The Russian Reproductions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; A Review of the Most Prominent Replicas from the Antique Plate of the Hermitage and Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, of the Kremlin and Patriarchal Treasures, (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1884 edition. Excerpt: ...of early Russian work. As an effort to portray nature naturally it merits notice, and, although wrought with an entire absence of ideality, it is not wholly devoid of sentiment. On the route to or from the battle the warrior lays aside his weapons seeking rest beneath the welcome shade. His attendants, awake and alert, watch by him in readiness against surprise or prepared for immediate departure, for the delay is but temporary. This much is told plainly enough. If there was anything more than this in the mind of the artist he was unable to reveal it. In the most favorable judgment, therefore, regarding the conception we can only say that it does not apparently controvert natural facts, even though the crude and barbaric handling plays sad havoc with the laws of proportion. These two pieces will suffice to illustrate early Russian work, and will clearly exhibit the poverty of a true artistic feeling among the primitive inhabitants of that nation. In fact, there is little in any of the specimens of pure Russian work to warrant an extended notice, for among the later and more creditable designs one traces, sometimes slightly but more often entirely, the well known styles of other countries which served as models for the Russian artist. This is seen notably in two cups, one of English and the other of German conception, and so strongly characteristic of the goldsmith work of those countries as to inspire a doubt of their being produced elsewhere. During the long period which elapsed after the sweeping inroads of the barbarian tribes and until the 14th century, we do not look for many productions in gold and silver. Art, together with learning, though not dead, had followed the cowl and crosier into_ the seclusion of the monasteries, leaving...