Nicholas I before the Unit Formation of the Life-Guards Field Engineer Battalion in the Court of the Winter Palace on 14 December 1825

Executed in oil, Maksutov employs a restrained palette of muted blues, grays and earth tones to convey the sober grandeur of the ceremony. Fine brushwork renders the intricate details of the soldiers’ coats, shakos and accoutrements, while broader strokes suggest the brick façade and the rhythmic repetition of windows behind the troops.

Although depicting an 1825 event, the canvas was painted over three decades later, during a period of renewed interest in imperial history. Since its creation, the work has remained in Russian state hands, entering the Hermitage’s holdings where it is displayed as part of the museum’s representation of 19th‑century Russian art.