These items were given to Russia by a British Duchess
Famous adventurer-duchess Elizabeth Kingston came to Russia in 1777, seeking a position at the court of Catherine II. To achieve this, she decided to use the art collection inherited from her husband, the late Duke Evelyn Pierpont Kingston.
The Englishwoman wrote of her desire to give the Russian empress paintings by old masters from the collection inherited from her second husband. However, she stipulated that she must make the choice herself. Catherine agreed, so she set off to Russia.
There is no exact list of the treasures she brought to Russia. For example, historians believe that paintings by Raphael and Claude Lorrain were, indeed, among the items brought aboard the yacht. However, there is no confirmation of this. That being said, some items belonging to the Duchess of Kingston can still be seen in museums.
The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, for example, houses a silver basin by Philip Rollos, with handles shaped like lions' heads and the Pierpont-Kingston coat of arms on the bottom, as well as various silver vases by Andrew Fogelberg.
