S. M. Le Tsar Nicolas II Circa 1890

This dignified lithographic portrait of His Imperial Majesty Tsar Nicholas II stands as a visual tribute to the last Emperor of Russia, created during the final years of Europe’s great monarchies. Issued by Les Magasins du Bon Marché in Paris—then the epitome of luxury retail—this poster was likely conceived as a commemorative gesture of cultural and diplomatic goodwill during the zenith of Franco-Russian relations in the 1890s.

Rendered in rich monochrome detail, the portrait captures the Tsar in full ceremonial military regalia. His imposing uniform, adorned with medals, orders, and epaulettes, evokes both imperial authority and aristocratic elegance. Across his chest are decorations including the Order of St. Andrew, Russia’s highest chivalric honor. The overall composition radiates calm strength, discipline, and a stoic sense of duty—characteristics often attributed to Nicholas at the outset of his reign.

Nicholas II ascended the throne in 1894, the same year he married Princess Alix of Hesse, who became Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (featured in the matching lithograph from the same series). His reign would become one of the most turbulent in Russian history—marked by industrial upheaval, the Russo-Japanese War, the 1905 Revolution, and ultimately the First World War and the fall of the Romanov dynasty in 1917.

This lithograph was part of Bon Marché’s series of elegant royal tributes, created for distribution or display among its distinguished clientele. It was likely produced to commemorate Nicholas’s visit to France or to celebrate the Franco-Russian Alliance, which was formalized in the 1890s. Such visual diplomacy was common in the Belle Époque, when Parisian institutions used art and print to strengthen political ties and enhance their cultural prestige.

Artistically, the piece is a masterful example of late 19th-century academic lithography. The engraving technique delivers striking tonal gradations and precise linework that evoke the feel of a stately oil portrait, while maintaining the clarity and reproducibility of a printed work. The composition is crowned by the imperial Russian coat of arms—the double-headed eagle—underscoring the symbolic and official nature of the image.

Today, this rare historical document is more than a portrait—it is a window into a vanished world of empires, pageantry, and the elegant machinery of visual propaganda.

Russia - Royalty - 14-18

Offered by cheap stores in Paris

Printed by B. Arnaud Lyon-Paris

Bon état, larmes restaurées