The Greek World in Russian Art

The exhibition comprises eighty paintings and and works of graphic art from the collection of the Russian Museum. Russian art culture has always been drawn to the Hellenic world, drawing inspiration from the ancient aesthetic principles and Greek mythology and literature. During the Romantic period, Karl Brullov's sketches Perseus and Andromeda and The Death of LaocoЖn reflected his Romantic perception of the world. The exhibition also shows graphic works by Maxim Vorobyov and the Chernetsov brothers. The early twentieth century witnessed a revival of interest in ancient mythology. The aesthetics of the Silver Age influenced the incarnation of ancient Greek subjects in the works of Valentin Serov, LИon Bakst, Yevgeny Lanceray and Alexander Golovin. Greek motifs reappeared in Russian art of the middle of the twentieth century. The architectural monuments of Athens, Sparta (Lacedaemon) and Corinth, for example, are present in the works of Sergei Gerasimov.