by Sophie Reyssat
€75,000 Tapestry from a Russian Imperial workshop featuring the arms of General Pyotr Van Suchtelen (Count Jan Pieter Van Suchtelen, 1751-1836), probably for the Mihailovsky Palace, c. 1825, 314 x 310 cm (123.63 x 122.05 in). Paris, Drouot, April 5, 2011. Gros & Delettrez auction house.
In the mid-18th century, as aristocrats began discovering European art on their journeys, falling in love with French works and having them imported at great expense, Catherine II (Catherine the Great, 1762-1796) decided to develop prestigious homegrown craftsmanship. Read more...