World culture: The exhibition “Images of Italy” in Moscow

At the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery (Moscow) from April 16 to May 26, 2013 is held the exhibition “Images of Italy”.

The exhibition “Images of Italy” is dedicated to one of the most romantic themes in the history of Russian art - Russian foreign travels, artists, sculptors and architects. The exhibition includes architectural drawings, paintings and drawings by the best graduates of the Imperial Academy of Arts of the end of the XVIII end - the first half of the XX century, made in Italy.

At the Academy of Arts, from the very moment of its inception, there was a practice to send top graduates abroad to improve skills, giving them the pension. Young artists were sent, usually in Italy, where he made sketches, copies, and sending regular reports to St. Petersburg about an event, received further instructions. Originally the stay in Europe has lasted for three years, but from the XIX century, it has increased up to six years.

The program of study of the Imperial Academy of Arts provided copies of masterpieces of the “old masters” of the largest collections in Europe, which was implemented by the graduates during their travels.

The exposition gives a unique opportunity to learn about the priceless watercolors by Russian retired architects of the XIX - early XX centuries, which are rarely exhibited because of the specific storage conditions (long exposure to light may damage the product).

An extremely interesting section of the exhibition is projects of Russian pavilions in Italy. In 1911, according to the architect V. A. Schuko in the traditions of Russian classical pavilions were made at the international exhibitions in Rome and Turin. Architect A. V. Shchusev showed himself as a follower of the national style, creating the same year project hospices and the Church of St. Nicholas of Myra in Bari and the draft of the pavilion for the International Exhibition of 1914 in Venice.