Works of Art in the Thematic Collections of the Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich. From the Experience of the Collection Reconstruction

Abstract

The article is devoted to the collection of works of art by the Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, which was located in the New Mikhail Palace before the revolution, which today does not exist as a single whole, but has been preserved as separate parts in central and regional Russian museums. On the basis of the reconstruction of the collection, carried out with the help of written sources and the revealed pictorial series, its composition was analyzed, the main thematic blocks were highlighted and the characteristic features of the collecting activity of its owner were determined. Until now, this aspect has not become the subject of special study. The novelty of the study also lies in the use of previously unpublished archival documents, the main place among which is occupied by the surviving inventories of the movable property of the New Mikhail Palace, compiled during the life of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, as well as after the nationalization of the palace. The study of sources, as well as works of art stored in Russian museums, made it possible to fully recreate and reconstruct the composition of this collection. The study showed that numerous items related to military history, Caucasian life, and hunting were kept in the New Mikhail Palace, which reflected the professional occupations and interests of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich. Works of art have been an integral part of these thematic collections. The main criterion for their selection was the plot, and the main requirement for works of art was the exact fixation of the events depicted, many of which were witnessed or participated by the owner himself. The authors of numerous paintings, graphic works and sculptural compositions located in the New Mikhail Palace were both renowned artists of their time and lesser-known Russian and European masters. The significant role of Emperor Nicholas I in the formation of the artistic tastes of the Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich and the requirements that he set for works of art is noted.