Museum Hermitage Biography

History of the Hermitage Type of the Winter Palace of Hermitage Paper, lithography, watercolor, author - Ferdinand Victor Perra, unlike many other museums, the creation of which stretched for many years, can easily answer the question “How old is the state Hermitage? It was founded and opened in the year, that is, he celebrated his summer anniversary in the year.

The architect of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg is Francesco Rastrelli, it was he who built the main building of the museum-the Winter Palace. The foundation of the Hermitage was originally the Imperial Museum of the Hermitage Museum was a private collection of Catherine II, because the Empress needed a place to store paintings transferred from Berlin with particular value. The collection of painting was estimated at thousands of thalers, and 1 thaler consisted of 26 grams of silver.

The collection of the Empress was transferred by Johann Ernest Gotskovsky, at the expense of his duty, which was formed due to his unsuccessful attempts to supply grain for the Russian army. The conveyed collection of paintings included canvases of eminent artists, such as Rembrandt and Rubens, as well as other masters. Now 96 canvases are left from the initial collection in the Hermitage.

Initially, they were exhibited in the secluded rooms of the palace - small Hermitage. The author’s project of the facade of the Winter Palace of the Hermitage Rastrelli, Bartolomeo Francesco in the year the Hermitage collection included more than 5 drawings, which belonged to the Austrian diplomat. It included, among other things, Jean Fouquet’s work - this acquisition helped the development of graphic exhibits.

In the year, Prince Beloselsky-Belozersky helped to acquire a meeting of paintings belonging to the Minister of the Polish King.

It consisted of paintings, including the collection of Titian's work. In the year, Empress Catherine, with the help of Prince Golitsyn, acquired in France a collection of paintings by Baron Pierre Croses. This was one of the best collections of painting in Paris. In the year, the Hermitage collection expanded again. A meeting of painting belonging to the British Prime Minister was acquired.

This helped add several more masterpieces of Rembrandt and Van Dyck to the exposition. And in the year in Paris a collection belonging to Count Baudouin, which included paintings by the same artists, was acquired. After the Hermitage, ancient sculptures, including the created Michelangelo, were added to the Hermitage. A few years after the opening of the museum, it becomes clear that the building does not hold all the acquisitions.

And in the year the construction of a large Hermitage begins. By the year, the collection of paintings by Catherine II had works. So the Empress managed to collect a unique collection of painting, although before her reign in the country there was not a single significant gallery. Krendovsky E. Subsequent Russian emperors supported the IX case begun by Catherine. Alexander I and Nicholas I bought not only large collections of painting, but also individual works of artists who had not previously been presented in the Hermitage.

The canvases presented to the emperors as a gift were also often sent to the museum meeting. Before the reign of Nicholas I, the Hermitage was a private imperial museum. He translated him into public status, enabled a large number of people to touch art. Prior to this, even eminent personalities, as Alexander Pushkin could not enter the Hermitage at their request. In the year, the building of the new Hermitage was opened, which was built specifically for the opening of the public museum.

By the year, more than 50 thousand people visited exhibition halls every year. The emperor also actively acquired artistic values ​​around the world. Unfortunately, most of the most important of them were sold in the United States by Soviet power. New Hermitage from Millionnaya Street Aquarel. Sadovnikov V. had a special influence on the museum by Andrei Ivanovich Somov, working as a keeper of paintings and drawings, and after an Hermitage increased to the senior keeper.

He worked for the benefit of art for 22 years, and laid the foundation for a new page in the history of Russian art history. Andrei Ivanovich investigated and cataloged painting and drawings, replenished the storage facilities, buying and accepting a meeting of Russian collectors and museums as a gift. Somov published the catalog of the "Picture Gallery of the Hermitage". In the year, the part of the collection, which consisted of their work of Russian masters, was transferred to the Russian Museum.

Soon, the Hermitage entered exhibits from archaeological excavations, thanks to which it was possible to enrich the thematic department. Towards the end of the 19th century, thousands of canvases were stored in the Hermitage, and it was rightfully considered the center of Russian art history. However, as soon as a scientific approach arose, many errors were revealed.

