The Room of Russian Sculpture
Luigi Premazzi
1854
Watercolour
Ancient Greek Art and Culture of the 8th - 2nd century
Hall 111
Photo 2022
Throughout his reign Nicholas I did all he could to encourage the development of national sculpture and placed Russian sculptors on a par with foreigners. In the early 1850s visitors strolling through the lower floor of the New Hermitage could admire the works of contemporary Russian sculptors Stavasser, Kozlovsky, Orlovsky, Ivanov, Klimchenko, Vitaly and Halberg displayed in a room with walls of an intensive shade of red. The original plan called for the sculpture to be placed in another room where the vaults were decorated with medallions bearing profiles of Russian sculptors. In 1849, however, a huge vase was installed there, leaving practically no room for large marble statues that needed to be viewed from all sides. Consequently the Emperor gave orders for the sculpture to be moved to the room formerly intended for Voltaire's library.