History and Culture: "Diverse Suvorov" exhibition to open in Saint-Petersburg

On October 8, 2020, the Alexander Suvorov State Memorial Museum (Saint-Petersburg) will open the "Diverse Suvorov" exhibition in the Painting and Graphics Hall.

A lot of images of the great commander were created during his life, but there are few iconographic types. The large exhibition of the Alexander Suvorov State Memorial Museum represents the commander's original portraits. It showcases a relief portrait for a medal in honour of Suvorov's victories in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 by A. K. Leberekht; miniature with Suvorov in a field marshal's uniform in Warsaw in 1795, by F. Bashon; an oil portrait by the Austrian court painter J. Kreutzinger, created in Vienna before the launch of the Italian campaign of 1799; pastel drawing by the Saxon portraitist I. G. Schmidt - the last lifetime image of Suvorov. The "Diverse Suvorov" exhibition illustrates the art interpretation of his image within 200 years. It proves that the Suvorov appearance is multifaceted, but it has some characteristic features that make it utterly recognizable for many centuries.

The most extensive exposition section features engravings, including the exhibit of particular interest - a picture by A. A. Osipov (1814) with a dedication to the "Follower of Suvorov's glory, Count Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich" (one of the Russian commanders in the Patriotic War of 1812, Saint-Petersburg Governor-General). The selection of oil portraits contains the painting by N. A. Shabunin, the author of the picture "Suvorov in Konchanskoye", represented in a mosaic panel on the facade of the Suvorov Museum.

Also, the exhibition showcases one of the most monumental images of Suvorov - a marble bust by O. K. Komov. A big sculpture (100x70x60 cm) weights 800 kg. It belongs to the Alexander Suvorov Museum-Estate in Konchanskoye. Now it decorates the main staircase of the Alexander Suvorov State Memorial Museum in Saint-Petersburg (Kirochnaya street, 51).