Livret De La Galerie Imperiale De L'Ermitage De Saint-Petersbourg, Contenant L'Explication Des Tableaux Qui La Composent, Avec De Courtes Notices Sur Les Autres Objets D'Art Ou De Curiosite Qui Y Sont Exposes (Guidebook to the Imperial Hermitage Gallery in Saint Petersburg, Descriptions of the Paintings and Brief Notes on Other Art Objects and Curiosities on Display)
Saint Petersburg: De L'Imprimerie D'Édouard Pratz & Cie. 1838. 19th-century cream paper-covered boards, with lettering on the upper cover. Item #556
Book measures: 22 x 15 cm. 531 pages: folding plan (50x40 cm; signed as lithographed by Davignon frères.) Text in French. The front free-endpaper is inscribed in ink. The book is in a state of wear, showing minor damage to its edges. Spine is partially missing. Foxing throughout.
A scarce catalog titled "Livret de la Galerie Impériale de l'Ermitage de Saint-Pétersbourg, contenant l'explication des tableaux qui la composent, avec de courtes notices sur les autres objets d'art ou de curiosité qui y sont exposés" spans an impressive 531 pages. It predominantly features a thorough, room-by-room walkthrough of the galleries, complete with comprehensive descriptions of each painting. The catalog opens with a concise historical overview and includes an index, emphasizing its academic rigor. Noteworthy is a large folding map and a chart on the final pages that presents a breakdown of the number of artists and paintings, sorted by their national school and detailing the acquisitions made by each of the four monarchs (Catherine the Great, Paul I, Alexander I, and Nicholas I) who augmented the collection. This chart reveals that out of the 1,692 paintings in the Hermitage as of 1838, a significant portion (1,385) was acquired by Catherine the Great. The entries throughout the catalog are densely packed with information, yet written in a straightforward, unadorned style.
Price: $400.00