Services of Russian emperors to be presented in the Hermitage – North-West |
St. Petersburg. 13th of January. INTERFAX NORTH-WEST – The Hermitage is opening an exhibition “Service Items of Russian Emperors of the 18th – Early 20th Centuries. A Gift from Mikhail Yurievich Karisalov,” the museum’s press service reports.
The exhibition presents 136 items from the sets of Russian emperors.
The museum collection was replenished with products from 12 imperial services created at the Imperial Porcelain Factory in St. Petersburg, at the Meissen and Berlin Porcelain Manufactories during the reigns from Elizabeth Petrovna to Nicholas II. Works of Russian and European porcelain previously adorned the highest tables, were stored in the Service pantry of the Winter Palace and other imperial residences, including the churches of Peterhof, Tsarskoe Selo, Gatchina.
the earliest exhibit is a plate from the Meissen St. Andrew’s Service (1744-1745), presented to the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna in 1745 by the Saxon Elector Friedrich August II (aka King August III of Poland) on the occasion of the marriage of Karl Peter Ulrich-Gottorp (I will be Russian Emperor Peter III) ) and the German princesses Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst (the future Russian Empress Catherine II).
This complex of infestations by Saxon, Berlin, Russians is more than a quarter of the 19th century, indicating that the set was in demand in the Russian court.
The Meissen Hunting Service, ordered by Catherine II as a gift for her beloved Count Orlov, corresponds to the finishing touches created at the Imperial Porcelain Factory in the 19th century during the arrival of Alexander II. Rocaille ensemble, historically assembled from European and Russian works, which are in the Gatchina Palace and are owned by representatives of the Russian imperial family.
Items of the Russian service with landscapes, flowers and roses at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries also echo the Rococo style.
In a rare way, it is a plate from the Yakhtinsky service (1785-1787), according to legend, made for the journey of Empress Catherine II in the Crimea in 1787. The mirror in the medallion depicts symbols of the might and prosperity of the Russian fleet: a double-headed eagle holding a laurel wreath and a flag with two crossed anchors in its paws.
This is the first of the Russian porcelain services, the very beginning of the dinnerware ensemble for the table decoration of imperial yachts already in the 19th study. Such porcelain complexes include the ceremonial service of the imperial yacht “Derzhava” (1871-1878), designed by the court architect, professor of the Imperial Academy of Arts Monighetti.
A large large complex of objects from the Daily Service (1780-1830s) with floral painting, which was in the everyday life of the Winter Cathedral from the time of the arrival of Catherine II and before the reign of Nicholas I. including large feasts.
Spectacularly presented Russian porcelain of the era of various styles of historicism. Thus, the direction of the XIX century depicted objects in the “Etruscan” style (1840s), the decoration of which is consistent with the decor of the Etruscan service (1844), intended for the Tsaritsyn pavilion in Peterhof. The painting of the products of this selection service is ancient Greek black-figure vase painting.
“The gift of Karisalov has replenished the main collection of imperial porcelain of the department of the history of Russian culture.” in Imperial Russia,” the museum notes.