彼得大帝之前的俄羅斯是一個典型封閉式的內陸國家，擁有自己的歷史與文化，然而缺乏對外關係的經營與維持。身為一個橫跨歐亞兩洲地區的王國，本身即有充沛的發展潛力得以發展為一個龐大帝國。在彼得大帝正式成為俄羅斯沙皇之後，藉著大使團遊歐之行，並發起諸多層幅深遠的國內改革，最終成功使國家步入西方化，在十八世紀初期躋身歐洲列強之一，為俄國往後的發展開闢了一條嶄新的道路。 　　十八世紀末期是另一段俄羅斯帝國光輝的國家發展史，彼得大帝與凱薩琳大帝統治時期之間，俄羅斯經歷了一段三十餘年的中衰時期，羅曼諾夫王朝子嗣在此時期中斷。凱薩琳大帝繼任俄國沙皇後，將俄羅斯國土面積向西與向南繼續推進，兼併鄰國並在對外戰爭中多次獲得勝利。除了顯赫的領土擴張成果，這位開明君主採取了成功的外交模式而促成國家強權的興起，是俄國歷史上具有承先啟後地位的一位女皇。 　　綜觀俄羅斯歷史，在羅曼諾夫王朝的沙皇當中，只有彼得一世與凱薩琳二世被賦以「大帝」美名，主因是兩位沙皇任內對國家領土大幅擴張，以及提升國際地位能見度的努力與成果。本文除了著重於對兩位君王的分別介紹之外，在沙皇的生長背景與人格特質、國內改革因素探討、國際局勢與對外關係途徑、及領土擴張成果等層面皆做出比較研究，並以研究結果具體總結彼得大帝與凱薩琳大帝的功業，以及留予後世的傳承。 / Russia was an inner-continental country before Peter I’s reign. With its own history and culture context, the empire lacked both operation and maintenance of external relations. From 1689, Peter the Great was formally on the throne, soon he started to westernize his fatherland by any means, and attained fruitful achievements in the beginning of 18th century. It wasn’t until the reign of Catherine the Great in the mid-1700s that Russia was finally able to inaugurate a new policy of Russian southward expansion directly targeting Crimea. Russo-Turkish wars for twice, the partitions of Poland for three times boosted her fame while in reign. The empress also adopted the rule of Enlightenment from France as her main characteristic in domination. This thesis gives a thoroughly introduction to Peter the Great and Catherine the Great as its first part; in the second, there is one comparative study targeting to several fields- from background and personal traits, internal reform, international situation and external relation, to territorial expansion. In sum, what matters are what the Tsars achieved during their regimes respectively, and what they left for posterity.

In the last few decades interest in the life and work of Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun has increased significantly, with numerous publications and a retrospective exhibition dedicated to her oeuvre. Yet, while much new and valuable information has been introduced, very little of it deals specifically with the period from 1795-1800 when she lived as an émigré in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In this thesis I analyze two Russian portraits by Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, in relation to two earlier works she painted in Paris, the duchesse d’Orleans (1789) and Marie Antoinette, Queen of France (1783), elucidating the overt similarities to her earlier portraiture practice and exploring the cultural and political climate in which they were created. I argue that the Imperial family as well as the upper echelons of Russian society actively utilized imagery associated with the Ancien Régime to depict a perceived stability at a time when much of Europe was in flux. This political maneuver afforded Vigée-Lebrun the opportunity to live and work in a society similar to the one she left behind in Paris, Russia served thus as a surrogate for Ancien Régime France. In addition to examining the socio political climate of Russia, I consider portraiture practices in general, noting opposing trends that were developing contemporaneously elsewhere in Europe and review Vigée-Lebrun’s unusual status as an émigré. By contextualizing Princess Anna Alexandrovna Golitsyna and Empress Maria Fyodorovna I provide reasoning for her surprising level of success in Saint Petersburg while simultaneously highlighting the importance of this period in Vigée-Lebrun scholarship.

Catherine the Great, The Empress of Russia, considered herself to be an enlightened ruler. Like many enlightened minds of the eighteenth century, she was fascinated with classical antiquity, especially with ancient Rome. In 1779, she invited a Scottish architect named Charles Cameron to complete a series of building projects for her that would create a "second Rome" in Tsarskoye Selo and in Pavlovsk, Russia. Cameron, an expert on classical antiquity because of his studies of the Roman ruins and the publication of his book, The Baths of the Romans, had a special interest in and a dedication to classical antiquity, desiring to make Catherine's Rome as "authentic" as possible. Cameron's expertise was not the only reason why Catherine hired him and made him her imperial architect; Catherine was also fascinated with his background as a Scottish aristocrat and the leader of the Lochiel clan in exile. However, Cameron falsified his identity as a Highlander to make himself more attractive to Catherine; in addition, his own skill in creating an entirely new identity made him more qualified to produce a simulation of Rome that would seem real. Catherine's fascination with Cameron could also be explained by the fact that both Catherine and Cameron were foreigners trying to validate their presence in Russia through their identities. But regardless of Cameron's true identity, his wonderful buildings are great contributions to the eighteenth century neoclassicism.

Cette présente étude propose d’éclairer l’apport de la France durant la première étape du développement de la galerie impériale de peintures, qui donna naissance au Musée de l’Ermitage, à Saint-Pétersbourg. C’est durant cette période que se constitue et se sanctuarise, comme nous tenterons de le démontrer, la galerie des souverains russes au sein d’un nouveau complexe palatial adossé au palais d’Hiver – siège du pouvoir –, en un établissement qui prend rapidement le nom – français – d’« ermitage ». Ce travail se divise en trois parties. Après une présentation de l’apport de la France sous Catherine II (1729-1762-1796), à travers l’étude de la construction des bâtiments de l’Ermitage d’une part, et la formation des collections d’autre part, nous traiterons ensuite des règnes de Paul Ier (1754-1796-1801) et surtout de son fils Alexandre Ier (1777-1801-1825), afin de déterminer comment ils ont géré cet héritage, en soulignant ce que ces souverains ont puisé en idées et en œuvres en France. Il reste enfin à établir, dans un troisième temps et au terme de cette première étape de l’évolution de l’Ermitage, comment la France a stimulé la mutation de la galerie impériale en un établissement tendant de plus en plus vers le musée. / This study proposes to clarify the contribution of France during the first stage of development of the Imperial Gallery of Paintings, which gave birth to the State Hermitage Museum, in Saint Petersburg. It is during this period that the gallery of the Russian sovereigns, within a new palatial complex, is gathered, organized and housed immediately just next to the Winter Palace – the seat of power – in an establishment which is quickly given the – French – name, “Hermitage.”This study is divided in three parts. First, the study will present the contribution of France under Catherine the Great (1729-1762-1796), by examining both the construction of the Hermitage’s building and the formation of the collections. Secondly, we will delve into the reigns of Paul I (1754-1796-1801) and especially his son, Alexander the Great (1777-1801-1825), in order to determine how they managed this inheritance, by highlighting how these sovereigns used the ideas and artworks from France. Finally, the study will establish, how, at the end of this first stage of the evolution of the Hermitage, France stimulated the transformation of the Imperial Gallery into an institution whose trajectory arced towards becoming a museum.

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