Exhibitions: The exposition "Russian religious art of XVIII - early XX century in the collection of the Radischev Museum" in Saratov

The exhibition "Russian religious art of XVIII - early XX centuries in the collection of the Radischev Museum" is opening on December 22, 2016 in the Radischev Saratov State Art Museum.

Religious art, playing a significant role in the cultural life of Russia and for centuries relied on the established technical and visual techniques, since the end of the XVII century is undergoing great changes. At this time the Russian architecture and religious paintings were marked by the influence of Western innovations. In the reign of Peter I's religious art loses its dominant position, and in the XVIII-XIX centuries already secular art has a strong influence on the further development of iconography. 

The exhibition includes works of famous Russian painters, representing academic religious painting at different stages of its development. Creativity of the Professor of the Imperial Academy of Arts F. A. Bruni presented one of the most popular of his paintings - "Agony in the Garden" (1830). Here you can see the sketch paintings by K. Bryullov "Jesus to the people" (1843-1847) for the St. Isaac's Cathedral; as well as the study of M. N. Nesterov to the song "The Way to Christ" (1908-1911), decorating the refectory in Moscow of Marfo-Mariininsky monastery. It occupies a special place in the exhibition icons, sketches and cartoons of V. M. Vasnetsov, which has had a huge impact on Russian religious art of the late XIX-early XX centuries. 

In parallel with the official religious art it was continued to exist a traditional iconography. Forgotten by Orthodox hierarchs it has become the lot of porters, painters from the suburbs and the individual monasteries. The exhibition displays works still occupying a leading position among Moscow masters, working in St. Petersburg icon painting school, established in the context of academic traditions, as well as more traditional in nature products of Vladimir iconic villages. A special place is occupied by icons of Saratov workshops. All these are different in nature monuments united by the desire to use elements of the existing stylistic directions. Moreover, a special love in the XVIII and XIX century used the Baroque style, in which painters found the forms and methods, reflecting more the attraction of religious art to the external beauty. 

Another interesting phenomenon was the Old Believers' icon. Visitors can get acquainted with samples of Saratov icon painting of the Old Believers and other centers of Russian church schism, such as branch (Gomel Province, Belarus), Starodub (Chernihiv province, Ukraine) Syzran (Samara Province) and others.

The invention of modern times has become a souvenir of a religious nature, being brought by pilgrims from the holy places. The museum collection has products of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra - carved wooden icons depicting revered Lavra saints, pearl shells with biblical scenes, brought from Mount Athos monasteries, miniature enamel products from Rostov the Great.

For a long time, the Russian art history left on the periphery of the attention the very existence of religious art of XVIII-XIX centuries. Now, with a special interest in this area it is being studied the Russian culture, more closely examined its artistic processes and features of development, exploring the forgotten monuments. The Radischev Museum exposes for the first time a number of works which for a long time were in the vaults. To carry out this ambitious project, many artifacts have along-term restoration.