«The Silver Age» in the Collection of Nikita and Nina Lobanov-Rostovsky. On the Stage and in Painting
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In 2025, the book "Historical Portrait and the Silver Age: The Family and Collection of Prince N. D. Lobanov-Rostovsky in Russian Fine Arts" was published in Moscow by E. S. Fedorova and N. D. Lobanov-Rostovsky. Publishing House "Languages of Slavic Cultures". This is a tutorial. Why is the chosen genre relevant? Using the example of Nikita Lobanov-Rostovsky's ancestors, the guidebook explores the history of portraiture in 17th-19th century Russia. A separate chapter is devoted to portraits of N. D. LobanovRostovsky painted by contemporary artists. Shown are some trends in contemporary portrait painting. A significant part of the book is dedicated to the collection by Nikita and Nina Lobanov-Rostovsky. Their collection is currently the world's best private collection of Russian stage design in the era of the Silver Age. The collection has now been transferred to Russian museums by its owners. Its main part is located in the St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music Art. This collection is an encyclopedia of Russian art from the Silver Age. The collection has educational, scientific, and training value. N. D. Lobanov-Rostovsky compiled a classification of the artistic trends of Russian Art Nouveau and the Avant-Garde. The author also provided a comprehensive description of the pictorial innovations on the stage in the 1880s-1930s, in Soviet Russia, and in emigration. Based on the book, the Bulgarian artist Tsvyatko Ostoyich created art panels that were exhibited at the Russian House in Sofia in June 2025 and at the Gallery of Sculptor Andrey Tyrtyshnikov (Kira Foundation) in Moscow in November 2025. The exhibition opening was accompanied by a public lecture by E. S. Fedorova. In this article, we will explore the connection between the artistic ideas of the Silver Age and modern design. We will tell you about the concept of the book, the discussion about the chronological boundaries of this era, the name "Silver Age," and the color associations associated with it. We will recall outstanding theatrical productions that continue to influence today's directing decisions (Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, the Komissarzhevskaya Theatre, the Tairov Theatre, the Meyerhold Theatre, the Vakhtangov Theatre, and the Baliev Theatre). We will show works from the collection that belong to various styles, such as Neo-Russian style, Neoclassicism, Cubism, Luchism (Rayonizm), Simultanism, Cubo-Futurism, and others. From this book, a reader who is not familiar with the Silver Age can get a fairly complete impression of the entire panorama of the Silver Age's creative pursuits. But even for a specialist, there may be many attractive and rare discoveries in the book.
Author: E. Fedorova
Institution: Lomonosov Moscow State University
Language: English
Subfield: Museology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7117310591
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