STATE TRETYAKOV GALLERY
|
Address:
Lavrushinsky Lane, 10 |
The National Museum of Russian Fine Art, the State
Tretyakov Gallery, is one of the largest museums in the world. Its collections
embrace the period from the 10th to 20th century and all schools of
Russian painting - from ancient icons to avant-guard.
Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, a rich Moscow merchant
and textile mill owner, started collecting Russian paintings in the
1850s. It was then he bought several works by Russian artists and it
was then the Tretyakovs moved to their new estate in the Lavrushinsky
Lane - the mansion that would become a world famous museum.
Tretyakov who conceived the creation of the public
gallery comprehensively representing the history of Russian fine art
bought pictures relying only on his taste. He was one of the first who
highly appreciated old Russian icons, systematically bought the works
of the old masters and was greatly interested in contemporary art. Quite
often Tretyakov who became a prominent figure in the cultural life of
Russia acquired paintings strongly criticized or banned by censorship.
He was considered such an authority that if any work of an artist got
in his collection, for the latter it was equal to public acknowledgement.
Since the early 1870s Tretyakov became a friend of
the so-called Itinerant Artists. The founder of the picture gallery
not only shared their principles and ideas but also supported the movement.
He eagerly bought their works and gathered an unmatched collection that
features paintings by Perov, Maksimov, Makovsky, Pryanishnikov, Kramskoy,
Shishkin, Polenov, Repin, and Surikov.
In the late 1860s Tretyakov inspired by the popular
at the time enlightenment idea of the prominent role of the personality
in the history conceived the creation of the portrait gallery of the
outstanding Russian culture and art figures. The collector bought ready
portraits of Russian writers, composers and artists and also ordered
portraits from contemporary artists. It is interesting that Tretyakov
himself couldn't stand posing for a portrait and throughout his lifetime
made exceptions only twice - for artists Kramskoy and Repin.
From year to year Tretyakov's collection grew. The
house in Lavrushinsky Lane became too small to host it and was then
rebuilt. New constructions were attached and the picture gallery was
enlarged. And although officially the Gallery was privately owned it
acquired the status of the museum. Anyone despite his rank and social
status could visit it on any day of the week.
In August, 1892 Tretyakov presented the collection
and the Gallery to the city of Moscow. Until his death Tretyakov supported
the gallery and bought a number of masterpieces of Russian art. The
number of paintings and graphics acquired during that period was 220.
The last big purchase he made for the Gallery was The Bogatyrs by Vasnetsov.
In 1898 Tretyakov died. After his death a new facade designed by Vasnetsov
was attached to the old estate. This Russian styled facade became the
symbol of the Gallery.
Already in the early 20th century the Tretyakov Gallery
became the most popular and visited museum of that day. Soon after the
revolution of 1917 the Gallery was nationalized and its collection was
enriched with paintings from the expropriated private collections and
abolished museums.
By the end of the 20th century the State Tretyakov
Gallery became one of the world richest treasuries of Russian fine art.
The Gallery treasures priceless collection of old Russian icons, paintings,
sculptures and graphics of the 18th-20th centuries.
Besides the main Russian styled building in Lavrushinsky
Lane the State Tretyakov Gallery got a new museum complex in Krymsky
Val. The exposition of the branch museum is totally dedicated to the
Russian art of the 20th century. There regularly temporary thematic
exhibitions and the exhibitions of contemporary art are hold.
