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Unknown artist of the early XIX century "Monarchic Colossus" Paper, ink, tempera. 69 õ 48,4 Water mark: Van Der Ley VD (Klepikov I, N 1395. 1799 ). SHM Inv. 30319/ÈIII-61103 Purchased in 1894 at the fair in Moscow. Depicted is a colossal warrior-statue, which symbolises the history of change of the kingdoms. After the Bible, this was the great image, seen in a dream by the king Neb’u-chad-nez’zar (The Book of Daniel, Ch.II). This dream was revealed to Daniel. The great image’s head, breast, arms, belly and feet were all from different materials - gold, silver, brass, iron and the feet were made of clay. The nature of these materials symbolises the nature of consequent kingdoms. On the helmet, armory, clothes and feet of the warrior-statue the painter writes down the names of the kingdoms and their rulers. He mentions «the first, Assyrian kingdom», «the second, Midian and Persian kingdoms» «the third, Greek kingdom», «the fourth, Roman kingdom», «Eastern kingdom» and «Western kingdom». Daniel had another vision (The Book of Daniel, Ch.VII, 3-8): «...and four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings» (Assyria), «...a second, like to a bear ...and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it» (Persia), «...a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads;» (Greece), «a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly... and it had ten horns» (Rome). These four beasts are depicted on both sides from the statue.