The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts presented visitors with a detective story

MOSCOW. Visitors to the Pushkin Museum. Pushkin got a unique opportunity to see the painting "Evangelist Mark" painted by the Dutch master of painting Frank Hals Elder. On Tuesday, April 30, within the framework of the project “Exhibition of one painting”, a presentation of the display of the world-famous masterpiece delivered to Moscow from the London gallery took place.

The author of the canvas, an outstanding Dutch master of portraiture of the 17th century, became famous thanks to the large number of portraits painted in an unusual painting style, which have an unconditional similarity and an amazing subtlety of shades. The Evangelist Mark is one of four portraits of the Evangelists series, which was acquired by Catherine the Second in 1773.

Initially, a series of paintings was in the collection of the Imperial Hermitage, but later, in 1812, at the personal command of Alexander the First, it was transferred to decorate churches in the Tauride province. Subsequently, traces of the paintings of the Evangelists series were lost. Only in 1959, two canvases of this series were discovered in one of Odessa museums. After a thorough study of the paintings, it was found that these are the paintings of Hals “St. Matthew” and “St. Luke”.

After 13 years, the German art critic Grimm purchased at the auction "Portrait of a bearded man", the author of which was considered the Italian artist Luca Giordano. However, the studies conducted by Grim found that this painting is a lost painting, "Evangelist Mark." Here is such an amazing story in the picture, which received a temporary residence permit in the exposition of the Pushkin Museum im. Pushkin. While it can be seen until July 28th, but it is possible that the canvas will remain in there forever.

Another painting, "St. John" is in the California Museum, acquired at Sotheby’s in 1997.

Ludmila Trautmane © Gallerix.ru