A dress of Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna (the daughter of Paul I)

France (?), 1780s
Embossed velvet, silver brocade, lace, silk, gold thread, cannetille, sequins, paillettes; embroidery
No GDM-117-II - GDM-119-II

The collection of the Gatchina Palace Museum allows to trace the history of women’s fashion from the second half of the 18th century till the early 20th century. The most valuable part of the collection consists of personal belongings of the Imperial family members.
One of the rarest items of the collection is a girl’s dress, which used to belong to a daughter of Paul I — Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna. This unique masterpiece demonstrates the elegance of court dresses of the gallant 18th century. Such early samples of court dresses are very rare in Russian collections.