Russia - The Hermitage

Our first excursion was to the Hermitage Museum.  We saw so much art by the time three hours past I was on overload.  The works or Renoir, Degas, Monet, Van Gogh and Cezanne were on every wall we passed.  And they had art on the ceilings as well.  I am not going to attempt to explain each picture.  Hope you can get a feel for the magnitude of the collection.  And they say only a fraction of the art is on display.

During WW II they loaded nearly all the art in train cars and took them to Siberia.  There is a separate museum for Russian artists.

As we entered Russia from the ship these folks welcomed us.

The Foyer - main staircase in the Hermitage.

The ceilings even display art.

This is a carriage used in the 15th Century

Small Throne Hall

Armorial Hall - How would you like to dust that floor?

The gold is nearly blinding at times.

In some rooms the walls were covered with portraits -- in this one over 150

Grand Throne Hall

How about this chandelier?

This is a large mosaic tile work.  You can see the tile colors and how it was created.

Art was the common denominator in communication.  Seeing versus understanding were still an issue.  However, language barriers were easily breached with art.

Mary and Jesus

The artist had not mastered perspective.  Many early paintings appeared flat.

Medieval Tapestry

Crucifixion of St. Peter

Notice how every inch has art displayed!

Try chipping marble into one of these!

Photos from 8/5 - Russia # 2 Continued