Original taken from museum_tarhany Wall decoration in residential premises of the 18th - first half of the 19th centuries. Wallpaper in the Tarkhan manor house

Due to the fact that the internal architecture and decoration of the manor house in Tarkhany do not quite correspond to Lermontov’s time, the museum’s management considers it necessary to conduct overhaul- restoration. There are no documents proving how the manor's house looked like in Lermontov's time. Therefore one of options creating interior decoration is a reproduction of a typical environment of that time.

Precious information about the decoration residential buildings of that era are contained in the memoirs of contemporaries, the work of writers, poets and artists (it was during the period under review that a peculiar type of image appeared, which received the general name “In the Rooms”), reference literature of those years, as well as scientific research works contemporary authors, among whom I would like

highlight the book by T. M. Sokolova and K. A. Orlova “Through the eyes of contemporaries. Russian residential interior of the first third of the 19th century.

Unfortunately, memories of provincial and landowner houses are few. But it should be noted that provincial manor houses were often built according to the model and likeness of the houses of Moscow wealthy nobles, for for a long time Moscow kept the style of building not so high as wide (as T. M. Sokolova and K. A. Orlova write). D. Blagovo in the book “Grandma’s Stories ...” reports: “The house was wooden, very large, roomy, with a garden and a kitchen garden and a huge wasteland, where in the spring, until we leave for the village, our two or three cows”17 (here we are talking about the 1790s).

In 1815, a Commission was formed for the construction of the city of Moscow. She you-worked standard projects residential development. Post-fire residential buildings in Moscow are wooden, more often one-than two-story, almost always with a mezzanine, often with a mezzanine, with an invariable front garden and an entrance porch near the side wall.

Wooden houses were sheathed with boards or plastered. They were painted in light colors prescribed by the Commission in 1816: “So that henceforth houses and fences are painted more tenderly and the best paints, for which light colors are assigned: wild, blunge, fawn and with greenery. (Colors "wild" and "blush" - light gray and flesh).

Provincial and estate landlord houses were built, as a rule, according to the same standards of architectural techniques. So, D. Blagovo writes: “This house used to belong to Count Tolstoy ... who at one time built two completely identical houses: one in his village, and the other in Moscow. Both houses were finished in exactly the same manner: wallpaper, furniture, in a word, everything, both in one and in the other. Here we are also talking about the 1790s. Count Tolstoy, according to D. Blagovo, "is a very rich man." But even quite poor landowners often built their houses on the model of Moscow ones. The same D. Blagovo reports: “The house in Khoroshilov

was then old and dilapidated, in which Neelova lived for several more years, and then she built new house on the model of our Prechistensky, built after the French. Neelova is a poor landowner, her village Khoroshilovo was located in the Tambov province.

It was just as typical. internal organization landowner's houses. “The internal structure was exactly the same everywhere: it was repeated almost without any changes in the Kostroma, Kaluga, Oryol, Ryazan and other provinces,” says Count M. D. Buturlin (memoirs date back to the 1820s).

A detailed description of the wooden provincial house in the city of Penza is given by the famous memoirist F.F. Vigel in 1802. “Here (i.e., in Penza. - V.U.) the landowners lived in the same way as in the summer in the village ... Having described the location of one of these houses, city or village, I can give an idea of ​​​​the others, so great was their uniformity.

At the beginning of the 19th century, echoes of the 18th century were still felt in the decoration of walls and ceilings, when walls and ceilings were most often painted or upholstered with damask. Moreover, murals were in use both in capital houses and in manor houses, with the difference that in St. Petersburg they preferred murals with figures of ancient deities, while in estates, colorful painting with bouquets, exotic birds, etc., was more common, which was cultivated more in Moscow. S. T. Aksakov (at the end of the 18th century): “Looking into the hall, I was struck by its splendor: the walls were painted with the best colors, they depicted forests, flowers and fruits unknown to me, birds, animals and people unknown to me. ..".

M. D. Buturlin (in 1817): “Then there were still in use clumsy (for the most part) images on the walls of a dense forest in almost real sizes and different landscape views. Among the landowners of the middle class, these plots were usually painted in the dining room ... ".

Along with the damask and paintings at that time in Russia, paper wallpaper.

Wallpaper production emerged as an independent industry already in the 18th century. Paper wallpapers were borrowed by Europeans from China, where their production has been practiced for a long time. The first wallpaper factories in Europe arose in England, then in France, Germany, and Russia. In England, cheap and medium grades of wallpaper were produced in huge quantities; in France, for the most part, only luxurious wallpapers were made; in Russia, the number of wallpaper factories was less.
...

By the end of the 18th century, wallpaper began to be used everywhere.

F. Vigel describes the house of the Kiev provincial marshal of the nobility D. Obolensky in 1797: “The whole city feasted with him twice a week ... Once they took me with them to one of these evenings. Here's what I found: two reception rooms, a long and low hall and a slightly smaller living room, both pasted over with the most ordinary paper wallpaper ... ".

