Арка The Hermitage. Cupid's Darts

The Director's Choice series is an international project that invites the directors of the world's foremost museums to select exhibits that in their opinion occupy a special place in their museum's collection and to explain their significance • This sometimes paradoxical, but always interesting selection has been made by Mikhail Piotrovsky, who has been Director of the Hermitage for more than 25 years. It allows readers to take an unusual journey around the museum and to acquaint themselves both with world-famous works of Western European painting and with examples of ancient, Islamic and Russian art that, undeservedly, often escape the attention of the wider public

In the Christian world the images of the Virgin and Saints as well as the scenes of the Annunciation and the Adoration have been the source of artists inspiration throughout many centuries. Evangelic themes are represented in the Hermitage collection by the canvases of such men of genius as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Brueghel, Rubens, Van Dyke, Rembrandt and many others. A wide variety of masterpieces allows us to illustrate the scene of Nativity not only with magnificent paintings but also with drawings, engravings, reliefs and elegant objects of applied arts. Arca and Reader's Digest jointly present this full- colour book, with a fascinating text and elegant design which will make this edition a perfect gift and a treasured adornment to any home library

ARCA publishers present a series of small-format books that acquaint readers anew with gems of the Hermitage collection. Fascinating fragments and details that quite often escape the eye provide fresh insights into familiar paintings and drawings, sculptures, works of jewellery and archaeological finds

The State Hermitage Museum founded in 1764 by the Russian Empress Catherine the Great in the heart of historic St. Petersburg occupies an ensemble of magnificent buildings on the bank of the River Neva. The grandest of all is the Winter Palace - the former residence of the Russian tsars - designed by Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Within the walls of this artistic enclave reside the Hermitage collections, about three million works that trace the development of world art and culture from the Stone Age to today

The collection of Russian paintings at the State Hermitage contains around 3,000 items. Over a half of them are portraits, which provide priceless iconographic material for historians. The portraits represent a wide thematic range - from images of Tsars and Grand Dukes to those of military, civil and cultural figures, members of the clergy, aristocrats, country gentlemen and merchants • The chronological scope of the collection largely lies between the 18th and the early 20th century. The portraits of this period kept at the Department of the History of Russian Culture are extremely diverse and reflect nearly all the major Russian artistic trends. The Hermitage possesses works by major Russian masters of the 19th century, as well as paintings by less well-known artists, which serve to complete the picture of Russian artistic life of the time

This book presents historical costumes of the Romanov dynasty from it's 17th century founder, Mikhail Fiodorovich, to Nicholas II and Tsarevich Alexei. Each picture is accompanied by a brief informative commentary. Full-colour images of the costumes details of paintings from the Hermitage collection are placed on all four pages of the cover as guides for colouring. The book is printed on Finnish paper that allows the use of coloured pencils, watercolour, gouache or gel pens to complete the drawings

Государственный Эрмитаж принадлежит к числу крупнейших музеев мира. Вместе с Лувром, Британским музеем и музеем Метрополитен он входит в созвездие уникальных художественных сокровищниц человечества. Особую славу Эрмитажа в равной мере составляют его величественный архитектурный ансамбль, выдающиеся коллекции памятников мировой культуры и искусства, а также богатейшее историческое прошлое, связанное с рождением, расцветом и закатом главной императорской резиденции России. Три этих начала определяют структуру альбома

The Hermitage collection of the 15th and 16th-century Netherlandish painting contains about 100 works, among them several magnificent masterpieces by Robert Campin, Rogier van der Weyden and Lucas van Leyden. The Flemish school of 17th and 18th centuries is represented in the museum by the leading masters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Frans Snyders. The Hermitage holds numerous prized paintings from the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age. Included here are exquisite works by Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals, Pieter de Hooch, Jacob van Ruisdael, and many other Dutch masters

The book features seventh to fourth century BC objects from the State Hermitage's unique collection of Scythian art. In includes both well-known masterpieces and less known and expressive works, all of which equally reflect the culture of Scythian kings and nobility. by no mere chance most of the objects are made of precious metals, primarily gold, and sumptuously decorated in the so-called animal style typical of Eurasian nomadic art • The museum history of Scythian antiquities is traced back to the 18th century, yet a major part of their discoveries were made in the 19th and 20th centuries. Nowadays excavations of Scythian burial-mounds are carried on and provide new finds to keep the Hermitage collection of Scythian treasures growing. The present book comprehensively presents the great collection and offers detailed reproductions of its objects which may be of interest to art historians

The Hermitage is a great museum that belongs both to Russia and the whole world. Millions of people come to St Petersburg to visit it, but it still retains the meaning of its name given by Catherine the Great, its founder. Even nowadays the Hermitage continues to be a "place of retreat". In all ages and under all regimes people have used to withdraw here from everyday concerns of the outside world

From the New York Times bestselling author who brought us The Littlest Elf comes a sweet new Valentine's Day story filled with love, friendship, and one adorable little cupid friend! • Archie is the littlest cupid in his lovable family. He may be little, but Archie knows this is the year he'll be able to finally help out on Valentine's Day! But a cupid's official duties are a little difficult to manage when you're so little! Will Archie be able to find a way to spread love and friendship this Valentine's, or is the littlest cupid still too little? • With adorable Valentine's Day stickers!

Pronounce the word "Hermitage" in any part of Russia - and you will learn that everybody has already heard it. Even those who have never been to St Petersburg ask about the Hermitage.Taking into account all the treasures the Hermitage houses, it