Exhibition of a work - portrait by Dmitry Levitsky of the assembly of the Yaroslavl Art Museum - opened at the Guimet

In 2009, Sava V. Yamshchikov proposed to hold in the State Historical Museum exhibition of works from the collection of one of the Yaroslavl Art Museum. Today, "Portrait of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of childhood" (1791) painted by famous painter of the XVIII century Dmitry Levitsky (1735-1822) exhibited in the Hall of State Historical Museum, dedicated to the era of Catherine the Great.

This exhibition - a last gift from the Yaroslavl Art Sawa Yamshchikova, a longtime friend of the Museum, Curator, a prominent art historian, restorer known public figure.

On the product

In 1998, in the history of Yaroslavl Art Museum event occurred, equal which was not his whole then 80-year history. A person was donated to the museum portrait by Dmitry Levitsky, one of the most celebrated artists of the XVIII century, has not previously represented in the collection. Gave a portrait of the famous museum in Russia and abroad, of culture, art historian, restorer and organizer of exhibitions unique SV driver. He is not a collector. The portrait was he by accident, and until 1975 he was in the collection of the artist's widow in Moscow NN Stepanenko.

• Dmitri Levitsky
  portrait. kn. Alexandra Pavlovna as a child. 1791. Oil on canvas

Author's inscription on the back of canvas says that this "portrait of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna . Pisan in Peterburhe въ 1791 originalnym masterom repeated Gospodinom Димитрϊемъ Levitskim. On a small canvas presented a wonderful image of the girl, almost a child, dressed in a silk dress with lace and ribbons, in the manner of mature ladies. Her luxuriant hair, intricately arranged by the then fashion, decorated like a crown, a wreath of bright flowers, roses, nezabudok, hyacinths, competing in beauty with its diamond-similarity. Portrait of a waist, a profile that attracts him more attention - such a method is found in the painting is not often. He reminds us of ancient cameos and medals with the images of noble personages. Attention is drawn to the artist's desire to combine in one person the grand lady and a vibrant, almost capricious and coquettish young creature.

We immediately the question arose whether it is fixed in the creative heritage of the master, or is it another discovery, which gave Savva Vasilievich. Yes, the portrait has not been known scholar Levitsky. It is a smaller (Oil on canvas, 57.5 x 45) cingulate version performed in 1791, a portrait in the growth of the eldest daughter of Emperor Paul I in the age of eight, standing on the terrace of the Cameron Gallery in Tsarskoe Selo (canvas, 183 x 125, up to 1941 - People gallery Gatchina Palace Museum, now - Pavlovsk Palace Museum). Lists of works by the artist, compiled by SP Diaghilev (1902) and IE Grabar (1922 ), found that the artist painted three bust version of the iconographic type (not to be confused with a portrait of Alexandra Pavlovna en face in a series of portraits of the daughters of Paul Petrovich, performed in the early 1790's). One (Oil on canvas, 71,2 x 55,6; played: SP Diaghilev Russian painting in the 18 century. Volume I. DGLevitsky. [St. Petersburg, 1902]) presumably considered a study for the portrait in growth before 1917 was in the Romanov Gallery of the Winter Palace, the second was in the Grand Peterhof Palace (in 1922 still available, are included in the list of Grabar anniversary exhibition Levitsky) and the third - the estate of Prince FA Kurakina Nadezhdin in the Saratov province. Currently, their whereabouts unknown. Surely after so many years of oblivion "floated" one of these half-length portrait? More precisely - one of the last two (the dimensions are not known).

Portraits met Levitsky (The list indicates no copy, and etude and its variants) at the request of the royal family - probably the Catherine II. After Alexandra Pavlovna (1783-1801) was a favorite of her granddaughter. Unfortunately, fate had not bestowed a young princess. After the frustration of an unsuccessful courtship of the Swedish King Gustav IV, in 1799, she was to marry the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Joseph, who was then the Palatine of Hungary. Marriage was necessary to strengthen the alliance between Russia and Austria against France. November 2, 1799 Alexandra Pavlovna, left with her husband in Austria. The Vienna court, is on the way the gap with Russia and commitment to Catholicism, Orthodox met Archduchess very cold. She died quite young in Ofen from difficult childbirth. Some modern scholars do not exclude a violent death.

Portrait of Alexandra Pavlovna of growth against the backdrop of Cameron's gallery is a type of so-called costume pictures (with their principle of "double transfiguration"), which, as remarks one of the scholars of Levitsky - GN Goldovsky, "as it were illustratively correspond to the literary program. In this case, "it becomes possible to correlate sound paintings and poems to the Derzhavin" By Grace "in the manuscript edition of 1790, with the expanded title of" In the case of balls, occurs in columnar Gallery in Sarskoe Selo ", and strings:

«Not on whether your cheeks

laugh lilei,

And on their foreheads, shiny flax,

lay wreaths of flowers ... »

illustrative in the way of the young princess stressed and smooth, finely-designed texture painting, built on a combination of decorative colors and light contrasts is particularly noticeable in this version of the bust. Despite a certain dryness of execution, the portrait is impressive animation of the heroine, who breaks through her rank decent restraint and grandeur. He still shows a high skill of an aging artist.

About Sawa Vasil'eviche Yamshchikova

In conclusion, it must be said few words about Sawa Vasil'eviche Yamshchikova. He was an Honored Artist of the RSFSR, for a long time worked as head of the propaganda department of the artistic heritage of the State Scientific Research Institute of Restoration. Actively participated in the activities of cultural organizations - the Foundation of Culture, USSR Commission for UNESCO, the Association of Restorers. He was awarded the Lenin Komsomol Prize, was awarded the Silver Medal of the Academy of Arts of the USSR. But the main business of life Sawa Yamshchikova were opening unique works of Russian culture, forgotten names of artists, an introduction to scientific use of new school of painting. He was with a team of like-minded - restorers helped provincial museums preserve monuments of art. Then arranged the famous exhibition, introduced millions of viewers with the treasures of Pskov, Novgorod, Vologda, Kostroma, and, of course, Yaroslavl. On materials such restoration show he produced dozens of albums, catalogs, scientific journals.

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with the Yaroslavl Museum S. Yamshchikova linked many years of creative cooperation and cordial friendship. Home acquaintance put the joint work on the exhibition "Yaroslavl Art XVII - XIX centuries" (Iconography and portrait), which was held successfully in 1980 in Yaroslavl, Leningrad and Moscow. Probably no coincidence Savva Vasilievich decided to bring a gift to the museum, the city of Yaroslavl, a rare piece brush Dmitry Levitsky Portrait of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna. " It is an act of selflessness and human spiritual nobility, worthy of sincere gratitude and thanks, highly appreciated at all times and are of particular relevance today.

Information prepared Kuleshov Irina, an art historian, senior
researcher, curator of painting Fund XVIII - XIX centuries.
Yaroslavl Art Museum, Honored Worker of Culture of Russia.

The exhibition is open until February 21, 2010

Source: artmuseum.yar.ru