Regions of Russia: “Hourglass: Joseph Brodsky’s drawings” exhibition in St. Petersburg

Within the framework of the “Year of Joseph Brodsky in Russia” on December 13 2010 in the main building of the National Library of Russia (NLR) (St. Petersburg) kicked off a unique exposition entitled “Hourglass: Joseph Brodsky’s drawings” timed to poet’s 70th birthday anniversary.

The exhibition puts on display unpublished paintings of Joseph Brodsky originating from his archives, stored at the NLR’s Manuscript Department, from the holdings of Anna Akhmatova Museum at the Fountain House, private archives and collections. The copies of drawings from the “American” part of Joseph Brodsky’s archive were provided for the exhibition by the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University (USA).

The images reflect another facet of Joseph Brodsky’s talent and provide an important source for study of his life and work. The exhibition also features autographs of poems and prose writings, diary pages, fragment of letters, poet’s photographs and his editions published in Russian, English and other languages.

The exhibition has been organized by the National Library of Russia with a support of the U.S. Consulate General in St. Petersburg, the Joseph Brodsky Museum Foundation, Anna Akhmatova Museum at the Fountain House, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of the Yale University, the Joseph Brodsky Trust Fund (USA), the “AVIT” St. Petersburg Art Center, “Zvezda” (“Star”) magazine and owners of private archives.

The exposition will be open up to December 31 and will become a logical conclusion of the “Year of Joseph Brodsky in Russia”.