View of the Palace Embankment from St. Peter's and St. Paul's Fortress 1810

Fyodor Alekseyev made this oil on canvas depicting St. Petersburg's Palace Embankment, seen from the Peter and Paul Fortress. The image is a visual record of imperial Russia and it reflects the project of modernization undertaken by Peter the Great and his successors. The architecture, with its imposing facades, embodies the power and authority of the state. But the picture also shows the social conditions that enabled imperial power. Small figures are going about their daily business: rowing boats, fishing, and resting by the shore. The picture does not shy away from showing the labor required to maintain the city's grandeur. The fortress, initially built for defense, became a symbol of the Tsarist regime's repressive apparatus. Understanding this artwork means delving into the social and institutional histories that shaped its creation and reception. Scholarly articles, archival documents, and period literature all offer valuable insights. By engaging with these resources, we can appreciate art’s role as a reflection of cultural values and power structures.