The Reading Public Museum in Reading, Pa., is pleased to host “The Tsars' Cabinet,” which highlights 200 years of decorative arts under the Romanovs, from the time of Peter the Great in the early 18th century to that of Nicholas II in the early 20th century. Many of the more than 230 objects in the nationally touring exhibition were designed for public or private use of the tsars or other Romanovs. Others illustrate the styles that were prominent during their reigns. The “Tsars' Cabinet” is on view through Sunday, April 17 in the Second Floor Temporary Galleries. The exhibition is made possible at the Reading Public Museum by generous support of the The Marlin and Ginger Miller Exhibition Endowment.
Porcelain, glass, enamel, silver gilt and other alluring materials make this extensive exhibition dazzle. The items demonstrate the evolution of style from the European Classicism of the court of Catherine the Great, to the rich oriental motifs of mid-19th century Russian Historicism of the Kremlin and Grand Duke Constantine Nicholaevich services and the enamel work of Fedor Ruckert and the firm of Ovchinnikov.
The exhibition includes many pieces from significant porcelain services made by the Imperial Porcelain Factory, from the reign of Empress Elizabeth and Catherine the Great to Nicholas and Alexandra. Visitors will see items featured at state banquets at the Kremlin and other Imperial Palaces, as well as items designed for the tsars' private use aboard the Imperial yachts. Among the rare items are two pieces from a service Catherine the Great ordered for her grandson, Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich, as well as pieces from services presented by Augustus III of Saxony and Frederick the Great to the 18th century Russian tsarinas.
The exhibition also features 200 years of glassware, from a beaker from the time of Peter the Great, to a vase made by the Imperial Glass Factory that the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna kept on her desk in Denmark after the Russian Revolution. Russian enamels from the late 19th century include a major jewel casket made by the Ovchinnikov firm and presented to Tsar Alexander III's Minister of the Interior, as well as the work of Fedor Ruckert and the work masters of the Faberge firm.
The objects exhibited provide a rare, intimate glimpse into the everyday lives of the tsars. The collection brings together a political and social timeline tied to an understanding of Russian culture. In viewing “The Tsars' Cabinet,” one is transported to a majestic era of progressive politics and dynamic social change.
“The Tsars' Cabinet” is developed from the Kathleen Durdin collection and is organized by the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Va., in collaboration with International Arts and Artists, Washington, D.C.
The Reading Public Museum is supported in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and is located at 500 Museum Road, Reading, Pa. The museum is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For additional information, visit www.readingpublicmuseum.org.
Images courtesy of Giovanni Lundardi Photography.