Genre Scene on Red Square by the Nikolsky Gate

The engraving shows a genre scene on Red Square by the Nikolsky Gate of the Kremlin. The catalogue names among its authors the French artist Jean-Louis de Velly and Mikhail Makhaev, a master of topographical drawing; the engraver is unknown. The sheet was engraved with a burin in St Petersburg in 1827–1829.

De Velly and Makhaev worked together on drawings of the coronation of Catherine II, held in Moscow on 22 September 1762: de Velly devised the compositions and drew the genre scenes, while Makhaev depicted interiors and views of buildings. The drawings were meant to be engraved as illustrations for a description of the coronation, but in the 18th century the work was not fully completed. The description appeared only in the 19th century, when impressions were taken from the old plates and copies of the engravings were made.