Museums of Russia: Renewed exposition of the 18th century art in the Tretyakov Gallery

15 November 2011 in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow opens a renewed exposition of the 18th century art. Unlike the last version of 1994, when the sculpture occupied a separate hall, today paintings and sculptures are displayed together. This traditional approach seems to be more organic and corresponds to the principle of ensemble characteristic for the 18th century art.

The first hall, devoted to the age of Peter I and the period of development of secular art in Russia, is marked with the rarest specimens of art of the time – two portraits by A. M. Matveev whose works are absent from the museum’s collections. The portrait of Prince I. A. Golitsyn (1728) and the portrait of Princess A. P. Golitsyn by A. M. Matveev were provided to the Tretyakov Gallery for a temporary storage by their current owner, painter I. I. Golitsyn. The exposition includes for the first time the gala portrait of the Peter’s I associate, participant of all his campaigns, Count G. P. Chernyshev (by unknown painter of the middle of the 18th century).

The main changes concern the second hall, the former hall of sculpture of the 18th century. Now that the sculpture is deconcentrated, visitors can see works by teachers of the Academy of Arts and those of their students.

The third hall features the art of the middle of the 18th century, the epoch of baroque and rococo. Here was transferred the works by I. Ya. Vishnyakov including the gala portrait of the Empress Elisabeth of Russia (1743).

The obvious advantage of the renewed exposition is the creation of the hall of F. S. Rokotov (1735?–1808). Now each of the three major portrait-painters of the 18th century - F. S. Rokotov, D. G. Levitsky and V. L. Borovikovsky – has his own monographic hall in the Tretyakov Gallery.

In comparison to the previous version, the new exposition of the 18th century art is structured more precisely in both chronological and historical aspects, while the dialogue of sculpture and painting which now occupy a single space, provides a real notion of the epoch.