COUPÉ. BERLIN, 1740

Coupé
Berlin, 1740; velvet – Italy, the 18^th c.
Ashwood, velvet, bronze, iron; oil painting, wood carving, gilding on gesso.

It belonged to Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great. In 1768, it was moved from Saint Petersburg to Moscow Coach Yard. Acquired by the Armoury Chamber from the Moscow Coach Yard in 1834.
Medal commemorating the coronation of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna
Saint Petersburg Mint, 1742. Medallists V.S. Baranov (after an original by I.K. Hedlinger; the obverse), V. Klimentov (after an original by I.K. Hedlinger; the reverse).

Gold; chasing.
Carving and painting on the left wall of the body; bronze décor of the spring
Coupé. Berlin, 1740; velvet – Italy, the 18^th c. Fragment
Painting on the door
Coupé. Berlin, 1740; velvet – Italy, the 18^thc. Fragment

The carriage is a two-seater. The body narrows towards the base and the lower section of the back wall is curved. The five windows and upper half of the doors with a figured top section contain plate glass. The doors are low and the footstep is inside.

The artistic treatment of the carriage clearly reflects the taste for elegance and lightness characteristic of Rococo. This is particularly evident in the rich and varied decorative wood carving. Gilded carving, executed in both high and low relief, abounds on the cornice, wall joints, window surrounds and door frames. It consists of putti, birds, cartouches, scrolls and foliate motifs which make up fine, elegant patterns, and also the most popular Rococo ornament, namely the stylized shell or ‘rocaille’ which gave its name to the style. The carved decor is somewhat overloaded and the treatment of the ornament slightly stiff. The composition includes sculptural groups which seem to grow out of whimsically intertwinged grasses or turn into acanthus leaves and volutes. The carriage’s elegance is emphasized by painting in pastel pale blue and pink tones characteristic of Rococo. Each panel reminds one of a dessus-de-porte in an elaborate carved frame. They depict mythological subjects, mostly connected with Apollo. The artistic treatment of the carriage includes bronze ornament executed with minute precision. The bronze plates covering the springs are so skilfully chased that you can see a fine play of light and shade on the relief surface. The ornament of large and small nails on the roof blends in well with the overall décor.

The front and back sections of the undercarriage are densely covered with gilded wood carving in the form of scrolls and rocailles of a small design. Under the coachman’s box on the frame is an effective round sculpture in the form of finely modelled allegorical male figures. The wheels are painted pink and partially covered with low relief gilded carving. The interior upholstery and the crest on the coachbox are made of attractive orange velvet with a relief pattern. Its colour blends in well with the overall colour scheme of the carriage. The wings of the crest are skilfully embroidered in gold thread with flowers, shells and a freely curling stem in the middle. The carriage is equipped with an improved turning mechanism and springs, the nature of the décor suggests that it originated in Berlin. An 18^th-century entry book from the Court Stables Chancellery contains the information that the carriage was made in Berlin in 1740 for Empress Elizaveta Petrovna and brought to Russia through a trading agent.

The carriage was also used after 1740 for Empress Elizaveta’s numerous journeys during her reign, as can be seen from engravings of the period.