State Hermitage Museum, September 22 - January 13, 2013
Halls № 169-172, Winter Palace

The Winter Palace of the Hermitage exhibition "Portrait in Russian lithography XIX century", the first of 150 works from the Hermitage collection of lithographed portraits. The exhibition reflects the key stages of development of the art of lithography, presents the work of local and international artists, depicting members of the Russian Imperial House, politicians, the military, the ladies of high society, artists and other representatives of Russian society.

CARL Beggrov Portrait FN Glinka. 1821 Source: hermitagemuseum.org

Alexander Briullov Portrait NS . Galitzine. 1824-1826 Source: hermitagemuseum.org

Formation of the Hermitage collection is the beginning of the appearance in Russia in the mid 1810s a new type of printing art - lithographs. Drafted in 1830, an inventory of portrait lithographs, available only in the Winter Palace, there were already more than 700 units. Currently, the Hermitage collection of Russian lithographed portrait is one of the largest among the museum's collections.

first experiments lithography in Russia date back to the time when artistic outlook determined sentimentalism and romanticism soon replaced him. Interest in depth and personality to reflect in the appearance of small portraits, sketches, samples of which have created a brilliant A. Orlovsky , O. Kiprensky and K. AP and A. Briullov . These drawings made from nature energetic Italian pencil lines, impressive ease of performance, demonstrating the features of Romanticism, emphasizing features of the internal state of the model.

The earliest portraits in the exhibition - lists the album "The engravings on stone, performed in St. Petersburg in November 1816, "released the first Russian lithographic workshop Military Topographic Depot General Staff. 14 "incunabula" domestic lithography to experiences B. Forlopa, P. F. Sokolov , JF Roeder for new technology.

ALEXANDER VASILIEVSKY Portrait of Murav'eva Around 1827 Source: hermitagemuseum.org

GUSTAV Gippius Portrait of Alexander Pushkin. 1828 Source: hermitagemuseum.org

among the first Russian artists to lithography called A. Venetsianov . He created portraits of Ermak, F. N. Romanov, Peter I, F. J. Lefort, F. Prokopovich JF Dolgorukov and others already in the years 1818-1819 entered the collection of the Imperial Hermitage. Among the most important achievements of the lithographers-portrait of the first third of the XIX century self-portraits stand out Alexander Orlovsky (1817 and 1820), performed in a realistic manner: accurate and in-depth image of the artist is revealed through an extremely simple external shape of the portrait.

It should be noted that during this period in the art of lithography properties begin to dominate the picturesque. For example, portraits of Pastor F. Reinbot and General AP Ermolov of PF Sokolov amazing variety of color nuances, masterful use of the effects of the white paper base. Another virtuoso lithographic technique was AA Vasilevsky. In black and white lithographed portraits AN Golitsyn, MMSperanskii, VV Dolgoruky and especially AG Muravyova it subtle nuances lithographic pencil passes all colors transparency of watercolor originals PF Sokolov.

Russian lithography has always been characteristic of the public understanding of the importance of capturing images of prominent people. Serials portraits of his contemporaries made at different times artists GF Gippius Geytman EI, EI Esterreyh. For the series "Contemporary" (1827-1828) played Gippius portrait of Alexander Pushkin, who is still considered one of the most reliable. Geytman nalitografiroval portraits of professors of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg - FF Shchedrin, Ivan I. Martos , Ivan I. P. Prokofiev (1821). He also participated in the translation in lithographic printing portraits of Russian generals Doe from the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace (1824-1827). Esterreyh poeticize created portraits of Russian writers and scientists, among them I. Dmitriev, DI Languages, FV Bulgarin, IA Krylov, VA Zhukovsky (1820-1830-ies.).

FREDERIC FRANCOIS CHEVALIER (From the original VI Hau) Grand Duchess Alexandra with children for a walk in the boat. 1853 Source: hermitagemuseum.org

Yermolai ESTERREYH Portrait of Vasily Zhukovsky. 1820 Source: hermitagemuseum.org

popularizing the art of lithography contributed to the Society to promote artists, based in St. Petersburg in 1820. Carrying out an extensive program of Russian dating with art, it attracted graduates of the Academy of Arts to create reproductions of paintings. In the second half of 1830 the Company has led the production of a large series of lithographs by dedicated members of the Russian Academy. Under the general supervision of the AP Sapozhnikov 56 portraits were made, uniform in composition and performance, which have become an important basis for the iconography of the prominent figures of Russian literature, science and art.

in 1830-40 - s began to appear lithographed portraits made to order members of aristocratic families. German artist L. Wagner with great precision and expressiveness carried portraits of the Russian nobility in the fashionable resort of Baden-Baden. These prints are the latest examples of pencil Impromptus, departing from portraiture. In the big fashion 1840 were portraits of Emperor Nicholas I, his children and wife, who, along with Russian artists performed F. Chevalier, S. Meyer, J. Fay of paintings K. Robertson and F. Kruger.

Russian lithograph portrait of the mid XIX century had the desire for a bulk transfer images using the tone pattern ("Portrait of the family of Senator Turchaninova" lithographer FS Paschen), interest in the aesthetics of everyday subjects Biedermeier ("Family Kozlyaninovyh" , author of the picture and lithographer MA Zatsepin), addicted to printmaking large size (officially, formal portraits).

Vasily Timm (with photos SL Levitsky) Group portrait of Holy Cross community nurses care for the sick and wounded . 1856 Source: hermitagemuseum.org

Type "Raznochinnaya" portrait, strictly and simply decorated, documented accurately represent the exhibition prints AA Kozlov, and B. F. Timm . A talented illustrator, Timm from 1851 to 1862 devoted himself to release the "Russian art sheet" - "artistic chronicle of Russia", for which, along with the military and domestic scenes, nalitografiroval 400 portraits of people important to the history, including the 1853-1856 Crimean War heroes s, plotted directly on the battle fields.

In the second half of the XIX century lithographic portrait becomes more documentary and less artistic expression, following the style of the pictures, incredibly popular with the general population. Monumental edition edition of Russian military chronicle of 1853-1856 were portraits, uniform in composition and uniform in an effort to fix the appearance of a soldier-heroes, their ranks and awards. Photo portrait style conscious should PF Borel, litografiruya sheets "Portrait Gallery of Russian writers, artists, and other wonderful people" in the years 1859-1863.

revival of interest in the original graphic portraits come at the turn of the XIX and XX centuries, when applied to the lithographic printing artists' World of Art »- L. Bakst , Alexander A. Benoit , O. E. Braz , E. Lansere , F. Malyavin , Serov . In 1899, they produced a suite of "15 lithographs by Russian artists" (the exhibition will feature prints Serov and Bakst). Graceful figure in the Art Nouveau style, with fast ekspromtnoy authors captured alive and expressive faces of contemporary artists.

the opening of the exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated catalog (State Hermitage Publishing House, 2012), author of the catalog and curator exhibition - Galina Mirolyubova, curator of leading researcher in the Department of History of Russian Culture in the State Hermitage Museum.

Source : hermitagemuseum.org