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Details
Collection of Russian Graphic Designs
Three clamshell tomes containing 2350 items, including 64 menus, 51 musical and theatrical programs; all individually matted
Each tome: 26 1/8 x 19 x 3½ in.; 22 x 16½ x 3 in.; 16½ x 11 x 4 in. (67 x 48 x 9 cm.; 56 x 41 x 7.5 cm.; 42 x 28 x 10 cm.) (3)
Three clamshell tomes containing 2350 items, including 64 menus, 51 musical and theatrical programs; all individually matted
Each tome: 26 1/8 x 19 x 3½ in.; 22 x 16½ x 3 in.; 16½ x 11 x 4 in. (67 x 48 x 9 cm.; 56 x 41 x 7.5 cm.; 42 x 28 x 10 cm.) (3)
Literature
N. Dement'eva, M. Chapkina, Prigotov' I Priglasi, Moscow, 2002
A. Rosenfeld, ed, Defining Russian Graphic Arts from Diagilev to Stalin, 1898-1934, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, 1999.
E. Yukhimenko, M. Falaleeva, Russkii Paradnyi Obed, State Historical Museum, Moscow, 2003.
M. Anikst, N. Baburina, Russian Graphic Design, New York, 1990.
A. Rosenfeld, ed, Defining Russian Graphic Arts from Diagilev to Stalin, 1898-1934, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, 1999.
E. Yukhimenko, M. Falaleeva, Russkii Paradnyi Obed, State Historical Museum, Moscow, 2003.
M. Anikst, N. Baburina, Russian Graphic Design, New York, 1990.
Further details
A highly important and comprehensive collection of Russian graphic designs from the late 19th - early 20th century includes a remarkable variety of printed material: official state announcements, coronation menus, theatre programs, candy and cigarette wrappers, pharmaceutical labels, and advertisements for consumer products.
The late 19th - early 20th century is often seen as the time of the highest achievements in Russian graphic design. Having recognized the need to forge a link between art and the ornamental forms of industrially produced objects, between academic art and graphic designs many leading Russian artists collaborated with book and magazine designers, contributed to industrial designs, and transformed the look of Russian printed materials in the most dramatic way.
The Russian Style, uniquely eclectic and decorative, based exclusively on Russian historical sources, was preferred for official announcements, ceremonial documents, and commemorative pamphlets and is represented in this collection by superb designs by Ivan Petrov-Ropet, Victor Vasnetsov, Ivan Bilibin, S. Yaguzhinskii, Boris Zvorykin among others. Represented in this unique collection are menus and programs for official state occasions designed by these artists, including the lavishly decorated menus printed for the two last coronations of the Russian Empire, for Emperor Alexander III in 1883, and Emperor Nicholas II in 1896. Designed in the traditional style the coronation menus make use of state symbols, folklore images, interlace patterns found in the medieval manuscripts and peasant carved designs. By the second half of the 19th century menus became an essential part of the high cuisine and official dinners, and another outlet for the talented Russian artists to experiment with traditional and modern design ideas. Russian Easter menus depicted traditional symbols and offerings, dinners celebrating dynastic unions were lavishly decorated with the state attributes and emblems, and menus for the anniversary dinners were illustrated with didactic and highly pictorial images. Menus for regimental dinners constitute a rather unique category of graphic designs in this collection. Annual banquets of the most elite regiments of the Russian army became important occasions to demonstrate the privileged position and closeness of these regiments to the Russian Court and the Imperial family. Often designed by the artistically gifted officers of the regiment, these menus depicted army emblems, banners and trophies, elements of the uniforms and memorable scenes from the regiment's history.
The turn of the century transition to an Art Nouveau style manifested itself in the works by the famous World of Art group and the artists closely associated with it. A. Benois, E. Lipgart. K. Somov, Ye. Samokish-Sudkovskaia created graphic designs using creative stylization, elaborate drawings and elegant vignettes and were able to raise the standards of the graphic art in Russia to unprecedented heights. In this remarkable collection they are represented by large numbers of music and theatre programs, exhibition advertisements, and official announcements.
In addition, the recent collection includes hundreds of individual items of commercial graphics: advertising posters for consumer goods, perfume and soap packing, wine and vodka tags, hundreds of chocolate and candy wrappers, cigarette and match covers and pharmaceutical labels. These designs demonstrate new and improved forms of printing, feature elaborately calligraphic letter forms, abundance of ornamentation, and a pursuit of an opulent, splendid effect.
The late 19th - early 20th century is often seen as the time of the highest achievements in Russian graphic design. Having recognized the need to forge a link between art and the ornamental forms of industrially produced objects, between academic art and graphic designs many leading Russian artists collaborated with book and magazine designers, contributed to industrial designs, and transformed the look of Russian printed materials in the most dramatic way.
The Russian Style, uniquely eclectic and decorative, based exclusively on Russian historical sources, was preferred for official announcements, ceremonial documents, and commemorative pamphlets and is represented in this collection by superb designs by Ivan Petrov-Ropet, Victor Vasnetsov, Ivan Bilibin, S. Yaguzhinskii, Boris Zvorykin among others. Represented in this unique collection are menus and programs for official state occasions designed by these artists, including the lavishly decorated menus printed for the two last coronations of the Russian Empire, for Emperor Alexander III in 1883, and Emperor Nicholas II in 1896. Designed in the traditional style the coronation menus make use of state symbols, folklore images, interlace patterns found in the medieval manuscripts and peasant carved designs. By the second half of the 19th century menus became an essential part of the high cuisine and official dinners, and another outlet for the talented Russian artists to experiment with traditional and modern design ideas. Russian Easter menus depicted traditional symbols and offerings, dinners celebrating dynastic unions were lavishly decorated with the state attributes and emblems, and menus for the anniversary dinners were illustrated with didactic and highly pictorial images. Menus for regimental dinners constitute a rather unique category of graphic designs in this collection. Annual banquets of the most elite regiments of the Russian army became important occasions to demonstrate the privileged position and closeness of these regiments to the Russian Court and the Imperial family. Often designed by the artistically gifted officers of the regiment, these menus depicted army emblems, banners and trophies, elements of the uniforms and memorable scenes from the regiment's history.
The turn of the century transition to an Art Nouveau style manifested itself in the works by the famous World of Art group and the artists closely associated with it. A. Benois, E. Lipgart. K. Somov, Ye. Samokish-Sudkovskaia created graphic designs using creative stylization, elaborate drawings and elegant vignettes and were able to raise the standards of the graphic art in Russia to unprecedented heights. In this remarkable collection they are represented by large numbers of music and theatre programs, exhibition advertisements, and official announcements.
In addition, the recent collection includes hundreds of individual items of commercial graphics: advertising posters for consumer goods, perfume and soap packing, wine and vodka tags, hundreds of chocolate and candy wrappers, cigarette and match covers and pharmaceutical labels. These designs demonstrate new and improved forms of printing, feature elaborately calligraphic letter forms, abundance of ornamentation, and a pursuit of an opulent, splendid effect.