Exhibition of urban landscapes of the XVIII century “Moscow of the times of Catherine II and Paul I in the paintings of Gerard Delabart” is held at the Mikhailovsky Castle
Gerard Delabart – French painter and watercolorist, who worked in Russia from 1787 to 1810. In the late 1780s Delabart wrote the views of Tsarskoe Selo, and in the second half of the 1790s he created a series of watercolor and picturesque views of Moscow and its environs, which were widely known for their engravings.
Catherine II, by her own admission, “did not like Moscow at all.” Moscow aroused her dislike for her medievalism. Ordering a series of paintings, she wanted to see Moscow, imprinted in a vivid identity and the contrasts of its appearance and way of life.
Unlike Catherine, Paul liked Moscow: he found that people here treat him better than in St. Petersburg. Paul ordered from Delabart six paintings: two panoramic views of Moscow and four paintings relating to the Emperor’s travels in the Moscow neighborhoods.
For Delabart Moscow appears to be full of space, unlike the western cities. This space is filled with different city types.
The exhibition in Mikhailovsky Castle presents 15 paintings from the Moscow series of Gerard Delabart, which were transferred to the museum in 1931 from the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo and have never before been exhibited in full. The exposition also included views of Moscow, painted by artist I. Moshkov (1778-1845) and engravings depicting the fire of Moscow when it was captured by Napoleon.
The exhibition will last until February 12, 2018.
Ticket price:
300 rubles – full ticket
150 rubles – discount ticket (schoolchildren, students and pensioners)