Hermitage Masterpieces

Learn how this palace of emperors became home to one of the world's largest collections of art and why Monet and Matisse now hang in the glorious rooms where murder and mayhem were once daily fare.

Russia's fascination with world art and culture is represented by nearly three million exhibits, collected over 400 years at the Hermitage. From Catherine the Great's original assemblage of paintings to the additions of the rulers and curators that followed, the Hermitage is rivaled only by the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Experience the life and times of Peter the Great, the charismatic ruler who built St. Petersburg for his beloved Russia as a "window to the West." Though he did not live to see the completion of the Hermitage Palaces, they successfully fulfill Peter's visions of grandeur.

Witness the stunning collection of historic furnishing, fabulous tapestries, colorful pottery, fine porcelain and luxurious silver that once graced the palaces of kings and the homes of the wealthy across Europe and Russia.

Strange and wonderful artworks illustration the origins of modern civilization's ideals, dreams, and beliefs still intrigue us today, and the Hermitage collection of these ancient artifacts is extraordinary.

The vast and fabulous art collection of the Hermitage is a monument to Russian appreciation of work culture. Rediscover the civilization of ancient Egypt as it is represented by Catherine the Great's own acquisition of relics.

This awesome collection spans two centuries of history and style including Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical, as well as a number of Renaissance works that bridged the past into each new age.

Trace the journey of the Gonzaga Cameo from the necks of Cleopatra and Josephine to Catherine the Great as Russia strove to emulate the scope and power of the great civilizations of the past. The Hermitage's collection of Greek and Roman art is one of the largest in the world.

The Hermitage's collection of art from the time of dragons and knights covers the thousand years following the fall of Rome, and includes extraordinary works of art created exclusively for the Roman Catholic Church.

Discover the age of the powerful Medici family, the "Golden Age" of Florence and the innovative paintings of artist like Fra Angelico, Simone Martini and Fra Filippo Lippi.

Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and the glittering array of Venetian painters produced works of miraculous originality and power. This brief period marks one of the highest peaks of the human spirit and artistic genius, and the collection of these works which you will see in the Hermitage is among the finest in the world.

Trace the emergence of realism in the Netherlands as the elegant, aristocratic "International Style" gave way to dramatic light and brilliant color. A fresh, humanistic approach to painting was born, characterized by a new interest in portraiture and landscapes.

See the very first paintings collected for the Winter Palace by Catherine the Great herself. It is a collection know throughout the world for its size and quality.

Fascinated with the mercantile power of Holland, Russia's Peter the Great devoted much of his reign to winning a window to the West for his then landlocked nation. His love of Dutch art reflected his love for the sea, but as you will see, the Hermitage collection of Dutch painting has gone far beyond Peter's original seascapes to include the largest collection of Rembrandts in the world.

The idealism of Cervantes and his knightly service to a lofty dream parallels Peter the Great 's quest for the greatest art collection in the world. Witness the flooring of Spanish painting began when Spanish power was at its height.

Catherine the Great's desire to emulate the French court inspired construction of the Hermitage Palaces. The museum houses an unparalleled collection of French classical works from the era of France's "Sun King," Louis the Fourteenth.

Major works by Claude Monet record his experiments wth light and color. Also included are numerous works by Renoir, Pissarro, and Degas.

The Hermitage's collection endures as the art world is ushered into the realm of abstraction. Included are the brilliant, colorful works of the Fauve painters, the singular creations of Matisse, and the startling innovations of Picasso.