Gau, The cabinet of the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna , watercolour, , showing a domestic hang of paintings, ex cat. OL : Yes, in Russia this genre only became popular during the ss. Before that — during the first third of the 18th century — there were only a few engravings of interiors which showed the frames, and this makes it difficult to research the early history of Russian frames. We have to use comparative analysis and archival documents to help our work.
FB : You, together with Maria Kolosova, curator at the Hermitage, seem to have invented the study of picture frames: the styles, the history, and the wood used to make them? OL : Maria Kolosova is a wonderful specialist. Together we conducted extensive work to determine what kinds of wood were used in various frames.
The results of this work are shown at the back of the exhibition catalogue. I gave Maria tiny fragments of wood from the frames, and she analyzed them by microscopic study to determine the taxonomic category of the wood, through studying features of their biological structure. Of course, quite often the kind of wood involved can be determined visually, but we wanted to get a really accurate result, so we sampled fragments of wood from different parts of the frame.
We also studied the carved ornaments closely, and the provenance of many frames. As a result, we can draw interesting conclusions: for example, that in the 18th century Russian frames were usually made from limewood. Of course such data can then be applied to further scientific study of frames, in order to establish their attribution to particular locations and periods — but only as an additional factor, not as the principal evidence.
Its frame was acquired by Kiprensky himself in Italy, specifically for the portrait of Thorvaldsen, and brought to St. And finally, an important proof of its Italian origin was that it was made of poplar this was established by Maria Kolosova. OL : I can not give an exact date. It was in the first quarter of the 19th century. FB : Many 19 th century Russian frames seem generally more inventive and more beautifully made than, for example, 19 th century non-artist designed frames in Britain.
Do you think that this is because frame design was still a relatively new and exciting area of art and craftsmanship?
OL : Oh, what an interesting and unexpected question! No, I think the reason is different. For example, page 65 of the catalogue shows a beautiful carved giltwood frame, which is almost a sculpture.
This frame was commissioned by Count Stroganov, and was probably made by craftsmen serfs in his own service. Petersburg designed by Bartolommeo Rastrelli and remodelled by Andrei Voronikhin in the 19 th century. It was an integral part of the interior decoration of the palace. And I can give many more such examples. Moreover, even a merchant — a former peasant — might occasionally order an interesting frame.
Page 74 of the catalogue shows the beautiful carved walnut trophy frame for P. Gladin was born a peasant but became a merchant and a member of the highest mercantile guild, the owner of a company which executed major projects, such as the construction of railways and of several bridges in St Petersburg. The ornament includes unexpected carved details — an axe, parts of a railway, a fishing net and a bridge.
Vasily Vereshchagin, The iconostasis of the church of St. John the Evangelist near Rostov , late ss, in original frame designed by the artist catalogue, p. When did artists in Russia begin to design their own frames? And was this an individual or a group activity? OL : In Russia it was individual artists rather than a group. And in the last quarter of the 19th-early 20th century Vasily Vereshchagin and Elizaveta Bem both designed frames for their own work; the paintings, still in their striking frames, are in the collections of various Russian museums.
Elizaveta Bem, Boy in helmet and chain armour , watercolour on paper, , in original frame designed by the artist, composed of cardboard, glass, relief of lead and quartzite, velvet, parcel gilt catalogue, p. In the s Nikolai Suetin, a follower of Kazimir Malevich, also produced original designs, and there were other artists, such as Valery Vatenin, and Yuri Khrzhanovsky, a follower of Pavel Filonov. In general, however, artists — even those who understand the importance of the frame — tend to have their own pictures framed by studios and commercial frame shops.
Vasily Vereshchagin, The retired butler , , in original frame designed by the artist, ornamented with birds in twining foliage catalogue, p. FB : Frame restoration is a relatively new but very important part of conservation at the State Russian Museum.
In your Dresden paper you mention experimenting with watercolour touching-in, rather than the use of gold leaf, and filling-in with cork fragments: both methods seem to have grown very practically out of the need to respect the antiquity of the frame and its finish. OL : The picture frame is a work of art, and an heirloom of its particular period. Of course, everything must be done to conserve such a priceless artefact and keep it looking as it was when it was created — you understand how important this is.