For example, many paintings by Rafael or Leonardo da Vinci, who the emperor acquired for a lot of money, turned out to be the work of their students. The Hermitage after the revolution of the year and during the war, the Winter Palace of the Hermitage, a stamp room. The collection of museums was quickly replenished with valuable works removed from private collections and became folk property.

From the Winter Palace, interior items and imperial gifts were transferred to the museum. In the year, Chinese silver iambes appeared in the museum - they saved N.After - it was replenished with the work of other artists, paintings by Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso and others appeared. But at the same time, the meeting was not only replenished, but also exported. For example, the diamond room was transferred to the Kremlin, and some work of the old masters, like Rubens, Rembrandt, Titian and others, were transferred to the Museum of Fine Arts.

The Soviet government actively made sales at the end of the 10th and early X years. 48 world masterpieces were sold, which were taken out by their Russia. Among them was the only painting by Van Eke, the personal belongings of Raphael and Botticelli. As soon as the museum workers became aware of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War - the evacuation of values ​​to the Urals began.

More than 1.2 million exhibits were taken to Sverdlovsk, now - Yekaterinburg. The basements of the Hermitage became bomb shelters, but employees did not cease to engage in scientific activities, and sometimes even led lectures on art criticism. The museum halls began to be restored before the end of the war, and immediately after its completion - to return the exhibits.

Thanks to the feat of Hermitage workers during the war years, not a single value was lost, but some required restoration. Soon the museum again opened the doors for visitors. After the war, the Hermitage collection was replenished with trophies from the Berlin museums. In the year, values ​​were returned to the capital of Germany. The modern period in the history of the Hermitage, as soon as the iron curtain, the Hermitage, the first of the museums of Russia fell, announced that in its storage there are trophy works of art, which were considered lost during the war.

They replenished the constant exposition of the museum. In the post -Soviet period, the museum was actively acquired by objects of art of the 20th century. So in the exhibition halls the works of Utrillo, Sutin, Ruo and others appeared. Prior to this, none of the paintings of these authors was presented in Russian museums. In the year, one of Malevich’s painting “Black Square” appeared in the exposition, and 4 years later a project started aimed at the acquisition of contemporary art.

In the year, the exhibit was found. All of them were small: jewelry, icons, cutlery and dishes. A press conference was convened for the theft. It turned out that the theft was carried out by one of the employees, along with the family. Shortly before they discovered the fact of the loss, she died. The stolen things were returned only partially. There is even to spend only 1 minute on an inspection of each exhibit, it will take 7 years without sleep and rest to see all the treasures of the museum.

Therefore, it is better to first familiarize yourself with the exhibitions, and choose the tour route based on your own interests. Before visiting, read what is in the state Hermitage and in which building. Small Hermitage Small Hermitage is connected by the transition with the Winter Palace, it has a platform where the mosaics and reliefs of ancient Rome are exhibited.

This transition is named after the architect Alexander Sivkov, who united buildings into one museum. In the small Hermitage, you can see copies of the Bakhchisarai fountain, many mosaics and the famous Pavlin watches made by English masters in the XVIII century and still working. The old large Hermitage is a separate exhibit of the old Hermitage - a staircase connecting the first and second floor.

It was made in the 19th century from white and pink marble, and was installed on the site of the oval hall, from which only the ceiling with the goddess Minerva remained to date. The building of the old Hermitage is much smaller than the new and winter palace. But no less valuable exhibits are stored here, for example, guests can see the art of the Renaissance, including frescoes and reliefs made by Antonio Rosselino, Sandro Botticelli, Tintoretto and others.

A separate hall is dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci. Another hall demonstrates Titian's work. The new Hermitage on the ground floor of the new Hermitage exhibition of ancient art is designed. Special attention deserves the decoration of museum halls: walls, ceilings and parquet are decorated with mosaics and medallions. The main staircase made of white marble, which is surrounded by columns from granite, leads to them.

In one of the halls you can see the oldest finds. There is also a hall of a large vase, named after the main exhibit. This is a tona Kolyvan vase carved from a green-gray jasper per year. The walls have sculptures from marble of the era of the reign of Trajan. The ancient courtyard reproduces the decoration of the houses of rich Romans and Greeks, and copies of the works of famous Greek sculptors and original vases are shown in the halls.

The second floor of the new Hermitage stores the collection of painting.