Stroganoff: The Palace and Collections of a Russian Noble Family
Siberia became part of Russia largely as a result of the Stroganoffs' expeditions eastward in pursuit of land and mineral wealth, activities that made them the richest family in Russia. In the 18th century, they focused their energies on amassing art objects; Catherine the Great herself was jealous of their artistic forays. They collected ancient Roman sculpture, French and Italian oil paintings, and fine furniture and textiles, and developed a school of icon painting. When exquisite Sassanian silverware was unearthed on their estates, they ensured that this too was brought to grace their stately palaces.Stroganoff: The Palace and Collections of a Russian Noble Familycatalogs the objects that the Portland Art Museum tracked down for an unusually wide-ranging exhibition. A vast bowl of green malachite from the Urals mounted on a gold tripod, obtained ultimately only through blackmail by the museum's director, is the show's pièce de résistance. Paintings and plans of the Stroganoffs' opulent cathedrals, palaces, and dachas are included and form a backdrop for the objects. The family residence on Nevsky Prospect in St. Petersburg was designed by the influential architect Voronikhin, a freed serf who is believed to have been Alexander Stroganoff's natural son. After decades of neglect, this palace is now being refurbished and the Stroganoff possessions are being rehabilitated by the Hermitage and State Russian Museums, a recognition of the Stroganoffs' vital involvement in Russia's expansion over 500 years. A conscious attempt to reestablish a sense of the continuum of Russian art and history after the disruptions of the last century,Stroganoffis an imaginative and resounding success.--John Stevenson--This text refers to an alternateHardcoveredition.