Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, the son of Emperor Peter III and Catherine Alexeyevna, is shown against the background of a stormy sea; he is wearing the uniform of General-Admiral of the Fleet, to which he was appointed by special decree in December 1762. On top of his admiral’s uniform the Grand Duke is wearing a cuirass, since he was also a colonel in the Cuirassier Regiment. The portrait was extremely popular and was copied repeatedly.