The fact that wallpapering seems to Vigel to be an ordinary phenomenon and the very fact of the existence of registered wallpaper manufactories quite convincingly proves the widespread use of paper wallpapers already at the end of the 18th century. Manor houses, both urban and suburban, began to be decorated with "papers". Wallpaper was replaced with silk fabrics. From the very beginning of its existence, wallpaper did not claim to be an independent finishing material. They sought to imitate well-known, more expensive materials: leather, wood, marble, damask. Most often, the wallpaper pattern was made “under the fabric” and often

wallpaper as close as possible to the imitated material. They did not shun paper wallpaper even in palaces (Ostankino, Kuskovo, etc.).

Here is a description of the Mikhailovsky Palace: “The crimson living room adjacent to the oval hall got its name from the crimson color with golden rosettes of wallpaper pasted on canvas and covering the walls ... In symmetry with the crimson living room on the other side of the oval hall was a blue or blue living room. .. the walls in it were upholstered with canvas and pasted over with blue paper wallpaper with golden flowers.

In the 18th century, wallpaper was first glued onto the canvas, then attached to the wall. This method of decorating walls with wallpaper carries the tradition of wall upholstery with damask. Recall that in N. Gogol's "Dead Souls" near Korobochka "the room was hung with old striped wallpaper" (about the 1820s).

At the beginning of the 19th century - in the 10s and 20s - industrial-made wallpapers were used less often - mainly in residential premises (not front doors). In 1829, the Journal of Manufactories and Trade reported: “Since the time when it was found most convenient to plaster, paint and paint walls inside houses, even wooden ones, paper wallpapers gradually began to go out of use, and only in summer houses, pavilions and insufficient people have been preserved ... Such a change in taste and custom has led wallpaper factories to a cramped position ... ". One of the most popular ways to decorate walls is monochrome painting.

In connection with the new fashion, a fundamentally new type of wallpaper appears - both in terms of technology and decorative qualities. Since plaster occupies a dominant place in the decoration, they strive to make the “papers” outwardly similar to a painted plaster surface: the walls were pasted over with paper and painted

glue paint; they lost their ornamentation, becoming more and more monotonous, especially in the front rooms. “Colors acquire saturation and density. It is rarely used in living rooms with a blue color scheme, more often a deep, rich dark blue. The greenery of offices and bedrooms is saturated to the natural color of meadows and juicy spring linden crowns.

Adhesive coloring on paper could also be ornamented - on a stencil. So, in the 10s and 20s of the last century, the most common way to decorate walls in interiors wooden houses ordinary empire building has become decorative painting on paper. This was convincingly proved by the architect I. Kiselev in the course of design and research work. His wallpaper collection contains about a thousand samples of the 18th-20th centuries, that is, it practically “covers the entire chronological range of the use of paper as a finishing material ... most of its receipts consist of wallpaper for residential buildings

buildings in Moscow scheduled for demolition.

In the 1830s, one-color factory wallpapers became widespread, and the popularity of factory ornamented ones also increased. The “expensive” wallpapers included wallpapers with a very complex pattern, when complex pictures were reproduced on paper and hand-painting was used and it was necessary to superimpose up to several hundred colors on one picture one on another.

In 1829, the “Journal of Manufactories and Trade” reported: “In the case of wallpaper, the first place belongs without any doubt to the Tsarskoye Selo wallpaper factory of the department of His Imperial Majesty. Products of this wealth, taste, purity of finish and the greatest resemblance to expensive materials are unparalleled. Rich and beautiful patterns, vibrant colors, pure and delicate printing, or rather a shadow, distinguish them from everyone else so that they can be compared with the best foreign ones.
M. N. Zagoskin in the story "Evening on Khoper"

(first published in 1834) describes a provincial estate in the Serdobsky district, the territory of which is now part of the Penza region. The author testifies: “Two hefty lackeys, not luxuriously, but neatly dressed, took us out of the carriage. We entered the vast entrance hall... Having passed the billiard room, the dining room and two living rooms, one of which was covered with Chinese wallpaper, we met the owner of the house at the door of the sofa painted with bosquet.

Of those located near Moscow, the Zhilkinskaya wallpaper factory was more popular, although the quality of the wallpaper it produced was lower than that of Tsarskoye Selo. And, of course, in addition to well-organized and equipped manufactories, there were a number of small workshops. One of these workshops is described by I. S. Turgenev in the story “First Love”. “The case took place in the summer of 1833. I lived in Moscow with my parents. They rented a dacha near the Kaluga outpost... Our dacha consisted of a wooden lord's house and two low outbuildings; in the wing to the left was placed a tiny

naya factory of cheap wallpapers.

The mother of I. S. Turgenev, Varvara Petrovna, lived in Moscow on Metrostroevskaya (now) Street in a wooden house since 1839. When examining the house, I. Kiselev found paper wallpaper pasted directly on the frame under several layers in the office premises. Their drawing is strict, geometric.

laquo; Encyclopedia of the Russian urban and rural owner-architect" (it was published in 1837 and 1842) says: "Internal walls are also painted with oil and glue ... the first method is more profitable, because the walls, painted oil paint, can be washed, the second is much cheaper, more colorful and more beautiful. The interior walls are still upholstered or covered with wallpaper.

