Society and Book Culture: Exhibition "Masterpieces of the livre d'artiste. Gift by Mark Bashmakov" was opened at the State Hermitage Museum

February 10, 2017 in the foyer of the Hermitage Theatre (the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg) was opened an exhibition-event "Masterpieces livre d'artiste. Gift by Mark Bashmakov". 

The French term livre d'artiste ("Artist's Book") belongs to rare editions, illustrated with engravings of outstanding masters of the XX century. Two large exhibition Livre d'artiste from the collection of Mark Bashmakova were held at the Hermitage in 2013 and 2015, they were followed by a series of exhibitions in the open in December 2015 the Cabinet of artist's books. Twenty editions of this collection became part of the Hermitage collection. 

The Hermitage collection of artist's books was developed in the 1960-1980s. It is based on books donated by Lydia Delectorskaya, Marc Chagall, Aimé and Adrian Maegami. Gift by Mark Bashmakov - the most significant replenishment of this collection for the last thirty years – it will become a new stage in its history. The museum was handed over the book by twenty artists representing different areas and, and different areas of creativity. This is classic art of the XX century, from Nabi and fauvism and surrealism to post-war abstraction. Sami books - classic examples livre d'artiste, which allows tracing the dotted line complex and varied development of this particular artistic phenomenon.   

Along with the new book masterpieces in the Hermitage collection there are also new names. Works by Braque, Miró, Juan Gris, Andre Masson, Max Ernst, Salvador Dali - artists not previously represented in the Hermitage, - will allow more widely showing the most important trends of XX century art. It is not only the replenishment of museum collections, but also the update of its exposition. A few months later the book was passed to Mark Bashmakov, it will take place in the Cabinet of the artist's book in the General Staff.

The exhibition is timed to the 80^th anniversary of Mark Ivanovich Bashmakov.