Xanthoria Rupelli

The Age of the Enlightenment

Biography of an Enlightenment Figure: Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great, born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst in 1729, was the Empress of Russia

from 1762 to 1792. Catherine was born a princess of Prussia, a German kingdom that

included modern day Poland, where Catherine was born. Catherine became Empress

after a political coup against her husband and predecessor, Peter III, whose reign lasted

from the 5 January 1762 – 9 July 1762. Her reign sought to modernize Russia, bringing

it to a new age of the arts, sciences and education. Russia became stronger and more

powerful, as her tenure was considered by many as the beginning of Russia’s golden

age.1 In 1763, Catherine met François-Marie Arouet, commonly known as Voltaire. They

shared many of the same ideas, and became close confidants, as Voltaire helped

Catherine politically by spreading word of his approval and appreciation for the new

Empress of Russia throughout Europe. 2 Catherine was well educated for a female in

European nobility, and fond of literature, the arts, and emerging modern sciences. She

was born a Lutheran, however dedicated herself to Russia’s many customs and
cultures,

and became a practicing Russian Orthodox. Catherine the Great has been not only
1web.archive.org. (2018). Russian Monarchy. [online] Available at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20181009093957/http://eng.tzar.ru/museums/history/monarchy [Accessed 16
Jun. 2020] 2 Brechka, F. (1969). Catherine the Great: The Books She Read. 4th ed. The Journal of Library

History, pp.39–52.

Russia’s longest female ruler, but one of Russia’s most significant leaders in the

European enlightenment.3

Catherine sought to modernize and “westernize” Russia, she wanted to bring Russia up

to par with its more enlightened neighbors such as France and Germany. She did this
by

associating Russia with some of the most radical philosophers like Voltaire and

Montesquieu. Catherine is quoted saying, “You philosophers are lucky men. You write
on

paper and paper is patient. Unfortunate Empress that I am, I write on the susceptible

skins of living beings.” During her reign, Catherine acquired Crimea and Poland,

expanding the Russian empire and it’s armies. Catherine also was a modernizer in the

sciences, as she inoculated herself (early ‘vaccine’) against smallpox to protect herself

and her children. Inoculation was an extremely revolutionary procedure at the time, with

a large amount of controversy surrounding it. However, as Catherine continued her

support for this treatment, Russia soon followed, with proximity 2 million inoculations of

the Russian population by 1800.

4

Catherine was very highly educated for a woman even of her status. She was a strong

advocate for an introduction of a national schooling system, and believed that women

should be educated just as men should.5 Catherine believed that children should be

3 Billington, James H. The Icon and the Axe: An Interpretive History of Russian Culture. Toronto: Alfred A.
Knopf, Inc., 1966. pp. 217–26. Print. 4 www.historyofvaccines.org. (n.d.). Catherine the Great | History of

Vaccines. [online] Available at: https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/catherine-great [Accessed 16

Jun. 2020]. 5 N. Hans, “Dumaresq, Brown and Some Early Educational Projects of Catherine II”, Slavonic

and East European Review (1961) : 229–35.

educated, and that the education of Russia would empower her citizens both
intellectually

and morally. Throughout all of this, Catherine is quoted saying “A great wind is blowing

and that either gives you imagination or a headache.”. Catherine’s main goals from her

coup were to revitalize and enlighten Russia, as a prominent European power and

empire. She believed that education would strongly facilitate this, and founded the
famous

Smolny Institute in 1764, which was the first of its kind within the Russian empire.
Catherine the Great made significant compliments in modernizing the Russian
economy.

