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Fecit ad vivum. Portraits
of Artists in the West European Engravings of the XVI-XVIII Centuries
14 July 2009, Portraits of Artists in West-European Engraving of 16th
- 18th centuries exhibition opened in the Twelve-Column Room. The exhibition
presents 100 works of art from the museum collection most of which are
exhibited for the first time. Such wide chronological framework is determined
by the time of the highest popularity of this genre, the brightest and the most
productive period. In the course of common evolution of European
art indications of all stylistic trends were naturally reflected in both
engraved and pictorial portrait. United by single criteria of European
aesthetics portrait is endowed with features of national school less than
other arts.
Collections that arrived to the Imperial Hermitage as far back as during
the reign of Empress Catherine II form the basis of the collection of West-European
engraving. In 1919 that collection was significantly replenished
with the most valuable collection of famous numismatist J. B. Iversen.
Together with other major pre-revolutionary acquisitions and nationalized
private collections that were joined later portrait part of the engraving
study room numbers approximately 65,000 of sheets at present and represents
one of the largest collections of such art in the world.
Gallery of self-portraits and portraits of artists, sculptors, engravers
is extremely extensive. From the beginning of the 16th century engraved
portrait as production form of art provided fame and confirmed prestige
of the depicted person, stimulated interest towards him or her. Portrait
genre was developing in the general context of art whereas portrait of an artist
corresponded to rather free scheme of portrayal dependent on a specific
type of private portrait to which portrayals of scientists,
literary men, musicians applied by rendering with informal intimacy and incomparably
wider range of stylistic potentials. Frequently this is a so-called
psychological portrait one of the main signs of which is its
emotional tinge. Very often such portraits are supplemented with attributes
corresponding to a form of activity of the model. Portrayal of an architect
is often accompanied with a pair of compasses, a setsquare and a scroll
with structure plan; portrayal of a painter - with a palette and brushes
or an easel; portrayal of an engraver - with a chisel and a printing plate.
There are no graphic means that allow telling more about a person than
what is "told" by his appearance without resorting to inscriptions.
Attributes that distinguish professional identity of the depicted person
naturally transformed into symbolic signs. If a painter presented in the portrait
was fond of fluting, was avid for hunting or reading it could
have been reflected without any special predicaments. There is a guitar
in the portrait of Jean-Batiste Oudry, published music in the portrait
of Jan Kupecky, viola da gamba in the portrait of David Teniers Junior,
books in the portrait of Quentin de La Tour. Such "information"
was skilfully "interweaved" with decor of framing in addition
to allegoric figures praising the model. This was the time of brilliant
artistic and technical achievements when portrait genre was given an extremely
important place. It was then when engraved portrait acquired its characteristic
framing imitating a stone niche or a slab with cracks and splits off.
Such element was called upon for emphasizing idea of making the portrait
unforgettable and immortal. Still there is no respectful attitude towards
the painter himself that shall appear in the portraits of the 17th century
and reach its peak in the 18th century.
Improved techniques of engraving in the 18th century roused aspiration
for coming nearer to painting effects. Aesthetics of appearance, elegance
of gesture, of pleasant face expression, of refined and somewhat slipshod
dress began to predominate. Art forms more and more important element
in life of society. Artists earn good money by getting profitable orders;
prestige of profession is enhanced. It is obvious in self-portraits that
unquestionably reflect growing self-esteem. They are elegant, eager to have
respectable life, luxury apartments, servants, carriages, participate
in high life where refined discourse, education and good manners are valued.
The exhibition curator is Niele Masjulionite, senior researcher of the Department
of West-European Art of the State Hermitage. The exhibition
is accompanied by a fully illustrated scientific catalogued (The State
Hermitage Publishing House, 2009), the author of the catalogue is Niele
Masjulionite.
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Vladimir Matveev, Deputy Director of the State Hermitage
Niele Masjulionite, exhibition curator, and Vladimir Matveev, Deputy Director
of the State Hermitage
Niele Masjulionite, exhibition curator
At the exhibition in the Twelve-Column Room
First visitors
Catalogue of the exhibition
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