"Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Allegories in Western European Art"

March 13, 2020 at 16.00 in the National Art Gallery of the State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan (Kazan, the Kremlin, the Khazine Museum Complex, 3rd entrance) will open the exhibition of Western European art of the 16th-20th centuries from the collection of Olga Zateeva.

All world art is permeated with allegorical subjects, often bearing symbolic meaning. Knowing and understanding them broadens the horizons and perception of a work of art. Offered exhibition “Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Allegories in Western European Art ”presents a collection of Olga Zateeva, on the example of which one can trace the history of the interpretation of allegorical plots around the theme“ Seasons ”during the 16th-20th centuries.

Artists and sculptors created both separate compositions and entire cycles of allegorical subjects over the centuries, each time developing new versions of the plastic image, starting from the tradition of images from previous eras. Artists of the 16th-20th centuries initially changed the interpretation of plots from genre-emblematic, full of composition symbols to depicting a realistic landscape (in the 17th century); in the 18th century a gallant scene arose from it, which turned into a genre in the 19th century. The era of modernity gradually returned to the symbolic vision of the plot, often giving different meanings and philosophical readings.

At the exhibition, you can see several complete series of the largest Dutch engravers of the XVI-XVII centuries: "The Seasons" and "Twelve Months" by F. Halle, J. Sadeler, A. Collart, C. de Pass, H. Goltzius. A series of the Italian master A. Tempesta dates back to the same time. The development of the theme of changing seasons in the collection of the collector can be traced in the works of different countries and artists until the beginning of the twentieth century. A special place is occupied by the picturesque cycle "Seasons", made in 1893 by J. Sheret, the largest French artist of the XIX century, a master of advertising.

The ivory objects expand the concept of the subject. This is a curious part of the collection, since in the medieval collections of domestic museums mainly religious sculpture is presented, and later works are inaccessible to the general public. Here you can see the works of masters of Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and France of the XVII - early XX centuries.

Porcelain - the pride and passion of collectors since the 18th century - is represented by small plastics, vases and individual items with amazing overglaze painting by Meissen, Berlin, Neapolitan and Vienna porcelain manufactories.

Allegorical series on the themes “Age of Man”, “Four Elements”, “Four Parts of the World”, “Five Senses” are a great addition to the exposition.

Exhibition “Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Allegories in Western European Art ”from the collection of Olga Kirillovna Zateeva is preceded by the exposition“ Mythology ”, in the halls of which paintings and drawings of European art of the 16th - early 19th centuries are presented. from the collection of the Pushkin Museum.

S. Chapkina Ruga