On 7 July, the Russian House in Brussels hosted a new edition of the Hermitage Evenings ONLINE series on its virtual platform. The event was dedicated to the collections of the General Staff Building of the State Hermitage Museum and the work of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso.

Participants in the virtual tour explored the main stages in the development of Cubism, the artistic movement that fundamentally transformed ideas of form and space in art. Art historian Svetlana Olmezova presented the three key phases of Picasso’s Cubist period, illustrating them with masterpieces from the Hermitage collection.

Viewers learned about Cézannian Cubism through Three Women, Analytical Cubism through Woman with a Mandolin (1909), and Synthetic Cubism through the still life Clarinet and Violin (1912–1913). Special attention was given to Picasso’s continuous reinvention of artistic language through his exploration of form, space, and composition.

The online event also featured Lilia Galimova, a specialist from the Scientific and Educational Department of the State Hermitage Museum. She answered participants’ questions and spoke about the museum’s Picasso collection, which offers a unique opportunity to trace the evolution of the artist’s work and the emergence of one of the most revolutionary movements in the history of world art.

The Hermitage Evenings ONLINE series continues to introduce audiences to the masterpieces of Russia’s largest museum, opening new chapters in the history of art through virtual guided tours.