At the Russian Court. Palace and Protocol in the 19th Century.
On view June 20, 2009 to January 31, 2010
Hermitage Amsterdam
Nieuwe Herengracht 14, Amsterdam
+31.20.530.87.51
www.hermitage.nl
THE INAUGURAL EXHIBITION
With more than 1,800 objects on loan from the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, the exhibition fills the Amstelhof—the historic, newly restored home of Hermitage Amsterdam--from 20 June 2009 to 31 January 2010, as it recreates life at the Russian court during the nineteenth century: a period that spanned the reigns of six tsars, from the little-known Paul I, son of Catherine the Great, to the tragic Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia.
One entire exhibition wing of Hermitage Amsterdam is devoted to the elaborate protocol of the nineteenth-century Russian court, with its public demonstrations of power and opulence. The other wing tells the story of the grandiose dinners, parties and themed balls hosted by the tsars in the Hermitage. Among the objects that brings these subjects to life are hundreds of exceptionally rich ball gowns and other costumes, magnificent court paintings by Franz Xaver Winterhalter and Ilya Repin, extraordinary items of furniture including the famous Romanov throne, impressive pieces of jewellery by makers such as Fabergé, vast and valuable dinner services and the last tsarina's own grand piano.
This spectacular exhibition, which occupies 24000 square feet, has been designed by Merkx+Girod Architecten, whose previous work includes the recent Rijksmuseum Amsterdam exhibition The Masterpieces (2008) and the exhibition Morocco: 5,000 Years of Culture in De Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam (2004). Inspiration for the design has been drawn from the two most famous rooms in the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, the Nicholas Hall and St George's Hall. The decorations in these rooms are reflected in the two great exhibition halls at the Hermitage Amsterdam.
The installation includes a number of interactive computer programs, to offer information beyond the material found in the traditional text displays and the audio-tour. Another striking feature of the presentation is the projection of images from the film Russian Ark, which was photographed entirely in the Hermitage in St Petersburg by the Russian director Alexander Sokurov. These images combine with music and revolving display cases to create the impression of a nineteenth-century ball taking place within the Hermitage Amsterdam.
The exhibition is accompanied by a handsome, richly illustrated catalogue in Dutch and English, featuring four scholarly essays, twelve shorter articles on various aspects of the exhibition, a family tree of the Romanovs, an explanation of the complex hierarchy of the Russian court, and detailed descriptions of the objects.
THE NEW MUSEUM
The new Hermitage Amsterdam museum is located in the Groot Waterloo District on the banks of the Amstel River. It is housed in the monumental 17th-century Amstelhof historic building once visited by Czar Peter the Great during his stay in Amsterdam, when the compound served as a charitable home for the elderly. Renovated at a cost of $50 million and comprising 96,000 square feet, the building has been redesigned as a series of open and light filled galleries by architect Hans van Heeswijk. The museum consists of two large galleries, cabinets, an old chapel, regents' rooms and an enclosed garden. The building also contains a study center, a restaurant, shops and the Hermitage for Children center.
"The opening of Hermitage Amsterdam is the culmination of nearly two decades of planning," stated Ernst W. Veen, Managing Director of Hermitage Amsterdam. "At the same time, it is a continuation of more than 300 years of close ties between Amsterdam and St Petersburg, going back to Tsar Peter the Great's fabled residence in our city."
"Over the past years, we have found many ways to extend our artistic and intellectual resources beyond Russia's borders," stated Mikhail B. Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg and Chairman of the Board of the Hermitage Amsterdam. "However, we have worked with a partner to create one great, freestanding Russian exhibition venue in the West — Hermitage Amsterdam."
Hermitage Amsterdam is the only dedicated, independently managed venue in the West of St Petersburg's magnificent State Hermitage Museum.