A member of the Union of Architects I. A. Kiselev, a great specialist in interior architecture of the 19th century and a great connoisseur of wallpaper, was in Tarkhany in April 1990. After examining the manor house, he wrote: “Over the memorial period (about 30 years), the nature of the decoration could repeatedly change radically. The first time after the construction, the framed walls of the log house were not finished in any way, that is, the log tree remained open. This period could be very long. At the next stage, they could glue the wallpaper directly on the log house. Further, individual local changes could be made: repair and replacement of wallpaper, wallpapering in previously unfinished premises. The presence of plaster in the interiors during the memorial period is unlikely. All the walls in the house cannot and should not be finished in the same technique. The richest and most elegant wallpaper is in the front area; it can be factory-made wallpaper, polychrome, with a pattern. Moreover, such wallpapers can only be in one front room, living room or hall, in other rooms - plain. They can also be plain with borders in living rooms. ...Wallpaper in the interiors of a manor-type house in the first half of the 19th century was the most common finishing material. simple wallpaper(not polished, not loose, with a small amount printed boards) cost much less than all other types of finishes, having rather high decorative qualities.

So, what kind of finish internal walls lordly house to give preference to reading? Currently, the walls are covered with paper and painted in monochrome. Finishing work carried out with high quality, at a high professional level: colors were very well chosen, the rules for pairing walls with window and door frames, with skirting boards, etc. were observed. This method of wall decoration is one of the most popular in the first half of the 19th century, that is, it fully corresponds in typology to the time we are interested in. And therefore, it would be possible not to talk about changing the decoration of interior walls, if not for

which circumstances. Let's consider them.

As already mentioned, there is no documentary information about the interior of the manor house for the memorial period. What happened next?

In 1845 E. A. Arsenyeva died. 14 years pass. I.N. Zakharyin-Yakunin (this is 1859) arrives in Tarkhany and describes the manor’s house as follows: “The master’s house ... turned out to be empty, that is, no one lived in it at that time, but

order and cleanliness in the house were exemplary, and it was full of the same furniture as it was eighteen years ago, when Lermontov lived in this house. The manager led Zakharyin-Yakunin into “those rooms in which Lermontov always lived while in Tarkhany. There, as in the house, everything was preserved in the same form and order as it was during the time of the brilliant tenant of these rooms. In a locked mahogany cabinet with glass, there were even books that belonged to the poet on a shelf ... Dying ... my grandmother bequeathed ... to leave the poet's rooms on the mezzanine in the same form in which they were during his lifetime and which she guarded from change while she lived herself. In 1859, when fate gave me the opportunity to visit Tarkhany, the testament of the old woman Arsenyeva was still sacredly fulfilled.

Another eight years passed, during which Gorchakov remained the manager of Tarkhan. All this time no one lived in the manor house. Under Gorchakov in 1867 - in what month, it is not known exactly - the mezzanine was removed from the house. In the same year, 1867, a well-known doctor and local historian N.V. Prozin visited Tarkhany. He wrote: “You ... drive up to the porch of a small manor house ... everywhere thick mura-va covered the entire courtyard like a velvet carpet. Single storey wooden house was previously with a mezzanine, but the mezzanine was removed very recently and still stands undisassembled right there, in the manor's courtyard ... Lermontov spent a lot of time here and lived in the same mezzanine, which is now removed and placed in the yard ... The location of the rooms in the house remains to this day the same as it was before, when the poet lived in it.

N.V. Prozin visited Tarkhany in the summer, judging by the fact that porridge is in bloom, wild chi-cory, roses and meadows are lush green.

In 1891, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the death of the poet, N.V. Prozin again writes about his visit to Tarkhan: “Several years ago, when I was in the village of Tarkhany, I found the old servant Lermontov still alive ... The old man was already decrepit even then and, besides, blind... Even at that time in Tarkhany, I found that mezzanine on the house where Lermontov lived intact. ...Thanks to the courtesy and enlightened attention of the manager

P. N. Zhuravleva, I could see the whole house. Directly from the living room, pasted over with old dark blue wallpaper with golden stars, from a low balcony, we went down to the garden.

We also have information about other rooms of the manor house. The daughter-in-law of Uncle Lermontov A.I. Sokolova Anna Petrovna Kuznetsova said: “The manor house was with a mezzanine, as it is now. Its walls were pale yellow, the roof was green, and the columns were white... The mezzanine was demolished because of dilapidation, but then restored in the same form as before. ... Mikhail Yurievich's room was papered yellow wallpaper, and there was a ka-min in it; the furniture in it was yellow, sheathed in yellow silk. ... In the living room there were two stoves made of white tiles, and the floor was cut into parquet; the walls in it were upholstered burgundy wallpaper... The walls of the hall were covered with light wallpaper, and a chandelier with glass pendants hung.

V. A. Kornilov - being the director - in the first guide to the Tarkhan museum-estate wrote: "The restoration of the manor house ... was carried out in 1936, and it was based on the testimony of the old residents of the village of Lermontov and the poet's texts" .

