Portrait of Emperor Paul I 1800

Curator: Borovikovsky's portrait of Emperor Paul I, dating back to around 1800 and now residing in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, really strikes you, doesn't it? The grandeur is almost intimidating. Editor: Intimidating, yes, but also…vulnerable? He seems dwarfed by the regalia, all this pomp and circumstance, and it just makes him seem…smaller, somehow. The crown looks like it could topple him over at any moment. Curator: It’s interesting you say that. The artist employs oil on canvas to capture this… carefully crafted image, almost a performance of power. The pose, the heavy cloak, even the faint, knowing smile all construct a specific narrative. Editor: I think that narrative falls flat. Paul I had a turbulent reign, and this portrait certainly doesn’t challenge that. Think about the composition; the heavy, dark background, and the way he's positioned on a raised platform…it's screaming 'isolated ruler'. Almost claustrophobic, you know? You can feel the weight of his position. I would argue that It's more interesting to look at the history-painting tradition here. Paul inherited this complicated mess with Catherine the Great's legacy and his painting situates itself within these discussions of legitimacy. Curator: That’s a fantastic point about the painting tradition here because I think he seems genuinely bewildered by it. Editor: Right! And what about the whispers surrounding Paul's mental instability and his assassination a mere year after this portrait? I think this makes the idea that Borovikovsky presents the story of this portrait very powerful. Curator: Well, I suppose we can find power in its art historical references! It does force us to grapple with how power is performed and perceived, even to this day. Editor: Absolutely. Power, perception, paranoia… Borovikovsky's Emperor Paul I offers a potent cocktail for contemplation, a sort of moment-frozen-in-time situation of leadership, caught in paint.