History of the St. Petersburg

Exhibited in this room are works by artists from socialist countries in Europe.

The exhibition consists almost entirely of paintings by the famous American artist Rockwell Kent (1882-1971).

Twentieth century Finnish art is represented by Two Girls of Juho Rissanen (1873-1950) and Morning in a Peasant House by Eero Nelimarkka (born 1891).

The small collection of paintings by twentieth century Italian artists includes some works of the artist, communist and champion of progressive realist art Renato Guttuso (born 1912) – Rocco and Son (1960), and Potatoes on Yellow Paper (1961).

Nineteenth century Belgian art is represented by the genre paintings of Joseph Stevenson (1819-1892) and Hendrick Leys (1815- 1869). They are evidence of the strengthening of realist tendencies in nineteenth century Belgian art.

Much of the work of the eminent realist painter Albert Edelfelt (1854-1905) is based upon themes associated with the life of the Finnish people and his native countryside (The Laundresses, Pines in Borga, Fishermen at Sea).

An important part of the exhibition in these rooms is occupied by an excellent collection of works by the Romantic landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840), including Harbour at Night, Morning in the Hills and On a Sailing Ship.

A new chapter in French history was opened in 1789 when, under the onslaught of the Revolution, the feudal Bourbon monarchy collapsed. The artistic movement which expressed the revolutionary aspirations of the progressive factions of French society was Neoclassicism.

The collection of French art in the Hermitage is exceptionally rich and is the finest outside France among the museums of the world. More than forty rooms are used to house the displays of painting, sculpture and various items of applied art.

The small but valuable collection in the Hermitage enables us to trace the major lines of development in English art, which reached its highest peak in the eighteenth century.