From Library Journal
The descent of the Iron Curtain and the subsequent chill on relaxed cultural relations with Russia has left us without a clear view of the entire spectrum of Russian art through history. Although the Hermitage and the Tretyakov Gallery are familiar to some, the huge Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, with its 40,000 works of art, is terra incognita. Housed in a palace complex in the heart of the classical Russian capital, the Russian Museum is the official face of Russian art, from the Christianization of Russia in 989 to the present. Meant as an overview of these unfamiliar works, the book presents a splendid collection of early icons and a smattering of 18th- and 19th-century portraits and academic paintings, and almost half the book is devoted to a spirited selection of paintings from the revolutionary first three decades of this century. We are almost spared official Soviet art, but equally slighted is the present-day ferment of post-breakup painting and sculpture. All 295 plates are in color, and the majority are well printed at high resolution. Recommended for both public and academic libraries.?David McClelland, Philadelphia, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Russian
Original Language: Russian