At the time, Russia’s economy was lower than the majority of Europe. Catherine

encouraged the migration of farmers, namely the Volga Germans6, who eventually went

on to introduce several major innovations to Russia’s income producing sector of the

economy. The Volga Germans would transform Russia’s wheat production and flour

milling, tobacco culture, sheep raising, and small-scale manufacturing industries,

expanding the Russian economy permanently. 7

Catherine the Great ruled for thirty-three years, from the 9th of July, 1762 to the 17th of

November, 1796. She died on the 17th of November, 1796 , aged 67, in Winter Palace,

Saint Petersburg of a sudden stroke. Catherine left behind a long standing legacy of her

6 Fred C. Koch, The Volga Germans: in Russia and the Americas, from 1763 to the present (Penn State

Press, 2010). 7 (n.d.). The Economic Contributions of the German Russians to the Imperial Russian

Economy." Journal of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (2012) 35#2 pp. 1–34.

successful efforts to modernize Eastern Europe, and strengthen the Russian empire.
She
significantly contributed to the enlightenment, in her advocacy and popularization of

inoculation and eventual vaccination, her improvement of Russia’s education of women

and young children, and her consistent efforts to innovate various sectors of the
Russian

economy and its industries. Catherine the Great affects the people today by her
changes

to the way in which people in Eastern Europe live. Without her impact, it is quite likely
that

Russia, or possibly even Europe, would not have reached its point in the enlightenment

as soon or as significantly as it did. Catherine the Great is seen as not only “the reine-

philosophe’, (the philosopher queen), but as an influential figure in history and a strong

female leader who greatly improved the world she lived in, her beloved subjects lived in,

and the people of today are living in now.

Exhibition Label for a Primary Source

Source: ‘Reading of the Tragedy ‘L’ Orphean de la Chine’ in

the Salon of Madame Geoffrin, 1812’ by Anicet-Charles

Lemonnier
(1743-1824)

The painting titled, “A READING OF VOLTAIRE'S TRAGEDY "L'ORPHELINE DE LA CHINE"

IN THE SALON OF MADAME GEOFFRIN” by Anicet-Charles-Gabriel Lemonnier, is an

insightful source relating to the enlightenment that can shed light on the events of the

enlightenment in Paris, in roughly 17558, (1743-1824). Anicet-Charles-Gabriel

Lemonnier

was a prolific French painter who painted many historical subjects. He was active
before,

during and after the French Revolution.9 Lemonnier created this artwork with the
intention

of depicting a very important moment in his perception of the French and European

enlightenment. The painting’s audience is the French population, specifically the

attendees of one of many literary gatherings hosted by Marie-Thérèse Geoffrin (1699-

8 Mapero (n.d.). Antoine Lilti : Le monde des salons : Paris au XVIIIème siècle - W O D K A. [online] W O
D K A. Available at: http://wodka.over-blog.com/article-2064133.html [Accessed 28 Jun. 2020]. 9

www2.culture.gouv.fr. (n.d.). Joconde - catalogue - dictionnaires. [online] Available at:

http://www2.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/joconde_fr?ACTION=CHERCHER&FIELD_2=AUTR&VALUE_2
=LEMONNIER%20ANICET%20CHARLES%20GABRIEL [Accessed 28 Jun. 2020].

). The painting previously resided in the Rueon museum, but was purchased

anonymously in New York, Sotheby's, 21 May 1998, lot 134A10. At the time of
production,

the source was incredibly significant as Europe was undergoing an incredibly important

time of
enlightenment.

In the source, several key influential figures of the enlightenment are portrayed.
Madame

Geoffrin is depicted on the right side of the painting, as the hostess of the gathering.

Geofrin was a very wealthy French aristocrat who ensured that women would be the
ones

guiding the discussion of the evening. Also portrayed, in the very right hand side of the

painting, Montesquieu is depicted observing the events in the painting. Montesquieu

was

a prominent French philosopher whose published works include “The spirit of the Laws”

(1748). The position of the influential figures of the enlightenment on the right hand side

of the painting may represent how Lemonnier perceived these figures being on the
“right

side” of the enlightenment.11

In the short term, the immediate reaction to Lemonnier’s painting was varied. Whilst the

friends and acquaintances of Madame Marie-Thérèse Geoffrin were overwhelmingly

positive, the oppositions to the French enlightenment were not.12 However, as

academics
study sources from the enlightenment, specifically the enlightenment in France, the

10 Sothebys.com. (2013). lemonnier, anicet-charles-gabrie ||| history ||| sotheby’s n08952lot4csp3en.

[online] Available at: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/old-master-paintings-
n08952/lot.93.html [Accessed 28 Jun. 2020]. 11 (n.d.). Christine Le Bozec (2000). Lemonnier, un peintre

en Révolution. Publications de l’université de Rouen. ISBN 2-87775-292-5.

