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The presentation of the new purchases of the State Hermitage
30 December 2009, the exhibition of new acquisitions of the State Hermitage
took place at the Pavilion Hall of the Small Hermitage.
On one of the last days of December by well-established tradition the State
Hermitage presents the most interesting exhibits that have been
granted to the museum in the departing year.
Three graphic sheets by Yury Felten became a very important acquisition
- The Main Facade of the Northern Pavilion of the Small
Hermitage, The Northern Pavilion of the Small Hermitage.
The Vertical Section and The Dressing Room - One of the Banya
Premises of Catherine II in the Winter Palace
(all dated 1760 - 1770-s; paper, Indian ink, watercolours).
This gift was presented by the head of Yantarny Dom (Amber
House) LLC Evgeny Tatuzov. The sheets with images of the Dressing
Room interior of Empress Catherine II and of the section
of the building on which it is possible to see
the tables with elevating mechanisms are of special
interest.
On December 2009 the Hermitage purchased a unique collection of the 19th century
graphic works from Maurice Baruch, that owns one of the renowned
collections of Russian art. The collection was presented at the Hermitage
press conference on December 25.
On the same day the journalists could also see splendid gifts presented
by Mr. Maurice Baruch to the museum. A magnificent portrait of Grand Duchess
Nadezhda Petrovna (1898 - 1988), the daughter of Grand Duke Pyotr Nikolaevich,
and of Grand Duchess Militsa Nikolaevna (paper, pencil, sanguine, chalk,
charcoal) painted by the painter, famous on the West, Saveliy Sorin (1878
- 1953), the student of Ilya Repin. The portrayed was painted in 1917
on the occasion of the wedding of Nadezhda Petrovna and Duke Vladimir
Orlov.
Two oval plaques of the second half of the 18th century are precious
examples of Russian applied art. One of them, performed by the unknown
artist with bone carving technique after the medal of I. Vekhter, depicts
Empress Catherine II like Minerva. Profile bust at the bottom part has
an open-worked through framing of rococo volutes that is typical of Kholmogory
school of carving. The second plaque is carved from amber. This is a profile
of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna dressed in a gown with an order ribbon and in a small
Imperial Crown. The work relates to St Petersburg school of miniature
plastic art and copies the bronze medallion by Johann Carl Hedlinger.
Portraits on amber plaques are extremely rare that is why this particular
plaque is of extraordinary scientific interest in both iconographic and artistic senses.
One more gift of Maurice Baruch to the Hermitage was a peculiar
album in paperback, on the cover of which it is written
in ink Theatre de l'Hermitage a St Petersbourg,
with printed text, that, without doubt, belonged to Giacomo
Quarenghi, and that contains several engravings depicting interior
andvexterior of the Hermitage Theatre.
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Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage,
at the opening
At the exhibition
First visitors
Portrait of Grand Duchess Nadezhda Petrovna (1898 -
1988), the daughter of Grand Duke Pyotr Nikolaevich
Saveliy Sorin
Larger view
The Small Hermitage
Architectural drawing by Yury Felten
Larger view
Architectural drawing of the Dressing Room
interior of Empress Catherine II by Yury Felten
Larger view
Architectural drawing by Yury Felten representing
tables with elevating mechanisms
Larger view
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