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This hand-colored aquatint engraving by Michel François Damame-Demartrais (1763–1827) presents a striking early 19th-century view of St. Petersburg, depicting the Izmailovsky Bridge over the Fontanka River and the grand barracks of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment along Izmailovsky Prospekt. The domes of the Trinity Cathedral (Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment) rise prominently in the background, adding architectural depth to the scene.
Michel François Damame-Demartrais, a French artist and engraver, spent over a decade in Russia (1792–1805) documenting the cities, landscapes, and daily life of the empire. His detailed and atmospheric aquatints capture the grandeur of St. Petersburg and Moscow, as well as scenes of Russian society. Following his return to France, his engravings were published in several works, including in 1813 as part of Vues des principales villes de Russie, costumes, et usages des habitans de cet empire, a work that introduced European audiences to Russia’s architecture and cultural life.
The scene conveys a winter landscape, with the frozen Fontanka River serving as an active thoroughfare. The river's surface is animated by horse-drawn sledges, figures on foot, and merchants transporting goods. The foreground features a man carrying a basket on his head, a vendor with barrels, and a woman seated on a cart laden with hay, showcasing a cross-section of daily urban activity. The Izmailovsky Bridge, a key crossing in the city, directs the viewer’s eye towards the barracks and the domes of the Trinity Cathedral, emphasizing the military and religious significance of this location.
This sheet is a valuable visual record of St. Petersburg’s architectural and social landscape in the early 1800s, documenting both the imperial grandeur of Russian military institutions and the bustling daily life along one of the city’s principal waterways.
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