Drawings and Watercolours of the 18th century

The Russian Museum boasts the world’s largest collection of 18th-century Russian drawings and watercolours. Alongside the works of native Russian artists, there are also those created by Western European masters who lived and worked in Russia.

Despite their differences in genre and typology, the plein air studies, the sketches and studies for the paintings of Anton Losenko and Pyotr Sokolov, Mikhail Kozlovsky’s designs for his bas-reliefs, the enigmatic series of blind beggar images by Ivan Ermenyov, and veduta watercolour series by Semyon Shchedrin and Mikhail Ivanov all apply the drawing structure prevalent at the time, while their artful use of a range of techniques testifies to the high level of professional excellence Russian artists had attained during the fast-paced development of Russia’s school of painting in the 18th century.

The drawings and watercolours of foreign masters such as Jean-Baptiste Le Prince, Francesco Fontebasso, Pietro Gonzaga, Giacomo Quarenghi, Thomas de Thomon and Johann Friedrich Anthing -- ranging from sketches for ceiling and stage artwork to quick caricature portraits and silhouettes -- introduce viewers to the European painting tradition, which inspired Russian artists and audiences to discover new subjects and new ways of drawing.

This exhibition offers visitors the rare opportunity to appreciate the more interesting and notable specimens of 18th century drawing and watercolour from the museum’s extensive collection. Because of their fragility, these works are seldom presented for public viewing.

This exhibition is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Russian Museum staff member Ludmila Pavlovna Rybakova.

Age restrictions: 18+