A. Kostenevich

The early history of the Department of Western European Art may be said to resemble, in many respects, that of St Petersburg — Leningrad itself. Just as the new Russian capital, founded on the barren, swampy banks of the Neva, came to rival the luxury and splendour of Europe's ancient capitals...

THE HERMITAGE, one of the world's biggest treasuries of Western European art, already had a wide reputat.ion outside Russia last century. It was renowned mainly for its collection of sixteenth to eighteenth century paintings, baving very few nineteenth century works; these for the most part were...

The early history of the Department of Western European Art may be said to resemble, in some respects, that of St. Petersburg — Leningrad itself. Just as the new Russian capital, founded on the barren, swampy banks of the Neva, came to rival the luxury and splendour of Europe's ancient capitals...