The Coronation of Empress Anna Ivanovna, Empress of Russia (1693-1740); The Firework Celebrations
after Ottomar Elliger the Younger (Hamburg 1666 - Amsterdam 1735)
Category
Art / Prints
Date
1733
Materials
Paper
Measurements
54 x 57 cm
Place of origin
Russia
Collection
West Wycombe Park, Buckinghamshire
NT 807670.3
Summary
Print, engraving, The Coronation of Empress Anna Ivanovna, Empress of Russia (1693-1740); The Firework Celebrations after Ottomar Elliger the younger (Hamburg 1666 - Amsterdam 1735)
Provenance
Sir Francis Dashwood, 2nd Bt., visited St. Petersburg in 1733, aged 25. He travelled with George, Lord Forbes, later 3rd Earl of Granard (1695-1765), Plenipotentiary to the Court of St. Petersburg. He kept a diary of his journey that is full of intelligent and fascinating observations on the life and habits of the people he came into contact with as well as the architecture, works of art and the machinery of civil and military government. These engravings were collected by him at that time. Burkard Christoph Munich (1653-1767), outside whose house the first named celebration took place, was the son of a Danish officer. He served in the Hessian and Polish armies and went to Russia in 1721 where he rose high in the civil and military service of Peter the Great. In 1732 Anne made him Commander-in-Chief and President of the newly formed Council of War. On Anne's death he planned the arrest of the Grand Chamberlain, ERnst Johann Buhren (one of Anne's favourites), he was himself arrested and sent to Siberia by Elizabeth in 1741. Peter III restored him to rank and favour in 1762.Sir Francis Dashwood, writing his diary about the suburbs of Vasilostoff, noted 'Velt Marechal Count Munich has been lately ordered to reside in this part of town, some enemys of his at Court, wanting to get him at a distance, in this Country, this is reckoned, a certain oressage of his future disgrace; which is generally succeeded with banishment, towards the extremities of Siberia, about five thousand Versts [a verst is just under a mile] from thi
Marks and inscriptions
One says "Representation du Feu d'Artifice tire a l'occasion du Couronnement de sa majeste Imperiale Anna Ionnovna. Souvraine de touts la Russia, St. Petersburg Le venged hit Avril 1730 decant l'Hotel du General Comte de Munich", the others with text in Russian and French and also German and Russian.
Makers and roles
after Ottomar Elliger the Younger (Hamburg 1666 - Amsterdam 1735), artist