The world's largest collection of Russian paintings - Russian Museum (paintings)

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:53

Initially, the Russian Museum, whose paintings represent the world's largest collection of Russian art, was conceived as a collection of works exclusively by Russian masters.

Idea

The museum was founded by the decree of Nicholas II in 1895, and the name was given to the "Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III". Why? Because the idea of its creation belonged to Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov, known for his patriotism. For this purpose, he decided to buy the Mikhailovsky Palace from the descendants of Mikhail Pavlovich Romanov, since the great-grandchildren of Paul I had long been citizens of Germany, and only real estate connected them with Russia. Alexander III died in 1894, and in 1895 Nicholas II, fulfilling the will of his father, bought a palace for the treasury and founded the Russian Museum there. The paintings for it were sourced from several Russian treasuries.

First deposits

The largest number of paintings were provided by the Russian Academy of Arts and the Hermitage, respectively 122 and 80 paintings. 95 works were received from the Winter Palace and two suburban palaces (Gatchinsky and Alexandrovsky). Russianthe museum, whose paintings at the time of opening in total amounted to 445 pieces, received 148 paintings from private collections. The largest receipts were provided by the descendants of A. B. Lobanov-Rostovsky, a Russian diplomat whose princely family descended from the Rurikovichs, and M. K. Tenisheva, a patroness princess who herself was an enamel artist. The idea of creating a museum of Russian art appealed to art lovers so much that over the 10 years of its existence, the collection has doubled. The funds were replenished both at the expense of funds allocated by the treasury for these purposes, and at the expense of donations.

Beloved in every government

In the first post-revolutionary years, the museum's funds grew rapidly due to nationalized private collections. The Russian Museum received paintings in large quantities thanks to the activities of the State Museum Fund that existed from 1921 to 1928. So, in 1925, there were already 3648 paintings in the museum's collection. It should be noted that during the years of the war and the blockade, not a single copy of the museum was damaged from those stored in the basements and from more than 7.5 thousand paintings taken to Perm.

For all the years of its existence, it is the Russian Museum that has been especially loved by the inhabitants of the city on the Neva. St. Petersburg has always collected the best paintings in its world-famous galleries. He could afford it, being the capital of a huge rich empire. The Hermitage is included in the top 10 museums in the world. But the complex, the main building of which is located in the very center of the Northern capital, onembankment of the Griboyedov Canal, building 2, is not deprived of either world fame and attention, or the love of all Russians.

Legendary treasure chest

Russian Museum what paintings make so famous? From the moment of its opening in March 1898 to the present day, it is based on the first receipts. Of the masterpieces of the Hermitage, the works of Karl Bryullov, I. I. Ivanov, F. A. Bruni and I. K. Aivazovsky can be especially distinguished. Treasures such as "The Last Day of Pompeii" or "The Ninth Wave" can only dream of the world's treasures of painting.

The immortal canvases of Argunov and Levitsky, Venetsianov and Kiprensky, Tropinin and Fedotov came from the Academy of Arts. There is no Russian painter whose works the Russian Museum would not possess. Aivazovsky, whose paintings are collected in room number 9, is one of the main authors of the collection of works.

Aivazovsky is one of the main pearls in the crown

Among the paintings of the world-famous marine painter in the collection of the Russian Museum there is also a canvas depicting Judas at the moment of his betrayal of Christ. There is a very beautiful windmill, there is an amazing view of Vesuvius. But, of course, the most beautiful are his canvases dedicated to the sea: both the B altic and the Mediterranean. At any time of the day: both in the moonlight and in the bright blinding sun - the Aivazovsky sea is beautiful. The Russian Museum has a wonderful selection of his works: the ocean, both in a storm and in complete calm, ships sinking, in distress and proudly standing in the roadstead, lonely schooners and entire squadrons, twenty-gunships and fishing boats - Aivazovsky's marinas are unique, inimitable, delightful, there are many of them. Separately, we can talk about sails illuminated by the sun from different sides, near and on the horizon.

The pinnacle of creativity

In total, the Russian Museum has more than 20 paintings by this brilliant artist, known for his great heritage. The Museum of St. Petersburg has the "Ninth Wave". The legendary canvas, painted in 1850, is the most famous painting by this artist.

One of the most popular paintings in Russian painting, which is even called mystical, prompted more than one poet, both domestic and foreign, to write poetry. Baratynsky's poems written under the influence of this masterpiece are especially popular. The poet dedicates the following lines to the raging ocean: “… the earth trembles before him, he covered the sky with huge wings …”