Great Genoese paintings from the Hermitage, from Luca Cambiaso to Magnasco

The exhibition entitled "Great Genoese paintings from the Hermitage, from Luca Cambiaso to Magnasco" is housed in the magnificent rooms of the Doge's Apartment in Genoa's Palazzo Ducale. The curatorship is entrusted to Svetlana Vsevolojskaya and Irina Grigorieva from the Hermitage Museum, (assisted by Piero Boccardo, manager of the Palazzo Rosso gallery in Genoa). Tracing pictorial acquisitions, the exhibition explores the history of the relationship between Genoa and the court of Saint Petersburg during the 18th century. 
Genoa's first relations with the Baltic date back to the 15th century, when a merchant fleet travelled to the area. In the next century these relations were nurtured, as born out by records of the "Masseria" of Caffa, the Genoese colony. Genoa, with its strong economic potential, did not escape the attention of the Russian tsars; Peter the Great attempted to clinch economic deals with the Republic with a view to  smoothing the transit of Russian fleets in the area, but was wholly unsuccessful. In the later part of the eighteenth century, Catherine II looked to the city of Genoa and other maritime republics as fundamental places for the fulfilment of expansionist aspirations. Once again, Genoa showed utter indifference to Russian politics and only after a long period of time did it actually decide to begin diplomatic bargaining with Catherine. These diplomatic, political and commercial exchanges increased significantly and were often accompanied by gifts in the form of works of art, visits to Russia by Genoese artists and intellectuals, and cultural exchanges of various sorts. 
Taken from a group of 225 paintings which Catherine II accepted as payment for an outstanding debt in 1764, the collection of Genoese paintings from the Hermitage museum was bolstered over the years by numerous acquisitions. 30 original works from the collection are today on show in this ambitious exhibition. The paintings are in many cases acclaimed masterpieces, despite problems with the identification of the artist during the various exchanges of property. The exhibition opens with "Venere e Adone" by Luca Cambiaso, followed by "Benedizione di Giacobbe" by Gioacchino Assereto, "San Giovanni Battista" by Bernardo Strozzi, a significant number of works by Magnasco and numerous other paintings by Genoese painters. 

Grande pittura genovese dall'Ermitage, da Luca Cambiaso a Magnasco
from 16th March to 30th June 2002
Palazzo Ducale, Piazza Matteotti 9, Genoa
opening times: from 9 am to 9 pm, except Mondays
Ticket prices: 6.50 euros, concessions 5.50 euros
Catalogue: Edizioni Mazzotta 25 euros from the exhibition, 34 euros from bookstores
website www.palazzoducale.genova.it

Great Genoese paintings from the Hermitage, from Luca Cambiaso to Magnasco

The exhibition entitled "Great Genoese paintings from the Hermitage, from Luca Cambiaso to Magnasco" is housed in the magnificent rooms of the Doge's Apartment in Genoa's Palazzo Ducale. The curatorship is entrusted to Svetlana Vsevolojskaya and Irina Grigorieva from the Hermitage Museum, (assisted by Piero Boccardo, manager of the Palazzo Rosso gallery in Genoa). Tracing pictorial acquisitions, the exhibition explores the history of the relationship between Genoa and the court of Saint Petersburg during the 18th century. 
Genoa's first relations with the Baltic date back to the 15th century, when a merchant fleet travelled to the area. In the next century these relations were nurtured, as born out by records of the "Masseria" of Caffa, the Genoese colony. Genoa, with its strong economic potential, did not escape the attention of the Russian tsars; Peter the Great attempted to clinch economic deals with the Republic with a view to  smoothing the transit of Russian fleets in the area, but was wholly unsuccessful. In the later part of the eighteenth century, Catherine II looked to the city of Genoa and other maritime republics as fundamental places for the fulfilment of expansionist aspirations. Once again, Genoa showed utter indifference to Russian politics and only after a long period of time did it actually decide to begin diplomatic bargaining with Catherine. These diplomatic, political and commercial exchanges increased significantly and were often accompanied by gifts in the form of works of art, visits to Russia by Genoese artists and intellectuals, and cultural exchanges of various sorts. 
Taken from a group of 225 paintings which Catherine II accepted as payment for an outstanding debt in 1764, the collection of Genoese paintings from the Hermitage museum was bolstered over the years by numerous acquisitions. 30 original works from the collection are today on show in this ambitious exhibition. The paintings are in many cases acclaimed masterpieces, despite problems with the identification of the artist during the various exchanges of property. The exhibition opens with "Venere e Adone" by Luca Cambiaso, followed by "Benedizione di Giacobbe" by Gioacchino Assereto, "San Giovanni Battista" by Bernardo Strozzi, a significant number of works by Magnasco and numerous other paintings by Genoese painters. 

Grande pittura genovese dall'Ermitage, da Luca Cambiaso a Magnasco
from 16th March to 30th June 2002
Palazzo Ducale, Piazza Matteotti 9, Genoa
opening times: from 9 am to 9 pm, except Mondays
Ticket prices: 6.50 euros, concessions 5.50 euros
Catalogue: Edizioni Mazzotta 25 euros from the exhibition, 34 euros from bookstores
website www.palazzoducale.genova.it