...
In the era of late classicism (Russian Empire, in the style of which the manor's house was built), each room was painted with its own, only inherent color scheme: the hall was, as a rule, light, by analogy with the facade - yellow, pale, blanche tones; hostess's room (study - bedroom) - green; the living room was most often blue or light blue; if there were several living rooms, the next ones could be pink, raspberry, lemon.

In three texts by M. Yu. Lermontov - wallpaper. In the first case, these are “multi-colored wallpapers” in the style of the 18th century in the house of a wealthy provincial landowner Palitsyn; in the second - "light blue French wallpaper" in the room of a dandy-Petersburg officer, in the third - "old wallpaper" in the house of his beloved Sashka, the hero of the poem, a girl of the middle class.

What can be concluded from all of the above?

First: based on the typology, a manor's house can be painted (oil or glue, monochrome or stenciled); there could be factory-made paper wallpapers (monochrome and ornamented). Any of these types of finishes will match the era.

Second, we have evidence for wallpaper. And we do not have those in favor of other types of finishes. This information, of course, is not a document for the memorial period, but we cannot, we have no right to neglect them, because we have so little information about the decoration, architecture, decoration of the manor house that any, even the smallest grain, at least bringing us a little closer to the era of Lermontov, we must cherish, store and use in our work.

Materials:
1. D. Blagovo. Grandmother's stories. From the memories of five generations, recorded and collected by her grandson. L., Science, 1989
2. T.M. Sokolova, K.A. Orlov. Through the eyes of contemporaries. Russian residential interior of the first third of the 19th century. L., Artist of the RSFSR. 1982
3. S.T. Aksakov. Sobr. op. in 4 vols. M., 1955, v. 1
4. N.V. Gogol. Sobr. op. in 4 vols. M., Pravda, 1952. v. 3
5. Journal of manufactories and trade. SPb. No. 6, 1829
6. A. Kiselev Wallpaper XVIII-XIX centuries. - Decorative art of the USSR, 1979, No. 4
7. M.N. Zagoskin. Favorites. M., Pravda, 1988
8. I.S. Turgenev. PSS, vol. 9. M.-L., 1965
9. Encyclopedia of the Russian urban and rural owner-architect of St. Petersburg, part 1
10. I.N. Zakharyin-Yakunin. Belinsky and Lermontov in Chembar. (From my notes and memoirs). — Historical Bulletin. 1898, book. 3
11. Museum archive. Materials for the history of Tarkhan; op. 1, unit ridge 75
12. P.A. Viskovatov. Mikhail Yurjevich Lermontov. Life and art. M., Sovremennik, 1987
13. V. Kornilov. Museum-estate of M.Yu. Lermontov. State Literary Museum, 1948
14. M.Yu. Lermontov Collection. op. in 4 vols. M., Fiction, 1976, v. 1,

Interior in Russian graphics of the 19th - early 20th century

When photography was invented in the 19th century, it became possible to capture reality with documentary accuracy. People gladly began to take pictures, and soon the watercolor portrait ceased to be in demand, and the photographic portrait firmly took its place. However, progress did not affect the interior genre in any way: interiors continued to be painted in the same volume as before, and the demand for watercolor albums with views of palaces and estates was still as high. However, man-made sketches of interiors are valued to this day, even in the era of digital photography and the endless possibilities of image processing. Although, of course, rather as an excellent exception to the general rule.

V.P. Trofimov. White living room in the house of the Moscow Governor-General. Early 1900s. Fragment

A.P. Baryshnikov. Red living room in the house of the Moscow governor-general. 1902. Fragment

And then everyone who could afford it wanted to capture their home, family nest in colors. The photo was black and white, and the owners wanted to keep in mind not only the space and shape, but also the color. The photograph allowed for geometric distortions, deterioration of sharpness as it moved away from the center, and the owners wanted not a single detail, not a single fragment to be left uncovered. There was another very important point, because of which the interior genre in graphics continued to live and prosper despite technical innovations. We will definitely talk about it, but a little later. In the meantime, let's finally begin to consider these same watercolor "portraits" of interiors, in front of which advanced technology turned out to be powerless.

Drawings from the album of Countess E.A. Uvarova. 1889-1890

E.A. Uvarov. Study-living room in the estate of Counts Uvarovs (Porechye, Moscow province). 1890

E.A. Uvarov. Study-living room in the estate of Counts Uvarovs (Porechye, Moscow province). 1890. Fragment

Since the end of August 2016, the State Historical Museum in Moscow has opened an exhibition representing a whole gallery of graphic works of the 19th - early 20th centuries, united by the interior theme. Designers and architects are not often seen at such exhibitions, usually they prefer printed catalogs or pictures that have been leaked on the Internet. However, those who have seen the originals at least once understand how much “in real life” the impression is richer and more informative.

At the exhibition you will find a fascinating immersion in the world of interiors. famous people of that time: the empress, the Moscow governor-general, an outstanding historian, the son of Admiral Kruzenshtern, the daughter of the chief architect of Odessa, the minister of education, a secular lady and even a future saint.

