On the occasion of Sergei Shchukin’s birthday

On 23 June, the Russian House in Brussels hosted another online tour as part of the Evening at the Hermitage series, dedicated to the work of the great French artist Henri Matisse and the unique collection of French paintings at the State Hermitage Museum.

Participants in the virtual event explored the exhibition on the fourth floor of the General Staff Building, which features masterpieces of French art from the mid-19th to the early 20th century from the renowned collections of Sergei Shchukin and the Morozov brothers. The tour traced the history of one of the world’s finest collections of French painting, spanning Impressionism to the early avant-garde.

Special attention was given to Sergei Shchukin, the outstanding Russian collector who was among the first to appreciate the innovative art of his time and recognize the artistic revolution embodied in the works of young French masters.

The central theme of the tour was the work of Henri Matisse and his friendship with Sergei Shchukin. Participants learned how the collector’s acquaintance with the artist developed into a long-standing collaboration, thanks to which Russia acquired a unique collection of Matisse’s works.

The tour featured some of the artist’s most celebrated paintings, including Dance, Music, The Red Room, Portrait of the Matisse Family, and other masterpieces that have become symbols of 20th-century art.

The tour was led by Olga Leontyeva, Chief Curator of the Department of Western European Fine Arts at the Hermitage Museum, who also answered participants’ questions. She spoke about the history of the paintings, the distinctive features of Matisse’s artistic language, and the significance of his work for world art.

The event attracted great interest from the audience and once again demonstrated that the Evening at the Hermitage project offers a unique opportunity to discover masterpieces of world art from the comfort of home.