Lot 25: Jean V. Mussard (Swiss, 1681-1754) Peter I, 'The Great' Romanov (1672-1725), wearing gold armour,

white neckcloth, blue sash and ermine-trimmed scarlet cloak, a column and trees in the background enamel, signed and dated on reverse,.Jean Mussard./ pinxit en May/ 1714, unframed oval, 48mm. (1 5/8in.) high Peter the Great was the fourteenth child of Alexei Mihailovitch, born May 30, 1672, from his second marriage to Natalia Naryschkina. He ruled jointly as Tsar with his brother Ivan V from 1682, under the regency of their sister, the Grand-Duchess Sophia. Upon Ivan's death in 1696, Peter was officially declared Sovereign of all Russia. During his reign, Peter undertook extensive reforms. He created a regular army and navy, subjugated the Church to the state and introduced new administrative and territorial divisions of the country. He paid particular attention to the development of science. Under Peter's rule, Russia became a great European nation. In 1721, he proclaimed Russia an Empire and was accorded the title of Emperor of All Russia, Great Father of the Fatherland and "the Great." He married twice and had 11 children, many of whom died in infancy. The eldest son from his first marriage (to Eudoxia Lopukhina, 1669-1731), tsarevitch Alexis, was convicted of high treason by his father and probably executed after torture in 1718. Peter died from a chill on January 28, 1725, without nominating an heir. His Lithuanian mistress, Catherine, whom he had married in 1712, succeeded him as Empress (Catherine I). He was buried in the Cathedral of the St. Peter and St. Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. Peter's love of Western culture made him receptive to the skillful portraits offered by European artists, enamellists and miniaturists. In 1717, for example, he ordered from Charles Boit (1662-1727) 40 copies in enamel after the full-scale oil painted by Godfrey Kneller in 1698. For similar examples by Mussard of Peter, also dated 1714, see R. Walker, The Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Century Miniatures in the collection of Her Majesty the Queen, 1992, p.72, no. 140 and T.A. Selinova, Portrait Miniatures in Russia: XVIII-XIX centuries from the collection of the Historical Museum, Moscow, 1988, Cat.94, pl.4.