The Tsars’ Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative Arts under the Romanovs

“The last of the Russian Romanov dynasty perished just about 100 years ago. If you’ve ever wanted to see how they lived, and more specifically how they dined, you now can.”

– Carla Ives, AXS

“I was stunned by the quality of this exhibition, where each object is a true masterpiece-example of the Russian imperial porcelain… I am so glad that in America, in addition to the renowned Marjorie Merriweather Post’s priceless collection of Russian art at the Hillwood Museum and Gardens in Washington, D.C., there are more equally astounding private collections of Russian decorative applied art.”

– Ekaterina Khmelnitskaya, Curator, State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia

The Epoch Times, May 9, 2012

Organized by the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William & Mary, this exhibition highlights more than 200 years of decorative arts under the Romanovs during the 18th and 19th centuries. Most of the works were designed for use by the tsars and members of their families, while others illustrate prominent styles of the period. Comprising objects ranging from porcelain services, glassware, enamel, silver gilt, and decorated eggs, the exhibition is a comprehensive and inclusive collection demonstrating the majesty and luxury of the Romanov reign.

Many of the items are grouped by tsar, which helps to illustrate major social or political trends of each tsar’s reign: for example, Peter the Great and the engagement of the West; Catherine the Great and the Enlightenment; and Alexander I and the defeat of Napoleon, among others. The objects and their styles reflect the political forces that shaped each tsar’s regime. Each grouping of objects shows the tastes and singularities of the Romanov family through the magnificent items they owned and commissioned. The exhibition puts these important artistic objects in context, to connect the viewer to the individuals and events that shaped the history of Russia.

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