Peter Carl Fabergé

PETER CARL FABERGÉ (Saint Petersburg, 1846 - Lausanne, 1920).
"Zarevich Aleksei Nikolayevich Romanov".
Silver 84 Zolotniki partially gilded.
The pedestal is from a later period.
It has punches.
Provenance: collection of Mariano Miguel Maldonado (1825-1921), Count of Villagonzalo and ambassador of Spain in Saint Petersburg.
Measurements: 10 x 3 x 3 cm; 7,5 x 5 x 5 x 5 cm (base).
Silver sculpture representing Tsarevich Alexei Nikolayevich Romanov, heir of the last Tsar of Russia. The piece is an exceptional example of Russian imperial goldsmithery, made by the famous Fabergé house under the direction of the master Peter Carl Fabergé. The figure, with an erect and noble bearing, is dressed in the dress uniform of the St. Petersburg Academy of Pages, one of the most elite educational institutions of the Empire, responsible for the military and courtly training of the nobility. This iconographic choice not only underlines the portrayed's status as heir to the throne, but also visually reinforces the relationship between dynastic lineage, aristocratic education and military duty in the imaginary of Russian power at the beginning of the 20th century.
Executed in solid silver, the sculpture features a meticulously chiseled surface to truthfully reproduce the texture of the uniform, the metallic sheen of the buttons and the martial rigidity of the posture. Details such as the pleating of the tailcoat, the symmetrical arrangement of the buttons, the delicate modeling of the youthful face, and the meticulous rendering of the gala cap with the imperial coat of arms in relief, demonstrate the technical virtuosity of the Fabergé workshop. This is not a simple miniature of courtly representation, but a fully sculptural sculpture, in which volume, proportion and iconographic fidelity are articulated with a refined and sober language, devoid of any decorative excess, but loaded with symbolism.
This type of sculptural portraits in noble metal, linked to the Romanov family, is part of a courtly tradition that finds in Fabergé one of its greatest exponents, combining technical excellence with a deep political and emotional charge. Alexei's sculpture not only represents the individual, but also stands as an emblem of a dynasty on the verge of collapse, capturing in precious metal the idealized image of the heir as a symbol of continuity, stability and imperial future. The irreproachable workmanship of the piece and the relevance of its author place this piece in the field of European high goldsmithing, not only as a luxury object, but also as a historical and artistic testimony of the decline of a monarchy and of Fabergé's undisputed genius in miniature sculptural art.