The Hermitage museum

[Nufocus]

About a year and a half ago I visited St. Petersburg (Russia, not Florida!....). The temperature outside was about -20C, the gorgeous canals of this great city (“Venice of the north”) were all frozen, as was the great river Neva. So what’s a man to do in those conditions? Spend a day in the terrific Hermitage museum that houses one of the best collections of art of all periods. Not to mention the building itself with its amazing grandeur and opulence, what used to be the Winter Palace of the Tzars of Russia. It was my second time there and perhaps more rewarding than the first.
One incredible large painting made me stop in front of it for quite a while. I can’t remember the name of the Russian artist, but the detail and overall technic and execution just mesmerized me!
So here we go. It’s large and so I had to take 3 separate photos of it, moving along the piece from left to right.

 

[Nufocus]

As opposed to gorgeous de Koonings that go for tens and hundreds of millions (which I adore! Not the money, the paintings), John Sr. will not tell John Jr. when looking at this piece “you can also do it in about 15 minutes”.

 

[laf.art]

I find this so overwhelming, I can't even imagine trying to paint the figures let alone the incredible way the silks and satins are painted.

 

[Trier]

My previous reply seems to have disappeared into the ether, but Lyn has said it better anyway.

I did make one trivial observation; that given the times when regicide and coups were the usual way to change leaders, that maybe the fact that there are only two heads that are not fixated on the central figures, and that the faces are probably portraits of actual people, that it was the artist's way of putting the finger on the subversive coup leaders ? I suppose I could look it up, but I did say it was trivial, so I'll skip that.

I'ts great that you got to see the Hermitage, twice; I'm glad for you.

 

[Iain]

Fine capture. Is it just me, or is the crown sitting oddly on the Tsaritsa's head...It looks like it is part of the throne.

Wiki on the Coronation. It has the above painting and others from the day. It was a lovely day.

 

[snoball]

Beyond fabulous! I agree with Lyn, I can't even imagine painting all those faces, let alone all the silk and satin and the accoutrements. This must have taken forever!