Portrait of Empress Catherine II (1729-1796) in Her Coronation Robes, 1766. Found in the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen. Artist Erichsen (Eriksen), Vigilius (1722-1782).

WHAT: "Catherine the Great: Art for Empire," at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts WHEN: Feb. 2 through May 7. HOW MUCH: $13 (U.S.) WHY GO: Russian Empress Catherine II, aka Catherine the Great ...

Upwardly noble The future Catherine the Great, Sophie, moved to the ducal castle in Szczecin, Poland, when her father, Prince Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst, became governor.

The Great doesn’t pretend to adhere closely to the historical record. Instead, it presents an extravagantly vulgar yet brilliantly humorous portrayal of Catherine II and her era.