The uniqueness is that these images are historical documents showing the interior decoration of the houses of the period under consideration with factual accuracy. For example, about the paintings of the Dutch of the 17th century, the founders of the interior genre, one cannot say so: the artists of that time preferred objects-symbols and allegory, as well as the clarity of the composition to the detriment of historical truth. In the 20th century, the author's view and emotional background, which the artist seeks to convey, rather than recreating real space, comes to the fore in the image of the interior. Therefore, the drawings of Russian masters of the 19th century, in addition to their artistic value, are also a reliable source of information on the history of the Russian interior.

Unknown artist. Enfilade of rooms in an unknown mansion. 1830s

We will tell you about some of the works that the exposition presents. The rest can be seen at the exhibition in the State Historical Museum until November 28, 2016, as well as in the catalog album Interior in Russian graphics of the 19th - early 20th centuries. From the collection of the State Historical Museum / Comp. E.A. Lukyanov. - M., 2016.

Living room in the estate of the princes Shakhovsky (Moscow province)- a wonderful example of comfort and simplicity of a classic noble house. A soft set, covered with light textiles with a floral pattern, successfully organizes the space, but does not deprive it of immediacy.

Unknown artist. Living room in the estate of the Shakhovsky princes (Belaya Kolp, Moscow province). 1850s

In the study-living room of the estate of the princes Shakhovsky simple forms of furniture are freely combined with a complex ceiling, and amber-colored Karelian birch — with white napkin seats and sofa upholstery that looks quite modern.

Unknown artist. Study-living room in the estate of the Shakhovsky princes (Belaya Kolp, Moscow province). 1850s

And here is a place where we would hardly be able to get in reality — office of Count Uvarov in the building of the Ministry of Public Education in St. Petersburg. S.S. Uvarov not only headed this same Ministry and was an outstanding political figure of his time, but also became famous as a brilliant scientist, connoisseur of classical antiquity and art collector. In the count's office there were, for example, Etruscan vases, a sculpture of cupid by E.M. Falcone, picturesque views of Venice, as well as many other valuable objects and paintings. The shape of the chandelier under the ceiling with a glass "umbrella" over a metal base is interesting.

A.N. Rakovich. Office of Count S.S. Uvarov in the building of the Ministry of Public Education in St. Petersburg. 1847

Study in the house of Professor Granovsky in Moscow captivates with its scholarly atmosphere: books in bookcases, books on an armchair, books on a chair and on a flower stand. On the tables — mountains of manuscripts. By the way, there are two tables. — one written, the other — desk — to work standing or sitting on a high stool. The outstanding Russian historian T.N. Granovsky is known for his scientific works and active social activities. So many prominent personalities of that time climbed the spiral staircase, the balustrade of which so gracefully decorates the office.

Unknown artist. An office in the house of T.N. Granovsky in Moscow. 1855

However, let's perhaps move a little away from science and politics and visit salon of the house of Victoria Frantsevna Marini, daughter of the leading architect of Odessa. It is light and calm here: pleasant colors, a carpet, groups of chairs in snow-white covers. The hall is zoned with textiles on the cornice. The front wall is decorated with draperies and narrow columns that serve as the basis for paintings.

Unknown artist. Salon in the house of V.F. Marini in Odessa. 1840s

Study-living room in the house of Maria Trofimovna Pashkova in St. Petersburg — a purely feminine territory: in pink and gold finishes, complex lambrequins with tassels on the windows, on the wardrobe — tea-set. However, the central place in the room is occupied by a large desk with cabinets for papers and a comfortable chair-trough. Along the perimeter of the table, you can see a functional openwork fence. On the left is a sofa-couch with an asymmetrical back and wheels, on the right is a large mirror — an oasis in flower pots, doubled by mirror reflection.

Unknown artist. Study-living room in the house of M.T. Pashkova in St. Petersburg. 1830s

The exhibition presents two large series of watercolors illustrating the interiors of entire houses: the palace of the Moscow Governor-General Sergei Alexandrovich Romanov and the villa (cottage) of Princess Zinaida Yusupova. Both houses have survived to this day, but the historical interiors, unfortunately, are not. Therefore, it is especially interesting to see them in drawings that convey not only the life and atmosphere of that time, but also the personality traits of eminent owners.

front rooms houses of the Moscow governor-general, of course, impress with artistic integrity and luxurious design, but for practical designers, it would probably be more interesting to look into the private chambers of the Romanovs' house. Let's say in dressing room of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, brother of Alexander III and uncle Nicholas II. Equipped with plumbing with a tap and sinks, it nevertheless looks like an art gallery: on the walls there are dense hanging portraits of ancestors and relatives, saints and heroes, on the floor — carpeting, on the right is a sofa in satin upholstery. Although, if you imagine a room without paintings, it turns out that it is decorated very functionally and without pathos.

I.I. Nivinsky. The dressing room of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich in the house of the Moscow Governor-General. 1905

The wife of Sergei Alexandrovich, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, was a German princess by birth, after marriage she converted to Orthodoxy. During her lifetime, she was distinguished by piety and mercy, after the revolution she was killed, and after many years — glorified in the face of the holy new martyrs. Two drawings, made in 1904-1905, well characterize the personality of this unique woman, a noble lady and at the same time a person with the qualities of a saint.