12 (n.d.). Théodore-Éloi Lebreton (1865). Biographie rouennaise. Rouen: Le Brument. pp. 239–241.

painting, “A READING OF VOLTAIRE'S TRAGEDY "L'ORPHELINE DE LA CHINE" IN THE

SALON OF MADAME GEOFFRIN” by Anicet-Charles-Gabriel Lemonnier is without a

doubt

a large contributor to the eventual acceptance of the ideas of the enlightenment. It

changed the way people viewed religion and politics by normalizing the events and

discussions during the enlightenment.

This source is incredibly useful for studying the enlightenment, as it gives a tremendous

amount of insight into the influential figures of the enlightenment, specifically Madame

Geoffrin and her fellow friends in the enlightenment such as Montesquieu, Fontenelle,

Denis Dierdot, Jean- Jaques Rousseau, and many others. 13 The enlightenment ideas

represented in this source have changed our view on modernity and the influence of

change on our daily lives. The importance of philosophy and political discussion
represented in the painting carries on today as we educate our population around the

world about these issues. This source studied is one of the many great sources
available

for analysis on the enlightenment, and is an incredible thought provoking and engaging

painting on its
on.

Bibliography
:

1. web.archive.org. (2018). Russian Monarchy. [online] Available at:

https://web.archive.org/web/20181009093957/http://eng.tzar.ru/museums/history/monarchy
[Accessed 16 Jun. 2020]

13 (n.d.).
J. Lough, “Lemonnier’s Painting, ‘Une Soirée Chez Madame Geoffrin en 1755,’” in French
Studies, vol. XLV, July 1991, pp. 269-279.

2. Brechka, F. (1969). Catherine the Great: The Books She Read. 4th ed. The Journal of Library
History, pp.39–52. 3. Billington, James H. The Icon and the Axe: An Interpretive History of Russian
Culture. Toronto:
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1966. pp. 217–26. Print. 4. www.historyofvaccines.org. (n.d.). Catherine the
Great | History of Vaccines. [online] Available at:
https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/catherine-great [Accessed 16 Jun. 2020]. 5. N. Hans,
“Dumaresq, Brown and Some Early Educational Projects of Catherine II”, Slavonic and
East European Review (1961) : 229–35. 6. Fred C. Koch, The Volga Germans: in Russia and the
Americas, from 1763 to the present (Penn
State Press, 2010). 7. (n.d.). The Economic Contributions of the German Russians to the Imperial
Russian Economy."
Journal of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (2012) 35#2 pp. 1–34. 8. Mapero
 (n.d.). Antoine Lilti : Le monde des salons : Paris au XVIIIème siècle - W O D K A. [online]
W O D K A. Available at: http://wodka.over-blog.com/article-2064133.html [Accessed 28 Jun. 2020].
9. www2.culture.gouv.fr. (n.d.). Joconde - catalogue - dictionnaires. [online] Available at:
http://www2.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/joconde_fr?ACTION=CHERCHER&FIELD_2=AUTR&V
ALUE_2=LEMONNIER%20ANICET%20CHARLES%20GABRIEL [Accessed 28 Jun. 2020]. 10.
Sothebys.com. (2013). lemonnier, anicet-charles-gabrie ||| history ||| sotheby’s n08952lot4csp3en.
[online] Available at: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/old-master-paintings-
n08952/lot.93.html [Accessed 28 Jun. 2020]. 11. (n.d.). Christine Le Bozec (2000). Lemonnier, un
peintre en Révolution. Publications de
l’université de Rouen. ISBN 2-87775-292-5. 12. (n.d.). Théodore-Éloi Lebreton (1865). Biographie
rouennaise. Rouen: Le Brument. pp. 239–241. 13. (n.d.). J. Lough, “Lemonnier’s Painting, ‘Une
Soirée Chez Madame Geoffrin en 1755,’” in French
Studies, vol. XLV, July 1991, pp. 269-279.