This is equally true for the finish: it is very important to keep the original gilding, and not to gild over it. Museum methods of conservation, which I described in the paper I gave at Dresden, aim to preserve the authenticity of the object.
The main principle of museum conservation is to do no harm. I wish very much that all restorers understood this, and that they feel their responsibility to history. But, of course, this is utopia: unfortunately, very different methods of restoring picture frames now prevail in Russia. In my lectures on the history of picture frames I always explain to my audience which, of course, includes people who own valuable frames the difference between the various methods of conservation, and I hope, over time, the situation will change for the better.
OL : I never get tired of the richness of imagination and craftsmanship displayed in picture frames from different countries and different epochs. Another idea is to create a multimedia program about a picture frames for children.
FB : Thank you for an extremely interesting and informative interview, and good luck with your next project! Exhibition hang: Reconstruction of part of an exhibition by Vasily Vereshchagin, an artist noted for his individual ideas of display. His exhibitions were usually themed, with a single series of works: here, the Russian series. Vereshchagin hung his paintings on a background of velvet draperies, and always used electric light in the exhibition rooms at a period in the early 20 th century when kerosene lighting was more usual.
He also arranged for music to be played, and for pot plants to decorate the rooms. Oksana Lysenko is a senior member of the academic staff of the State Russian Museum, St Petersberg, where she has worked since She organized the exhibition, The clothing of pictures: Russian frames from the 18 th to the 20 th century , RussianMuseum , and produced the accompanying catalogue.
Other publications include:. Lysenko «The history of the frame in Russia: the last quarter of the 17 th , and the 18 th centuries»; «The history of the frame in Russia in the 19 th and early 20 th centuries», catalogue of exhibition « The clothing of pictures: Russian frames from the 18 th to the 20 th century » , Russian Museum, St.
Lysenko «The history of two frames in the collection of the RussianMuseum». Pages of the history of domestic art century. Issue XI. The StateRussianMuseum, St. Petersburg, , p Issue XII. Petersburg, , p. Lysenko «Frames in the collection of the RussianMuseum: cataloguing the collection». Problems of conservation and restoration of exhibits in an art museum. Lysenko, E. Juravleva « About a complex research and restoration of picture frames from the collection of the StateRussianMuseum».
Lysenko «Picture frames in Russia», the magazine: « Antique. Lysenko «Frames and baguette in Russia of the 19th century», the magazine: « Antique. Lysenko «The frames … and their portraits», the magazine: « Antique. Lysenko «Picture frames in Russia and abroad. Lysenko «Picture frames on the antiques market of St. Lysenko «Choice of artist.
Lysenko «Picture frames from the Imperial Hermitage. To the history of creation of the gallery of the view of St. I would like to thank Oksana for the time, trouble, and great generosity she has given to this project. Lynn, I just had a chance to read this interview, and it is so fascinating! By Peter Dickinson. Ukraine's Orange Revolution is often overlooked but it is worthy of more attention as one of the great geopolitical turning points of the early twenty-first century that set the stage for today's Cold War climate.
UkraineAlert Jul 27, By Serhii Plokhii. Jones" is an important historical drama that sheds long overdue light on Stalin's man-made famine in 's Ukraine. The famine killed millions but remains relatively unknown among international audiences. The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.
The Eurasia Center's mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia in the East. Image: Ukrainian Oksana Lyniv made history in October by being named as the first female musical director of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna in Italy. Michele Lapini.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. On 2 July, museum management posted a lengthy rebuttal on the Russian Museum's website, shifting blame to Lysenko and stating that the basement storage is due for modernisation in Two staff members wrote in the statement that they are withdrawing their signatures from the letter to Gusev.
Photographs provided to The Art Newspaper show some historic frames are propped on the floor of the museum's basement. Museum management had allowed Olaf Lemke, a frames expert who runs Antike Rahmen gallery in Berlin, to visit the collection several years ago.
Russian art historians have only recently considered frames a subject of study, Lysenko notes, unlike in Europe where the 19th-century German museum director Wilhelm von Bode positioned them as an art form.
Lysenko staged an exhibition of historic frames at the State Russian Museum in
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