The artist is Oleshkevich
The plot of the picture had a historical basis. In 1796, Paul I issued a decree according to which Empress Maria Fedorovna (1759–1828) was supposed to lead the educational society of noble girls. Since 1797, she headed the department engaged in the affairs of public education, health and social security, which in 1854 in memory of her was called the “department of the Empress Maria Empress” “. He was in charge of the Smolny Institute of noble girls, female gymnasiums, shelters for blind and deaf -mute, children, widows, retired military, hospitals, educational institutions.
Charity was the main goal of the Empress’s life. She founded Yekaterininsky institutes in St. Petersburg and Moscow, established the Meshchansk School in Moscow, the school of deaf -mute in Pavlovsk and many other educational and orphanages. She bequeathed all her enormous fortune by her educational and charitable institutions.
The picture contains Masonic symbols, the artist was involved in the closed society: a large pyramid cut by the cloud in the background and the sun on the chest of the central figure – the empress – the empress.
For this picture, the artist in 1812 received the title of Academician from the Imperial Academy of Arts.
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