The Imperial Hermitage. Collection of Paintings

The Imperial Hermitage (since 1917 - The State Hermitage) was founded by Catherine II back in 1764. Today, it is one of the largest art museums in the world. Its collection cannot be studied even in a week. Our album gives you the opportunity not only to get acquainted with the main masterpieces of one of the greatest museums in the world but also to take a tour of its past. The foundation of this publication is the book "Paintings of the Imperial Hermitage" by the renowned art historian Andrei Ivanovich Somov (1830–1909), which has long become a bibliographic rarity. The author, senior curator of the Hermitage for 22 years, compiled the first catalog of the Hermitage with comments on the paintings and biographies of the artists.

Our edition also includes stunning watercolor drawings from the mid-19th century depicting the interiors of the Winter Palace, the Small and New Hermitage (many of which are now lost), created by the masters of architectural watercolor E. Gau, L. Prematzzi, K. Ukhtomskiy.