Prayer corner in the couple's bedroom decorated very comfortably and tastefully. In the corner — traditional canonical icons in a large carved folding icon-case. On the walls — paintings on a religious theme and icons placed in frames for painting. It can be seen that the hostess was aware of the new discoveries of the Christian world. — on the right wall above all the images is a copy of the face of Christ from the Shroud of Turin, which was first presented to the general public in 1898, after receiving photographs.

I.I. Nivinsky. The bedchamber of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna in the house of the Moscow Governor-General. Corner with carved oak icon case and icons. 1904

And this boudoir of the Grand Duchess — the kingdom of textiles and light, a secluded, deeply personal space. The walls are covered with colored cloth, the doors and windows are framed with curtains; table, chair, ottoman wrapped in fabric entirely; there is a carpet on the floor, a lamp in a green “skirt” with ruffles. Here and there lie white airy napkins embroidered with richelieu. The monumental wooden dressing table standing on the right looks in contrast. An interesting vertical picture above the trellis, more like a poster or a large book illustration depicting a Russian village in winter.

I.I. Nivinsky. Boudoir of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna in the house of the Moscow Governor-General. 1905

By the way, not all works from the album of interiors of the princely couple Sergei Alexandrovich and Elizabeth Feodorovna are exhibited at the exhibition. The full cycle can be seen in the exhibition catalogue.

Before moving on to the story of the second house, which is dedicated to a series of works, let's look at one more study. It was impossible to pass by and not mention it in any way. This study-library in the mansion of the manufacturer K.O. Giro in Moscow. Claudius Osipovich came from France and founded a weaving factory in Moscow, which later became one of the largest in Russia. The room is impeccable in its arrangement of furniture, symmetry and compositional balance. Each object and object is in the right place and in a clear connection with other objects. Integrity is also achieved by using the same fabric for the sofa, chairs and curtains.

A. Teich. Cabinet-library in the mansion of K.O. Giro in Moscow. 1898

Princess Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova, the villa (cottage) which was sketched by the artist, — this is not the blue-eyed brunette from Serov's portrait, but her grandmother. Also an incredible beauty and sophisticated aristocrat, the first lady at St. Petersburg balls. Luxurious cottage in Tsarskoye Selo was built by the court architect I.A. Monighetti in the neo-baroque style, and the interiors are decorated in various styles. The author of the album with views of the interior is one of the leading watercolorists of that time, Vasily Sadovnikov — also a courtier, but an artist. The Yusupov family was so influential and wealthy that they could afford to use the services of specialists who worked for the emperors.

V.S. Sadovnikov. Living room in Chinese style. Villa (cottage) of Princess Z.I. Yusupova in Tsarskoye Selo. 1872

Sadovnikov worked like a true professional. At first he made pencil sketches of all the details of the interior. Then he drew the perspective of the room and created a general, universal perspective, synthesizing it from several options. Then he drew a sketch of the interior, accurately distributing objects in a new image “synthesized” from several angles, achieving maximum coverage of the room and the absence of distortion. At the very end, I painted everything. The result was an ideal presentation of the interior, with a detailed panorama of the room and correction of geometric distortions.

In general, the artist made by hand what today is called panoramic photography, assembled from individual images, as well as digital image correction, carried out using compensation algorithms in graphic editors.

V.S. Sadovnikov. Louis style living roomXVI. Villa (cottage) of Princess Z.I. Yusupova in Tsarskoye Selo. 1872

Remember, at the beginning of the article, we promised to talk about another very important point, why the 19th century camera could not defeat watercolor interiors? That's exactly why. The camera couldn't do that. I could not "grab" a large space as widely as possible, create a holistic perspective without geometric distortions, and maintain a harmonious look of each object. All this became possible only in the digital age, with the advent of photo post-processing programs.

And then ... And then, apparently, they simply loved their houses very much, the unusual "interior" beauty and things dear to the heart, — loved so much that they did not want to be content with black and white conventions and small fragments. No, we needed both color and air, and high ceiling, and a clock on the fireplace, and plant compositions — everything to the max. And since the artists were talented, they could convey it — then love for the interior was manifested in its entirety, through detailed watercolor “portraits”. We can only sincerely rejoice, because thanks to the fact that the graphic interior genre was not defeated by progress, we can still enjoy the beauty of the Russian house hundreds of years later.

G.G. Gagarin. Enfilade of rooms in an unknown mansion. 1830-1840s

Exhibition “Interiors in Russian graphics of the 19th — early 20th centuries. From the collection of the State Historical Museum” is open until November 28, 2016 at the address: Moscow, Red Square, 1.

The beginning of the 19th century is characterized by the emergence in France of an architectural and interior trend called Empire. The so-called imperial style is distinguished by luxury and solemnity, designed to emphasize the greatness of Emperor Napoleon. The organic combination of Roman antiquity, Egyptian motifs, the architectural monumentality of the interiors, the abundance of gilding and bright colors in the decoration allowed the French Empire style to exist for quite a long historical period and, with some changes, be adopted by both the Russian imperial court and bourgeois Germany. The 19th century allows you to plunge into the atmosphere of grandeur and luxury of ballrooms, living rooms, boudoirs of that time.

