The Hermitage

Artikelnummer 10125579

305 plates 107 in colour. About this Book Some of the world's greatest paintings are to be seen in the Hermitage in Leningrad, a city to which few Western art-lovers are able to travel. The nucleus of the collection, already remarkable, was formed in the Winter Palace of St Petersburg, as it then was, from which it was transferred in 1767 to the present gallery. The gallery's contents were continually increased, notably in 1779 by the addition of Sir Robert Walpole's collection. Thus one of the finest selections of English painting exists there, in addition to the many masterpieces by Giorgione, Leonardo, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian and Velazquez. After the Revolution the collection continued to expand until it now contains what is probably the most representative and the largest group of French Impressionist paintings outside Paris or the United States. This book (now in print once more) presents a full survey of the Hermitage collection. The text and the extensive notes which accompany the illustrations (of which there are over 300) have been written by a distinguished French art historian. 'A revelation. Few art lovers can have any idea of the magnificence of the treasures of Leningrad's famous museum—especially the sensational wealth of Impressionists.' THE EVENING STANDARD 'This account of the great collection of paintings in the Hermitage is excellently and profusely illustrated with its masterpieces old and modern. M. Descargues gives an admirable survey of the gallery's evolution and the individual pictures are discussed at length.' THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT 'Here the gems of a collection unknown at first hand beyond Russia are reproduced in splendid colour plates, fully annotated. Text is brilliant in its exposition of the history of regal collection and communist expropriation which sees Leningrad endowed beyond compare.' THE STUDIO CONTENTS THE HERMITAGE TODAY PETER THE GREAT CATHERINE THE GREAT AFTER CATHERINE THE GREAT THE PLATES THE PICTURES IN MONOCHROME LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS INDEX OF NAMES