Artwork

Le Couronnement du Tzar. Le Cortège imperiale traverse la Place Royale

Le Couronnement du Tzar. Le Cortège imperiale traverse la Place Royale is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Auguste Gérardin. It dates from 1883 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1883, this wood engraving by Auguste Gérardin captures a ceremonial procession moving across a vast urban square. The composition centers on a bustling crowd of riders, ornate carriages, and pedestrians, all advancing beneath a skyline punctuated by towering structures crowned with domes.

Subject & Meaning

The image records the imperial coronation of the Tsar, illustrating the formal march of the imperial entourage through the Place Royale. The arrangement of dignitaries and military escorts conveys the pageantry and authority of the event, while the surrounding architecture underscores the public setting of the celebration.

Technique & Style

Gérardin employs the wood‑engraving medium to differentiate spatial planes: sharply rendered figures dominate the foreground, whereas distant elements recede in softer, less distinct lines. The delicate, almost feather‑like strokes used for the sky and building silhouettes create a sense of atmospheric depth within the print.

History & Provenance

Issued shortly after the coronation, the print was likely produced for distribution as a commemorative record of the ceremony. Its attribution to Gérardin, a French engraver active in the late nineteenth century, situates the work within the broader tradition of European printmaking that documented contemporary state occasions.