“Russia is a European country,” declared Catherine the Great, an avid and passionate collector of Western art. An essential part of Europeanization project, in the decades following the foundation of first public galleries and private collections in Russia, art collecting evolved into a new sphere of state policy and artistic entrepreneurship. The series of lectures “Collecting Art in Russia” explores the ideologies and practices of acquiring, classifying and displaying art, with a special emphasis on artistic and architectural drawings. The lectures will address the role of art collecting in shaping Russian national art as well as Russia’s place on the European cultural landscape. We also hope to analyze the use of art collections in shaping cultural ideologies and the practices of consumption, the development of artistic education and cultural upbringing in Russia from the 18^th century to the early 20^th century.

Click on each of the links below to get more details and view the recording of the event.