Characteristic features of the style

Empire as an architectural and interior style originated in the early 19th century with light hand Napoleon Bonaparte. It was designed to emphasize the greatness of the emperor, combining the solemnity, luxury and severity.

The basis of the Empire is Roman antiquity with its monumental arches, columns, caryatids. Architecture and interiors of the 19th century in the imperial style are distinguished by monumentality, integrity and symmetry.

The decoration used mahogany, marble, bronze and gilding. The walls were decorated with paintings of antique scenes, bas-reliefs. Plaster moldings were used on the ceiling.

Interiors of the 19th century in the Empire style are designed in rich colors: blue, red, green, turquoise, white. They go well with an abundance of gilding and ornate decor. Pastel shades were also often used: milky, beige, lavender, pale blue, pistachio, mint.

The decoration was complemented by monumental mahogany furniture with decorative bronze overlays or gilded carvings. Animal motifs in furniture were popular: legs in the form of paws, armrests with lion heads. provoked a fashion for authentic paraphernalia, which subsequently influenced the French Empire, organically merging into the interior along with antique motifs. Military themes were no less popular: paintings with scenes of battles, weapons.

Walls

The walls in the interior of the 19th century of the imperial style were painted with antique scenes and exotic landscapes. Often there were bas-reliefs. Wallpaper was rarely used, mainly with a pattern in the form of monograms or strict stripes. In the bedrooms and boudoirs, the walls were draped with textiles decorated with Roman-style acanthus. V color scheme bright colors prevailed: red, blue, green, and also white. They are wonderfully combined with an abundance of gilding, emphasizing the majesty and identity of the situation.

A characteristic feature of the Empire style are stucco moldings in the decoration of the walls. Columns were made of marble, malachite and other ornamental stones, stucco molding was covered with gilding. Huge mirrors are an essential attribute of the interior of the 19th century. They were actively used in decor, complemented by ornate gilded frames.

Ceiling

The ceilings in Empire style interiors are always high, domed or straight. The main color is white. The ceiling was decorated with paintings and grisaille. It is difficult to imagine the interior of the 19th century in the imperial style without stucco. Gypsum rosettes, cornices, moldings and other decorations were used everywhere. Often the stucco was covered with gilding. The strict centralization of the composition and the symmetry characteristic of the Roman style can be clearly seen in the Empire style. The center of the ceiling was necessarily decorated with patterns and complemented by a magnificent hanging chandelier. Gilding and crystal harmoniously emphasized the solemn

Imperial style lighting plays an important role. With a large area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room, several large symmetrically located chandeliers were often installed. In addition to them, there were wall and table candelabra in the room. Numerous lights, reflected in mirrors and gilding, created a unique atmosphere of solemnity and grandeur.

Furniture

In the interior, the furniture was monumental, like a work of architectural art. Such exclusively architectural elements as columns, cornices, caryatids were used. Countertops were often made from a single piece of marble or malachite. Sofas, armchairs, couches were smooth ergonomic shapes.

Mahogany was widely used. The furniture was decorated with bronze plates, gilded carvings, legs and armrests stylized as animals. Animal motifs are clearly visible in the imperial style: the heads and paws of lions, eagle wings, snakes. Mythical creatures were also popular: griffins, sphinxes. The upholstery of couches, chairs, armchairs in the French Empire style is mostly monophonic, made in marble or leather. Round tables on one leg appeared in the interiors, sideboards for dishes and fashionable knick-knacks, a secretary with a shelf for books.

Decor

The decor of the 19th century is dominated by ancient Roman and Egyptian motifs - columns, friezes, pilasters, ornament with acanthus leaves, sphinxes, pyramids. The era of the Napoleonic wars could not but affect the interior. Images of weapons were widely used: sabers, shields, arrows, cannons, cannonballs. The decorators of that time could not ignore the laurel wreath as a symbol of greatness. It is found everywhere.

The interior is replete with plaster statues, paintings and huge mirrors in massive gilded frames. Complex draperies on windows and walls are a characteristic feature of the Empire style. The beds were decorated with canopies. All decor in the interior of the imperial style is carefully verified, and the same images can be found in the decor of furniture, walls, accessories and even books.

Russian Empire

The Russian interior of the 19th century took a lot from the French Empire, reworking and softening it. Instead of mahogany and bronze overlays on furniture, Karelian birch, ash, and maple were used. The furniture was decorated with gilded carvings. The creatures of Egyptian mythology were successfully replaced by Slavic ones. Unlike the French Empire, which elevates the personality of the emperor in the first place, the Russian paid more attention to the greatness of state power. Marble was replaced with Ural malachite, lapis lazuli and other ornamental stones.

Russian Empire gradually divided into two directions: metropolitan and provincial. Stolichny was more like French, but was softer and more plastic. An undoubted contribution to the development of the style was made by the Italian Carl Rossi. The provincial version of the Russian Empire was even more restrained, close to classicism.

Empire is a bright and majestic style in architecture and interior design of the 19th century. The splendor and identity of the interiors was designed to emphasize the greatness of the emperor. characteristic features imperial style are centered composition, bright colors, an abundance of gilding, stucco, huge mirrors, antique, Egyptian, animal and military motifs.

