OUTSTANDING MUSEUMS OF THE WORLD Hermitage History

OUTSTANDING MUSEUMS OF THE WORLD Hermitage

History of Hermitage The State Hermitage Museum — one of the largest and most significant art and historical museums in Russia and abroad. Located in St. Petersburg. The history of the museum began with a collection of works of art, acquired in private Russian Empress Catherine II

Hermitage originated in 1764 as a private collection of Catherine II, after it was transferred from Berlin 317 valuable paintings. Among them were paintings by such masters as Dirck van Baburen, Hendrick van Balen, Rembrandt van Rijn, Peter Paul Rubens, Jacob Jordaens, Anthony van Dyck, Hendrik Goltzius, Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Gerard van Honthorst and other works

Until the middle of the XIX century to visit the museum could only be elected. Hermitage was opened to the public during the reign of Nicholas I in 1852 in a specially constructed for this purpose in the New Hermitage building

After the fall of the imperial power Hermitage greatly enriched by the nationalized private collections. If before the revolution in the museum were presented only the work of the old masters, performed no later than the XVIII century, it is now the chronological framework of the collection increased significantly due to the works of the Impressionists and other artists of the new directions.

Immediately after the fall of the «Iron Curtain» was the first Russian Hermitage Museum announced that it kept the vaults «trophy» of the work of the Impressionists and Neo-Impressionists, who since the end of the war were considered lost. Among them — not previously presented in St. Petersburg for its picturesque works of Daumier, Manet, Seurat, and Toulouse-Lautrec.

Famous exhibits of the Hermitage «Benois Madonna“ — early painting by Leonardo da Vinci, supposedly remained unfinished. Da Vinci depicts the Madonna and Child in half black room where the only light source is located in the back of a double window.

«The Return of the Prodigal Son» by Rembrandt — This is the largest Rembrandt on religious topics. The painting depicts the final episode of the parable, when the prodigal son returns home, «and when he was still far away, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him «and his older brother, remained with his father was angry and would not go.

» Lady in Blue» — portrait of the English painter Thomas Gainsborough. Written in the late 1770 s — early 1780 s. The portrait depicts Elizabeth daughter of Admiral Boskauena in marriage Duchess of Beaufort