Henri Philippe COCLERS (1738–1804), known as Van Wyck - Lot 123

Lot n° 123
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Henri Philippe COCLERS (1738–1804), known as Van Wyck - Lot 123
Henri Philippe COCLERS (1738–1804), known as Van Wyck Catherine II, with Books and Maps CANVAS Height: 47.5 cm Width: 38 cm Frame: Gilded carved wood, 17th-century Spanish work Previous restorations and minor lifting Provenance: - M.H. Doniol Collection; - Caze de Caumont Collection (reproduced in A. Mallet and J. Isaac, *17th and 18th Centuries*, 10th-grade textbook, p. 509, Hachette Publishing, 1923). - Rigaud Collection—Antibes Our painting was published as a heliogravure frontispiece in the book *Autour d’un trône, Catherine II de Russie, ses collaborateurs, ses amis, ses favoris* (*Around a Throne: Catherine II of Russia, Her Collaborators, Friends, and Favorites*), published by K. Waliszevski, Paris, 1894. (With a frontispiece based on a painting by van Wyck from the collection of M. H. Doniol). Catherine II of Russia, known as Catherine the Great, saw herself as an enlightened ruler, deeply interested in books, the sciences, philosophy, and geography. From her youth, she read extensively, particularly the authors of Antiquity and the philosophers of the Enlightenment. In her memoirs, she recounts, for example, having sought out the works of Plutarch, Cicero, and Montesquieu. For her, books were both a means of acquiring knowledge and a tool of governance. She maintained a correspondence with Voltaire and Diderot and acquired major European libraries. Her collection at the Hermitage grew to be considerable: in 1790, Catherine herself stated that she owned more than 38,000 books, in addition to prints, drawings, and scientific collections. Maps were also of particular importance to an empress who ruled over a vast territory. Cartography made it possible to understand, measure, and administer the Russian Empire, but also to demonstrate its power and expansion. Under Catherine II, large maps of the Empire were produced, particularly following administrative reforms and territorial conquests. Few paintings by Philippe Henri Coclers survive; his self-portrait is housed at the Marseille Museum. Appraiser: Stéphane Pinta - Cabinet Turquin et Associés Lot viewable by appointment only at the appraiser’s office
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