THE EMPRESS OF ART

THE EMPRESS OF ART is an absorbing, art-oriented biography of the mighty Catherine the Great, who rose from seemingly innocuous beginnings to become one of the most powerful people in the world.

A German princess who married a decadent and lazy Russian prince, Catherine mobilized support amongst the Russian nobles, playing off of her husband's increasing corruption and abuse of power. She then staged a coup that ended with him being strangled with his own scarf in the halls of the palace, and she being crowned the Empress of Russia. Intelligent and determined, Catherine modeled herself after her grandfather in-law, Peter the Great, and sought to further modernize and westernize Russia. She believed that the best way to do this was through a ravenous acquisition of art, which Catherine often used as a form of currency and diplomacy with other powers throughout Europe. She was a self-proclaimed "glutton for art,” acquiring more than 3 million pieces of art and would be responsible for the creation of the Hermitage, one of the largest museums in the world, second only to the Louvre. Catherine also spearheaded the further expansion of St. Petersburg, and the magnificent architectural wonder the city became is largely her doing. There are few women in history more fascinating (and infamous) than Catherine the Great. For the first time, Susan Jaques brings her to life through the prism of the art that was her abiding passion and which has become Russia’s legacy.