The Reign of Alexander I: The Myth of National Unity

The most immediate response in Russian visual culture to the French invasion came in the form of the many lubki that were released between 1812 and 1814. While the lubok is a popular art form, it was three academically trained artists—Terebenev, Ivanov, and Venetsianov—who excelled at images that lampooned the French invader and celebrated the common Russian. This chapter explores the legacy of the early visual culture provoked by the French invasion in the form of academic painting, sculpture, monuments, medallions, and popular prints. Initially, this narrative focused more on the agency of the emperor and the skill of his commanders. The chapter that follows this one will show how that narrative shifted away from this elite view toward an increasingly populist story of social unity.