Under the banner of Catherine the Great of Russia, St Petersburg became one of the most culturally stupendous cities in the whole of the western world. Catherine understood the power of art and placed it at the centre of her wider political and diplomatic strategy. Sweeping up collections from the west – famously the Walpole Collection from Houghton Hall – she was able to place herself in a leading position on the complex chessboard of 18th century history. 

Lectures are recorded and will be released at 12:30pm GMT on Wednesdays via Zoom Webinars. For Members, they are available to watch on catch-up via Tixoom (Silver & Student Membership = one week. Gold Membership = anytime throughout the series). All series include a 2-week mid-term break.