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In November 1712, Tsar Peter the First of Russia – known as Peter the Great – spent a week in Dresden. The Tsar’s aim was to modernise Russia, and he stayed at the home of Johann Melchior Dinglinger, whose house was renowned for its technical gadgets. This portrait of Peter the Great was probably made by Dinglinger’s brother, Georg Friedrich, during that stay. Contemporary sources report that it was drawn from nature. The little enamel likeness was not commissioned, but August the Strong purchased it for 500 Thaler. After all, the Tsar was his friend and ally.

Georg Friedrich Dinglinger was an enamel worker and court painter to August the Strong. He did miniature portraits like these – more or less on the side. Enamel miniatures first became popular in France, in the seventeenth century. The fashion quickly spread across Europe, and they remained popular well into the eighteenth century. In comparison with traditional watercolour and gouache portraits, enamel had a big advantage. It didn’t fade when exposed to light, and was altogether less fragile.