Mir russkogo dvorianstva. Byt i zabavy. Epokha istorizma (World of the Russian gentry: everyday life and leisure in the Epoch of Historicism)
St. Petersburg: Chistyi list, 2011. sewn pb. This book publishes the first collaborative exhibition of the Hermitage Museum and the Yusupov Palace-Museum. As an artistic phenomenon historicism shaped the arts employed in the decoration of state and residential rooms of the Russian nobility from the 1830s to the 1880s. published here are everyday items and works of decorative art from the Hermitage collection exhibited at the Yusupov Palace on the Moika River in St. Petersburg. Arranged on the principle of interior “corners,” the works exhibited reflect the well-established tastes and habits of one of the wealthiest noble families in pre-revolutionary Russia and hence those of the upper class in general. Different chapters present various forms of applied and decorative arts and costume appropriate to different activities and parts of the house. Specific items include furniture of all kinds, porcelain clocks, vases, services, figurines, and Easter eggs; many toys and games—cards, chess pieces, dolls, toy soldiers; and a sampling of attire: hats, dresses, frock coats, shoes, fans, parasols, and purses. The catalog opens with essays on the Yusupov family and the design and decoration of their palace, illustrated with drawings and archival photographs of interiors, numerous portraits of the owners and scenes of interiors. A beautiful publication conveying the spirit of the time. 192 pp., 24 x 22 cm., 257 color, sewn pb., Rus. Item #12
ISBN: 9785901528242
Contents: “An Example of Gentry Life”;. “…And Every Hour Carries off a Sliver of Existence” uses visual and verbal sources to reconstruct the life of an aristocratic household and notes the forms of etiquette that shaped everyday life. “Luncheons Are Thoroughly Festive, and the Cuisine is Bountiful and Delectable” cites contemporary writings and uses works of art to recreate the customs of dining: the furniture of the dining room, the hour of sitting down to meals, the seating of guests, servants and dishes; the forms and styles of porcelain and glass for intimate repasts or ceremonial luncheons; “I Hear Anew the Playful Noise of Our Games” notes forms of leisure and play and shows artifacts associated with them such as smoking pipes, which took over from the eighteenth-century preference for snuff boxes, playing cards, and chess pieces and boards.
Price: $82.00