Nicholas I: Tsar, Nobility, and People Against Napoleon

Alongside the 332 paintings of the Russian generals who took part in the campaigns of 1812–1814 for the War Gallery, Dawe completed portraits of four soldiers of the Palace Grenadiers, an honorary guard made up of veterans of the Napoleonic Wars in 1828. Nicholas I formed the guard with a decree that was issued the same year that these paintings were completed. After the October revolution, the canvases were placed next to Dawe’s portraits of the generals in the War Gallery—a product of the Soviet regime’s canonization of another myth of 1812. The mythology developed by the Russian imperial regime promoted a narrative in which the people were united with the Tsar and the nobility to expel the foreign invader. However, in the Soviet era the narrative of 1812 was recast in order to fit the needs of the communist regime. Alexander I’s leadership was marginalized, while the significance of Kutuzov, despite his aristocratic origins, was elevated and the role of popular resistance to the French invader was exaggerated, particularly in the Stalinist era. Dawe’s Portrait of Vasilii Mikhailovch Lavrentiev (1828) represents a Russian of humble origins (his birthdate, for instance, is not known) who distinguished himself over a long career in military service. In 1805 Lavrentiev joined the Preobrazhenskii Lifeguard Regiment, one of the oldest and distinguished guard regiments of the Imperial Russian Army, and though he was seriously wounded during the Battle of Austerlitz, he returned to the regiment within a year. In 1812 he was promoted to non-commissioned officer, and he went on to fight in numerous battles (including Leipzig and the capture of Paris) avoiding any more serious injuries. After the Battle of Borodino, Lavrentiev was awarded the Order of St. George cross, and two years before this portrait was completed, he was promoted to lieutenant. A few years before his death in 1843, Lavrentiev ended his career as a colonel. All four guardsmen in Dawe’s portraits wear the splendid uniform of their regiment (elaborate embroidery in gold thread, a sash, and the tall bearskin cap), a design that was based upon sketches completed by Nicholas I. The emperor’s intention with his design was to evoke those worn by his brother’s imperial guard during the Napoleonic War. In addition, each of the four guardsmen strikes a pose and assumes a facial expression that conveys the sense that they are stalwart fighters who made important contributions to the defense of their native land in 1812. Lavrentiev doesn’t wear the usual gold sash of the Palace Grenadiers, but he leans against a striking ceremonial sword, and the glance over his left shoulder is a reminder of the vigilance needed to safeguard the Winter Palace.