#palace interior

Konstantin Andreyevich Ukhtomsky, The Small Winter Garden in the Apartments of Alexandra Fyodorovna from Types of Rooms in the Winter Palace, c 1870s, watercolor.

Castle Lednice, Czech Republic

Interiors of the Winter Palace: The Fourth Reserve Apartment - Bedroom by Eduard Hau, 1868.

Rundāle Palace, Latvia

In 1718, Peter the Great issued a decree establishing assemblies, entertainment evenings that became an essential part of St. Petersburg's social life. They served as the prototype for the lavish high-society balls for which the Russian imperial court was renowned. Assemblies were held in rotation in the homes of the nobility and were distinguished by a certain democratic spirit. Anyone could attend, excluding peasants and members of the urban poor. Dancing, various games, and interesting conversations were common pastimes. By introducing assemblies, Peter sought to introduce certain Western European traditions to Russian soil. He considered them useful and, in particular, served to emancipate women, whose lives had previously been focused exclusively on domestic duties.

This painting is by the French orientalist painter, Edouard Frederic Wilhelm Richter (1844-1913), who exhibited in Munich and at the Paris Salon, where this work was shown in 1881. The exotic nature of Shakespeare's Othello made it a suitable subject. The painting shows the events actually occurring, rather than in a stage setting. In a rich palace interior, Othello addresses the duke and senate, justifying his marriage to Desdemona, whilst Desdemona herself appeals to her father, Brabanzio, who grabs the table emphasizing his upset and confusion. Onlookers to left and right re-invest the scene with a notion of theatricality.

Oil on panel , 80 x 80 cm.

Jean Baptiste Fortuné de Fournier (French, 1798-1864) • Le cabinet de travail de l'Impératrice Eugénie (The study of Empress Eugènie) • Unknown date • Château de Compiègne