à St. Petersbourg,: 1800., de l'Imprimerie Impériale.
Physical Description
iv, 84 p.; 229 mm. (Octavo.)
Contents
[T.p., imprimatur] - Avertissement - [Text] - Noms des peintres, qui ont exécuté les tableaux contenus dans ce catalogue.
Responsibility Note
That the author of this catalogue is Stroganov himself is implied in the wording of the 'Avertissement': 'J'ai écrit ce catalogue pour moi, pour me rendre compte des richesses que je rassemble depuis plus de quarante ans ... Je l'ai écrit encore pour les vrais amateurs'.
References
A survey was Zaveshchano Rosii: Metsenaty u kollektsionery (1994).
Summary Note
The text is entirely in French, apart from the Censor's imprimatur printed on the verso of the title-page, which is in Russian (and dated 31 July 1800).
Stroganov arranges his catalogue in the following order: Ecole de Florence - Ecole Romaine - Ecole Lombarde - Ecole Venitienne - Ecole Napolitaine et Espagnole - Ecole des Pays-bas - Ecole Française.
In his brief 'Avertissement' he decries false lovers of art as 'comediens de sentiment', and concludes, 'Délivre-nous, grand Dieu! de ces amateurs sans amour, de ces connaisseurs sans connaissances! car ceux-là, plus que tous autres, contribuent à la corruption du goût et nuisent au progrès des arts'. Himself, he encouraged public access to his collections of paintings and books, and was actively involved in the St Petersburg Public Library and the Academy of Arts (in the same year as this catalogue was published he became President of the St Petersburg Academy).
Provenance
Presented to the Academy by Count Stroganov through Prince Hoare, and acknowledged 26 March 1803 (RAA Council Minutes, III, 178).
Binding Note
19th-century green morocco; spine lettered 'Catalogue Des Tableaux De Stroganoff', 'R.A.' and 'S. Peter 1800'.