The same idea was expressed by Jesus in the first century and translated in the King James Bible (1611) as "whited", so the idea of superficially dressing up an ugly thing was not new in Potemkin's time.

St. Matthew 23:27
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.