Opening of the exhibition Images of Italy. Western European Paintings of the 17th - 19th Centuries from the State Hermitage Collection in the State Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Preserve of History, Architecture and Art

5 February, 2010 a new exhibition Images of Italy. Western European Paintings of the 17th - 19th Centuries from the State Hermitage Collection was opened at the State Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Preserve of History, Architecture and Art.

The exhibition includes fifty works united by one subject: art of Italian masters and painters of other European schools inspired by Italy. Both paintings demonstrating Italian influence on European painting as a whole and the most typical examples of various genres, in which the influence is the most tangible, are exhibited here.

Italian landscape is presented diversely. Here there are urban, and rural, and seaside views. One of the most impressive and original Dutch representatives of that genre was Nicolaes Berchem (1620 - 1683), who became famous for his numerous images of Italian nature. Quite often Berchem also referred to mythological subjects, Sheppard’s Scene. Education of Jupiter (1670s) can serve as an example of that. Crowded urban scenes popular in the 17th century are illustrated by the work of Johannes Lingelbach (1623/1624 - 1674), The Market Square, a wonderful composition by Oswald Achenbach (1827 - 1905), Fireworks in Naples, canvas by Angelo Inganni (1807 -1880), Milan Cathedral Square, and by the painting of a famous Flemish genre painter Jan Miel (1599 (?) - 1664), Charlatan, and views of Palermo painted by Teodoro Duclere (1815 - 1869).

Beauty of Italian nature is celebrated by peculiar rural pastoral idylls, numerous views of gulfs, bays and harbours. Together with images of country villas and palaces with waterfalls and parks they were extremely popular in the 17th - 19th centuries. Such landscapes were created by many painters; among them there are world famous painters, such as Hubert Robert (1733 - 1808), Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714 - 1789), Claude Lorrain (1600 - 1682), Jacob Philippe Hackert (1737 - 1807), Gaspar Duge (1615 - 1675), whose art is represented at the exhibition by works that characterize their creative work in the most impressive way.

Urban views and architectural (exterior view of buildings and interiors) genres glorified perfection of architecture; beauty of symmetry, harmony. Monuments, churches, palaces became 'characters' of urban views. 'Veduta' ('view', 'point of view' from Italian) appeared as a sub-type of that genre and was oriented towards the tastes of numerous travellers who wished to purchase small-size paintings depicting urban sights as a remembrance of Italy. The main principles of 'veduta' were developed in Rome and then at the end of the 17th century its traditions were transferred to fertile Venetian ground. The View of the Bacino di San Marco in Venice, - depiction of water transport that united the most famous monuments of the city, - painted by Bernardo Kanale (1664 - 1744), the father of the outstanding master of Venetian veduta Antonio Kanale, can serve as an example of such type of landscape.

In the painting by Anselmo Gianfanti (1857 - 1903) In the Church of Santa Maria della Pace, the painter showed a part of interior of the church built by Pietro da Cortona with magnificent chapel decorated with famous reliefs by turning it into a peculiar background for a poor girl that touches by her ingeniousness and sincere openness.

Views of Venetian lagoon, sketches of urban and rural life scenes brought fame to Mose di Giosue Bianchi (1840 - 1904). A Woman with a Jug painting, filled with air and light, is one of the best works of a kind by the master.

A totally special role of Italy in the history of art was reflected in the enormous influence that Italian masters exerted on painting of practically all European countries as well as in the existence of Italian colonies of painters in the 17th century - Dutch and German in Rome, English in Venice, French and Flemish in Genoa. Desire for learning the basis of painting or its improvement was always overwhelmingly attracting Europeans to Italy.

The exhibition is accompanied by scientific wonderfully illustrated catalogue (Slavia Publishing House, St Petersburg, 2010). The authors of the introductory articles are Alisa Aksenova, the Director of the State Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Preserve of History, Architecture and Art, Vladimir Matveev, the Deputy Director of the State Hermitage, and Sergey Androsov, the Head of the Department of Western European Art.

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Vladimir Matveev, the Deputy Director of the State Hermitage, Maria Garlova, the Head Curator of the Department of Western European Art, Alisa Aksenova, the Director General of the State Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Preserve of History, Architecture and Art at the opening ceremony

Ludmila Torshina, the Head of the Department for Special Programmes of Scientific and Educational Sector

At the opening ceremony of the exhibition in Vladimir