History and culture: Exhibition “Merchant’s Portrait of the XVIII – early XX century from the collection of the Historical Museum” in Moscow

The exhibition “Merchant’s Portrait of the XVIII – early XX century from the collection of the Historical Museum. Painting. Daguerreotype. Photograph”.

The exhibition of portraits of merchants belonging to two collections of the museum's collection - a picturesque and daguerreotype, including early photographs, – is conceived as an attempt to take a fresh look at such difficultly defined historical and artistic phenomenon, as a portrait of the Third Estate of the old Russia for over two centuries. A unique collection enables us to trace the evolution of the genre from “merchant” portrait to portrait of a merchant, i. e. from costume and object image to a psychological portrait of a particular person, the Third Estate.

Portraits of merchants’ genus of the XVIII - early XIX century were ordered and executed, mainly for generic portrait galleries.

A painted portrait of the second half of the XIX - early XX century created not generic merchant gallery but a series of individual images that make up the new face class.

A the exhibition rare works of forgotten artists are side by side with the masterpieces of the acknowledged masters, together they provide an opportunity to feel the power of its amazing vitality personalities that have passed through three generations of a serf way - to the merchant, businessman, banker, collector, and finally - a patron and benefactor.