The State Hermitage Museum presents a collection of watercolors and porcelain, purchased from the Paris gallery Popoff

Wednesday, April 21, avanzale Winter Palace an exhibition of new acquisitions of the State Hermitage Museum, which shows the 92 watercolors and more than 140 items of porcelain that are of outstanding importance as a valuable monuments of national culture. These exhibits were acquired by the Hermitage in late 2009 from the current owner of the famous Paris Gallery Popoff (« Popov and K ° ») Maurice Baryusha.

basis of the collection galleries laid her creator - Alexander Popov. The personnel officer and member of the First World War, he moved to France in 1919 and opened an antique shop in Paris, where they focus exclusively on its artistic value of works of art. In 1935 the gallery was awarded the first Honorary Grand Prix of Paris for the highest quality of exhibited works. The main collection is enriched at the expense of things brought by Russian emigres. In the gallery AA Popov caught the magnificent works of art from the collections of the princes Saltykov, Dolgoroukys, Beloselskikh-Belozersky, Orlov, Leuchtenberg, etc.

central place in the collection of A. Popov originally occupied the watercolor portraits of the first half of the XIX century - the heyday of the genre in Europe and Russia. The Hermitage has acquired more than 30 works of artists of that time, both known and half.

• SOKOLOV PF
  Portrait of Empress Alexandra
  Feodorovna and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna. 1829
  paper on cardboard, watercolor, pencil, white

Among the most significant Masters - Petr Fedorovich Sokolov . The collection includes 16 works of the popular portrait of Nicholas I of Russia. Particular among these are portraits of members of the imperial family. After an invitation to the artist in the Grand Palace Anichkov he received a series of orders and of a large courtyard, which boosted his popularity. In 1829, PF Sokolov created unusual for a companion portrait to landscape, presenting the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and her daughter, Grand Princess Maria Nikolaevna on the beach. This is one of the few large-format works of masters.

• GAU VI
  Portrait of Natalia Nikolaevna Pushkina. 1844
  Cardboard, watercolor, white, varnish
• GAU VI
  Self. 1855. Paper, watercolor, gouache

with PF Sokolov popularity in St. Petersburg rivaled only significant master watercolor portrait of the XIX century Vladimir Ivanovich Hau . Among the 28 of his works acquired by the Hermitage, the first time watercolor - "Portrait of Countess Uvarova" - written about 1830, and the latter - "Portrait of Count Paul and Peter Sheremetevs a child" - in 1881. Since 1840 VI Hau was a court painter. His portraits of members of the family of Emperor Nicholas I - magnificent iconographic material. The real peak of creativity VI Gow pearl collections AA Popov - a portrait of Natalya Nikolaevna Pushkina (1844), captivates the delicate beauty and refinement. We can not ignore the self-portrait VI Gow, made in 1855. Master deprives own image any idealization inherent in his works ordered. Portrait may well be put in one line with the psychological self-portraits of famous contemporaries VI Hau - Orest Kiprensky and Karl Briullov , graphic works are also exhibited at the exhibition.

• AP BRYULLOV
  Portrait of Princess Elizabeth Nikolaevna Chernysheva
  with children. Around 1830
  Watercolor on paper, white, varnish. Russia

Six portraits by one of the leading architects of his time, Alexander's Bryullova - brother of a famous painter K. Bryullova - reflect his work as a watercolorist. Especially touching his women's and children's images: "Portrait of Princess E. N. Chernysheva with children" (circa 1830), "Portrait of sisters Shishmareva" (circa 1835). In the portrait genre work and other Russian architects Nicholas's time. Famous A. Stakenschneider during his stay in 1837 in France, painted by an unknown young man, confirming its reputation as a painter.

underline artistic temperament and obvious solutions-oriented works by Rembrandt different romantic "Self-Portrait in a beret» AO Orlov (1807).

Among the best portraits of the meeting - the works of famous international artists closely associated with Russia: the lyrical female images Christine Robertson and Alexander Molinari, attracting high professionalism of Franz Krüger , Joseph Krihubera, Friedrich Randel.

The exhibition shows works of other Russian and Western artists of the XIX century, whose talent and skill, in no small measure due to the high level of the famous collection. This is a wonderful portraits made E. P. Gow , NI Tihobrazovym , N. Orekhov , A. Vorobyov Alexeyev, Voronov, I. Gryundom, AF Lagrenet and others .

