The French Classical Style of the 17th & 18th Centuries

Only because of Catherine the Great's desire to emulate the French Court was the Hermitage built as it was. As it stands now, it houses an unparalleled collection of 16th and 17th century French Classical works, with artists drawing on Greek and Roman myths for inspiration. At the end of the 18th century, we see the emergence of Romanticism, paintings stressing the awesome power and grandeur of nature.