Images of Italy: Painting and Sculpture from the 17th-19th centuries from the State Hermitage Museum Collection
13 November 2007 - 17 February 2008

The exhibition Images of Italy at Lipetsk Regional Picture Gallery continues the tradition of acquainting Russian citizens with masterpieces from the State Hermitage Museum. The exhibition displays the best works, characterizing the Italian influence on European landscape painting as a whole and more typical examples of different genres, where this influence is most perceptible. The exhibition is unique in that it includes not only works of art which are on permanent display but also those held at the State Hermitage Museum but not usually on display for viewing.

The exposition includes approximately fifty landscape paintings and also five sculptures.
Viewers can become acquainted with such phenomenon as Italian landscapes in Dutch painting in an example of one of the most colourful representatives of this school Nicolaes Berchem. The popular 17th century genre of crowded cityscapes is illustrated at the exhibition by the work of Johannes Lingelbach, one of the most famous Dutch artists of the 17th century.

At the exhibition farm and shore scenes are displayed from world famous masters of the genre, such as: Hubert Robert, Claude Joseph Vernet, Claude Lorrain, Jacob Philipp Hackert, and also Gaspard Dughet.

Cityscapes and architecture are represented by two paintings by Giovanni Paolo Panini.

The veduta genre (from Italian meaning 'view', 'point of view') is represented by the works of Luca Carlevaris, which have survived since the end of the 17th century, the traditional historical period of this genre, developed by Roman artists on Venetian soil.

At the exposition there are also works by Roberto Fontana, Filippo Monteverde and Mose di Giosue Bianchi.

In the exhibition catalogue, compiled by leading specialists of the Department of Western European Art of the State Hermitage Museum, the truly hypnotizing role that Italy has played in the history of art is noted - it is reflected in Italian colonies of artists in the 18th century: Dutch and German in Rome, English colonies in Venice, French and Flemish colonies in Genoa. The desire to learn the fundamentals of painting or master her elements irresistibly drew artists to Italy. In its turn, Italian artists studied in the north: genre paintings and still lives...

For the exhibition a colour, illustrated catalogue has been prepared (Slavia Press, St. Petersburg, 2007). The authors of the catalogue's articles are: S.Î. Androsov, head of the Department for Western European Art and I.A. Sokolova chief scientific researcher at the Department of Western European Art. The curator of the exhibition is S.A. Stroganov, a senior scientific researcher at the Department of Western European Art of the State Hermitage Museum.

Milan Cathedral Square
Angelo Inganni
Larger view

Fountain at St Peter's Cathedral in Rome
Lèon Joseph Florentin Bonnat
Larger view

Lessons in Astronomy
Giuseppe Angeli
Larger view

Church of S. Maria della Pace
Anselmo Gianfanti
Larger view

Palermo. Pretoria Fountain
Teodoro Duclere
Larger view

Woman's Portrait
Roberto Fontana
Larger view