The State Russian Museum / The Marble Palace Georg Baselitz. How it began… Paintings and graphical works of the last twenty years
The exhibition presents paintings, drawings, watercolours of the last two decades. The major part of the works belongs to the collection of the Albertina Museum (Vienna, Austria) which made it possible for the Russian Museum to show the artist's works to the citizens of Saint-Petersburg who know his painting «Bottle and Eagle» (1977-1978) very well. This very work is a part of the collection of the Ludwig Museum at the Russian Museum.
Having started his career at the turn of the 1950-1960-ies as a provocative, scandalous artist who criticized abstract art, Baselitz was experimenting with object painting and demonstrating his rejection of contemporary art, and was not the only artist who did it. The «Neue Wilde» movement Baselitz associated himself with, took inspiration mainly from classical German Expressionism, claiming to return to the figurative art, colour, spontaneous methods of making an art work. Baselitz's paintings were breaking stereotypes turning them «upside down». It was the artist's favorite technique.
In this sense the works by Georg Baselitz from the iconic series and exhibitions dated 2000-ies such as «Monumental Watercolours» at the Albertina Museum (Vienna, 2003), «Remix» at the Pinakothek (Munich, 2006), «Russian Paintings» at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Seoul, 2007) and others are radical but at the same time natural phenomena.
Baselitz's spiral development as an artist makes it impossible to divide his art into the early and the late periods. What is more significant is the artist's return to the same fundamental aspects, the same themes and stories. In the first place Baselitz is interested in the artistic form rather than the interpretation of a story.
On the one hand it indicates the dialogue between the artist and his destiny, and the close look at his programme works that defined his place in the art scene in the 1960-ies. On the other hand, it is the conversation with the contemporary art, especially German art, acknowledged and appreciated; the contemplative conversation about the possibilities and limits of art, its place in the system of the controversial powers and influences.
. 1766-1768.jpg "For the Glory of Russia. Entrepreneurs and Patrons in Russia in the 18th – Early 20th Centuries")
For the Glory of Russia. Entrepreneurs and Patrons in Russia in the 18th – Early 20th Centuries
6 June—5 August 2024
Merchants, the “third estate”, at that time, were the basis of Russia’s economic power. The Stroganovs, the Demidovs and other entrepreneurs sometimes established entire “empires” with their own settlements, roads and internal regulations. The richest merchants became nobles and patrons of the arts. The exhibition is unique, both in the themes it explores and in the works it presents.
Masterpieces from Taganrog Rescued at the Russian Museum
24 April—13 May 2024
In July 2023, an explosion in the city centre of Taganrog damaged several artworks at the Golden Names of the Silver Age exhibition in the Taganrog Art Museum. The Russian Museum offered immediate support with the restoration of 22 art pieces. During the restoration, which lasted over 6 months, the staff of the Russian Museum not only eliminated the mechanical damage that the art objects had received at the time of the explosion, but also completely restored all 22 masterpieces, revealing their original appearance and artistic concept.
- 21 March—8 July 2024 > St Michael’s Castle Drawings and Watercolours by the Wanderers
- 15 March—13 May 2024 > Mikhailovsky Palace Mstislav Farmakovsky. 150th Anniversary of the Artist’s Birth
The collection of masterpieces, chosen by the Russian Museum will allow you to make a first impression of the collection of the Russian Museum.
Russian Museum - one of the world's largest museums and is perhaps the only country where such a full treasure of national culture are presented.
Virtual tour of the museum complex. 2009 (Rus., Eng., Ger., Fin.)
In the online shop of the Russian Museum presented a huge range of souvenirs, illustrated editions and multimedia disks.
