British Art Treasures from The Hermitage

NEW HAVEN, CONN. -- The first major traveling exhibition of British art drawn exclusively from the collection of the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia, is at the Yale Center for British Art through January 5.

"British Art Treasures from Russian Imperial Collections in the Hermitage" coincides with the bicentenary of the death of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia from 1762-1796, whose enthusiasm for British art stimulated the interest of Russian collectors during the Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Centuries. Many of the items on display are seen for the first time outside St Petersburg and include paintings by Van Dyck, Reynolds, Lawrence, Wright of Derby, among other artists; sculpture; silver; ceramics and engraved gems.

During Empress Catherine's reign and that of her successors, the Emperors Paul and Alexander, Russia was brought to a new peak of European power and influence. "British Art Treasures from Russian Imperial Collections in the Hermitage" provides a spectacular opportunity for the viewer to witness and better understand the westernization of Russian culture in the late Eighteenth Century.

"British Art Treasures from Russian Imperial Collections in the Hermitage" examines the interest in British art and culture at the Imperial Russian court. Approximately 160 objects have been chosen for the exhibition, including important paintings by Sir Anthony Van Dyck that had been in the collection of former British Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole at Houghton Hall.

The Empress Catherine's purchase of the Houghton collection in 1779 was extremely controversial; unsuccessful attempts were made to persuade the British government to save it for the nation.

Other significant paintings on display include "The Continence of Scipio" by Sir Joshua Reynolds; "La Girandola, Castel S. Angelo" and "The Iron Forge" by Joseph Wright of Derby; and portraits of Count Simon Vorontzov and Count Mikhail Vorontzov by Sir Thomas Lawrence.

In addition to paintings, the exhibition offers a look at the Hermitage's superb collections of British decorative arts. Foremost among these are two spectacular wine coolers: Charles Kandler's so-called "Jerningham" cooler, one of the largest and most magnificent pieces of English rococo silver and Philip Rollos's more restrained but equally impressive wine cooler with lion handles. Pieces by other prominent silversmiths such as Augustine Courtauld, Paul de Lamerie, and Nicholas Sprimont complete an outstanding display of silver. Watches, clocks, and snuff boxes encrusted with precious stones are also on view.

Among the most famous objects of British arts in the Hermitage is the dinner service made for the Empress Catherine's Chesmensky Palace by Josiah Wedgwood in the 1770s. Most of the original 952 pieces survive. A representative group of 20 pieces with views of British houses and gardens are a highlight. Also showcased is a group of plaques and medallions from Wedgwood's factory. These cameo-like objects appealed to collectors of gems and engraved stones. The Empress Catherine's enthusiasm for the work of the intaglio engravers Charles and William Brown led her to virtually monopolize their output, with the result that few museums elsewhere contain examples. Approximately 15 of these engraved gemstones are featured.

As a final highlight, the architectural drawings for the Imperial Palace at Tsarskoe Selo by Charles Cameron and William Hastie are on view.

Dr Brian Allen, director of studies at the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, London, curated the show. "A number of the spectacular objects in this exhibition have rarely, if ever, been on view even at the Hermitage," he notes. "And this exhibition provides a unique opportunity for the American public to examine a remarkable but comparatively unexplored area of Anglo-Russian cultural relations."

A fully illustrated catalogue with essays by an international team of scholars from Britain in collaboration with Hermitage curators provides a permanent and definitive guide to the exhibition. The catalogue, published by Yale University Press, is available in the center's museum shop.

After its run at the Yale Center, the exhibition will be on view at the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio, from February 13 through May 11. It will then travel to the Saint Louis Art Museum in St Louis, Missouri, where it will be on display from June 27 through September 7.

The Yale Center for British Art is at 1080 Chapel Street at the corner of High Street in New Haven. It is open from 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday and from 12 to 5 pm Sunday.