Collection Location: Russia

Within the gardens of Peterhof, on a small island, stands the Hermitage Pavilion. Designed by Johann Braunstein and built by Peter the Great after 1721, it was intended as a secluded dining space for the Tsar and his closest associates. Distinguished by its pink stonework and square Corinthian columns, the building contains a large dining hall on the upper floor, with a kitchen and service rooms on the ground level. As dawn or sunset light filters through the pavilion’s expansive windows, the shifting tones of the foliage and the architecture create an atmosphere of quiet serenity and...

The scene depicts the Grand Cascade and the Samson Fountain in the gardens of the Peterhof Palace in Saint Petersburg at sunset, with the deep blue of the sky reflected in both the water and the palace in the distance. In the foreground stands one of the gilded mermaid fountains surrounding the Samson basin. At the center rises the gilded statue of Samson defeating the lion, the monumental fountain for which the ensemble is renowned. Between the fountain and the palace stretches the Grand Cascade, adorned with its series of golden sculptures.