CHARLES BOIT | Portrait of Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia (1672-1723)

Sale, Geneva, Sotheby's, 16 November 1993, lot 5

Minor surface scratch on brow near hairline, only evident when held in certain raking lights. Otherwise very fine.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In around 1690 Charles Boit, having trained initially as a goldsmith in Stockholm and later in Paris, moved to London. There Boit, encouraged by his compatriot Michael Dahl, specialised in painting in enamel and was subsequently appointed court enameller to King William III. He apparently encountered Emperor Peter I when the latter, travelling under the name Peter Mikhailov, visited London as part of his ‘Grand Embassy’ of 1797–98. This encounter resulted in Boit painting a number of small enamel miniatures of the Emperor that were based on Dahl’s recently completed portrait (for an example of this enamel, see Sotheby’s, Geneva, 16 November 1989, lot 22).  Some twenty years later, when the Emperor visited France  in 1717, Boit - who was then living in Paris - received a second imperial commission. The new series, of which the present work is an example, was loosely based upon a contemporary portrait of the Emperor by Jean Marc Nattier. Another example of this composition is in the collection of the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm (inv. no. NMB 539). Such portraits were originally mounted in gem-set frames, known as boîtes à portrait, and were given by European rulers as a token of royal or imperial favour.