Landmarks

Section Leader - Svetlana Borisovna Esman, Researcher, State Hermitage

The name of our section is 'Landmarks,' by which we mean landmarks in the history of art or 'the nearly universal history of art'. As you can appreciate, this topic is inexhaustible. Our program reckons on participation for 5-6 years or longer. You can join our section at any moment. Why? Because our study of art history does not follow any strict academic program that would take chronology from ancient times to our day. After all in art the concept of 'past and future' is not understood in the usual sense of these words. The main subject and the actor in art is man in all of his manifestations. On the one hand man is constantly changing with the passage of time. But on the other hand many of his features and qualities remain unchanged. Art also is constantly changing: we can discern different ages, periods, styles. Prehistoric art, Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the 20th century - all of the works of art from these different periods are so dissimilar at first view, but at the same time they have so much in common. Our goal is to find these common features and to try to understand the reasons for this commonality.

We began our activities in the traditions of prehistoric art, then bypassing all the later ages went straight to modern art. Even periods that are so far removed from one another have much in common. The great works of distant centuries can move contemporary man. New art does not cancel out the creations of the past.

We have spent much time on the art of the 17th century, the golden age of European art.

This is the age of Rubens, Rembrandt, Velasquez, Poussin, the age of the Baroque and Classicism. During this age the historical precursors of the 20th century were laid down and here again we will try to find links between the different periods.

Part of our program takes place in the rooms of the Hermitage, part in the premises of the Student Club. The format of our studies is very diverse and includes slide lectures, conversations, seminars, and meetings with interesting people.

We try not to miss a single temporary exhibition in the Hermitage. The task of the Student Club is not only to acquire new knowledge, but to find friends and like-minded people. We love to travel and we have gone to Staraya Ladoga and Vyborg. We dream of new trips. We will be pleased to see old and new friends.

Course work in the museum halls

Standing before a painting by Rembrandt