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especially proud of the gallery "Popov and K °» has always been a unique porcelain, no wonder he AA Popov had in this area the reputation of the expert. The most significant and interesting part of the demonstrated items are items of Russian porcelain second half of XVIII century. First and foremost is the product of the Imperial Porcelain Factory in St. Petersburg, performed directly for members of the Romanovs and their entourage. The most rare are the earliest porcelain time Empress Elizabeth. Subjects tea and coffee set, plates, bottle and rumochnaia transmission (blood vessels for cooling and feeding bottles and glasses) with marks in the form of double eagles are out of the hands of the inventor of Russian porcelain, DI Vinogradov. A plate bearing the signature of the painter of the court the company Nikiforov represents the first known example of the subscription of the St. Petersburg factory (late 1750 - early 1760). Of particular value are the porcelain snuff boxes, whose production was determined fashion to snuff. The diversity of these luxury items show "paketovye" snuffbox in the form of a sealed envelope with clan emblems and "addresses" in the names of AA Volkova (ca. 1760) and V. Krenitsyn (1764).

Typical instances of "Vinogradov" period is an Easter egg with "painting flowers" (1750's), as well as sculpted and hand-painted chess piece "Horse" (1750-s - early 1760). The painting each piece is individual and different sketches of care. A number of exhibits related to provisionally called the series "with polychrome Chinese" (end of 1750 - 1760-e).

landmark event history of Russian porcelain has been the creation of the first Russian front the service - the so-called proper table and dessert service Elizabeth (no earlier than 1756-th - beginning of 1760). The exhibition includes a plate with a trellis net, demonstrating artistic originality of this famous band.

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flourishing art of Russian porcelain under Empress Catherine II illustrated objects of known everyday (late 1770's - 1780) and Yahtinskogo (1785-1787), dinner services, as well as works by the head of the sculpture department of the Imperial Porcelain Factory railway Rushett created a special "porcelain plaster" mass. These are reliefs with portraits of the prominent statesman and diplomat, IG Chernyshev (1780-90), privy councilor SI Pleshcheeva (end 1780) and AV Olsuf'ev (1790).

historic change in the history of Russian heraldry reflects bisque portrait of Emperor Paul I to the Order of Malta and a cross on the model railway Rushett (1798-1801). Significant historical and cultural interest are the sculptures of rashettovskih series "Peoples of Russia" and "merchants and artisans" (1780-90).

separate set up gift cups with monograms owners. Mugs "under the king's monogram" were given to members of the holidays and approximate the Romanovs, as well as a sign of special recognition for foreign guests. The history of manufacturing at the St. Petersburg factory cup with the monogram «PP» linked by researchers with the christening of the Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, 25 September 1754. Memorial are also important cup with portraits of Empress Catherine II and Count Orlov (1770, Meissen), the profile of Nicholas II and the monogram of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1907, 1908, the Imperial Porcelain Factory).

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customized products with coats of arms and monograms of the owners of manufactured and factory near Moscow F. J. Gardner - the first private porcelain factory in Russia. In the XVIII century, the bottle and made rumochnaia transfer, teapots and jugs of lemonade, dishes and baskets with openwork sides, salt cellars, dessert plates, etc. - with the landscape, battle, pastoral and floral paintings. Among the plastics plant near Moscow FY Gardner stands out a miniature bust of the Empress Catherine II (1780-90-e). Option murals on conical pedestal with gilt monogram "E II» is known in a single copy.

Porcelain XVIII century, emphasizes the inextricable link between the Russian and European culture. So, the Berlin-service, presented by the Prussian King Frederick II of Grand Duke Paul Petrovich in 1778, is decorated with double-headed eagles under the crown with the emblem of the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp - Crown ownership of Paul's paternal.

presented demonstrate unique watercolors and magnificent porcelain demonstrate the high style of the museum's collection. It is these outstanding items, causing a huge interest professionals and art enthusiasts, are fully consistent with the collecting policies of the State Hermitage.

curator of the exhibition - I. Bagdasarova, Researcher, Department of Russian Culture of the State Hermitage. The exhibition illustrated booklet, the authors of the text - I. Bagdasarova and AV Soloviev.

exhibition is open until May 23, 2010.

Source : Press release of the State Hermitage

P. S. About the Collection Gallery Popoff can read here .