Assembly of Peter I 

Klavdy Lebedev painted this scene of the Assembly of Peter I in Russia. It's a watercolour showing a grand gathering, illuminated by chandeliers, filled with people in ornate 18th-century attire. This image encapsulates the sweeping changes Peter the Great sought to impose on Russian society. These assemblies were his way of Westernizing the nobility, mandating social gatherings where men and women mingled, danced, and engaged in conversation - a stark contrast to the more secluded lives of upper-class women at the time. Lebedev, painting in a later era, seems to be reflecting on the complexities of Peter’s reforms, which were often met with resistance from a traditionalist society. Was this forced Westernization a step forward, or a disruption of Russia’s unique cultural identity? Understanding this artwork requires considering the historical context, the biographies of figures involved, and the cultural shifts occurring in Russia at the time. It's a great example of how art engages with, and reflects on, its own social and institutional context.