p o r tr æ tte t. S to r f y r s t P a u l
(1 7 5 4 -1 8 0 1 ) e r if ø r t e n ro s a d r a g t m e d S k t. A n -
d r e a s o rd e n e n s b lå b å n d , s tje rn e o g k o r s s a m t et
s o r t h a ls b å n d . H a n s a n s ig t e r e n d n u b a r n lig t, u d e n
s p o r a f m o d e r e n s m a n g e tils id e s æ tte ls e r a f h a m -
f ø r s t 42 å r g a m m e l k u n n e h a n in d ta g e sin r e tm æ s
sig e p la d s p å tro n e n .
V ig iliu s E rik s e n (1 7 2 2 -1 7 8 2 ) fø d te s o g u d d a n
n e d e s i D a n m a r k , m e n f o rlo d la n d e t e fte r f o r g æ
v e s a t h a v e k o n k u r r e r e t o m K u n s ta k a d e m ie ts
g u ld m e d a lje . 1757 f in d e r v i h a m i S k t. P e te r s b o r g ,
h v o r h a n e fte r K a th a rin a s m a g to v e rta g e ls e i 1762
b le v h o f m a le r o g o p n å e d e s to r a n e rk e n d e ls e fo r
sin e k ø lig e , a fm å lte o g v e llig n e n d e p o r tr æ tte r .
1 772 v e n d te h a n tilb a g e til K ø b e n h a v n o g u d
n æ v n te s s tra k s til h o fm a le r.
I m u s e e t h æ n g e r s to rf y r s te n s p o r tr æ t s o m e n
p e n d a n t til e t a n d e t E r ik s e n - p o r tr æ t a f m o d e r e n i
k r o n in g s d r a g t, o g im e lle m d e m s tå r e n s e k re tæ r a f
D a v id R o e n tg e n fra 1 7 8 0 ’e rn e , d e r s ta m m e r fra
E r e m ita g e n .
21/1962 Portrait of Grand Duke Paul of Russia
Vigilius Eriksen, St Petersburg 1764
Oils on canvas. H:61, W:49 without frame
Inscribed above Grand Duke Paul’s right arm are the
words “V. Eriksen Pixt. 1764”. This is probably the
portrait that was given to Catherine II (1729-1796) on
her son’s
10
th birthday, and she was so delighted with it
that she commissioned Eriksen to repeat it jull-length;
there are also a number of workshop repetitions of the
half-length portrait. Grand Duke Paul (1754-1801)
wears a rose-pink suit and the blue ribbon, star and cross
of the Order of St Andrew, likewise a black bow tie.
His features are still childish, without trace of his
mother’sfrequent neglect of him. It was not until the age
of 42 that he was able to assume his rightful place on the
throne.
Vigilius Eriksen (1722-1782) was born and educated
in Denmark, but left the country after having competed
in vain for the Gold Medal of the Royal Academy of
Arts. In 1757 wefind him in St Petersburg, where after
Catherine’s seizure ofpower in 1762 he became Court
Painter and won wide acclaim for his cool, formal,
lifelike portraits. In 1772 he returned to Copenhagen
and was immediately appointed Court Painter.
In the Museum this portrait of the Grand Duke
hangs as a pendant to another Eriksen portrait, of the
Empress in her coronation robes, and in between them
stands an escritoire by David Roentgen, from the 1780s,
which originates from The Hermitage.