There are opportunities to use the style of the 19th century in modern interior design. Designers can bring to life the implementation of such a project using modern materials and stylized items. Luxurious Empire style can decorate any apartment, there would be a desire and opportunities.

The other day I managed to visit an incredibly "delicious" ( for both gourmet and photographer) place - the house-estate of the manufacturer Dumnov in the village of Zarechye, Vladimir Region.

The manufacturer's house is at the same time a museum of weaving, an exemplary merchant's estate late XIX century and hotel. The recreated interiors of a rich merchant's house with antique items are very impressive...

Since we came to the estate more on museum business, we did not really manage to immerse ourselves in interesting story this place.

Therefore, we will give its description from a third-party resource (strana.ru), decorating the text with our photographs: “The mansion of the manufacturer I.S. two-storey house with beautiful architraves and a strong fence. Behind the fence there is a wonderful garden not visible from the street, gazebos, a real Russian bathhouse. Well-maintained country estate in the very center of the village.

This splendor is not so old - at the end of the 20th century, a century-old house was not much different from other houses abandoned to the mercy of fate, left without owners. The estate was taken away from the Dumnovs in the wake of dispossession, almost the entire family was imprisoned and deported, and a village school was placed in the house, which closed in the nineties.

Already in the new era, the granddaughter of the last of the Dumnovs, Galina Maslennikova, returned to the District. She managed to buy the ancestral home and a piece of land under it. The goal was formulated right away: not just to equip a place to live, but to open a museum in the District.

With the help of sponsors and with the assistance of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum, the Maslennikov family managed to put the estate in order, recreate the old interiors, set up a garden and collect a collection of exhibits dedicated to the unique craft that the village of Zarechye was famous for.

The fact is that before the historic victory of the proletariat, the Dumnov factory produced silk, silk velvet and plush, and in the village almost every house had spinning wheels and machines. Everyone weaved - men, women, old people and children.

After the revolution, it turned out that luxurious fine fabrics were alien to the people, and the production was retrained for artificial plush and lining fabrics. The craft almost died if it were not for the enthusiasm of the Dumnov heiress, who was supported by the Zarechensk residents.

They willingly donated antiques for the museum collection - in almost every house in the attic some historical object was lying around, like a grandmother's spinning wheel, details of looms, various antique utensils. Something was found in other villages, bought from antique dealers. Today the museum is justifiably proud of, for example, the presence of a hand loom, which is extremely rare in the world's museums of a similar profile. The entire process of creating fabric, all the necessary devices for this device, were carefully collected and restored.

The exposition is located in two houses next to the main house of the Dumnovs. A typical peasant hut has turned into a small museum "The House of the Rural Weaver", and a copy of an old private factory, which was called a lighter, was built nearby: it is a two-story hut, only with many windows to make it brighter.

Interestingly, each window does not consist of the usual two or four glasses, but of a large number of small cells. This is explained by reasonable economy: the spindle often broke off, flew off the window, and in order not to change the entire expensive glass each time, they were prudently divided into fragments.

The interior genre became widespread in Russian art of the first half XIX in .. The pages of home albums were filled with watercolor drawings of elegant rooms, living rooms, and cabinets. These drawings have become a truly invaluable material by which one can reliably judge the appearance of the noble house of that time.

One of early works of this genre is a large (32.5 x 47.1 cm) watercolor sheet by S. F. Galaktionov “Blue Bedroom in the Palace”.

1. Blue bedroom in the palace. S. F. Galaktionov

In Russia in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in the houses of middle-class nobles, the bedroom did not belong to the front rooms. Another thing is in palaces, where the bedroom served the purposes of secular ceremonial. The fashion adopted from France considered the ritual of dressing and cosmetics of the owner (hostess) of the palace as a small ceremonial reception, so the decor of the bedroom with a four-poster bed resembled a throne room in everything. The appearance of the front bedchamber was a measure of the wealth and nobility of its owner. It was the front bedroom that was often one of the most decoratively saturated rooms in the palace.

The bedchamber, as a rule, closed the suite of front rooms.

The design of the front bed and the canopy was of particular importance. The most expensive fabrics were used in the decoration: damask, satin, grodetur. According to the rules of upholstery, golden galloons, braids, tassels and fringe, as well as all kinds of ribbons, bows, garlands and bouquets of flowers served as an obligatory addition to the woven trim.

Window and door openings were no less richly decorated. As usual, the windows were draped with at least three pairs of curtains. But often their number reached six pairs, ranging from light transparent calicos, then denser taffeta and ending with heavy damasks, velvet and brocade.

In addition to the front bed, the bedroom furnishings included various armchairs, mirrors, screens, a bed for daytime relaxation, which were various canapés, chaise lounges and ottomans. The obligatory accessory of the bedroom was a small work table and a round table, at which they drank coffee or tea in the morning.

In the Blue Bedroom by S.F. Galaktionov you can find important details interior design, reflecting the taste and aesthetics of the outgoing eighteenth century:
Floor covering - carpet throughout the room; stenciled wallpaper, window drapery…. and of course the Canopy Bed.

Since it was the "Canopy Beds" that created the impression of fabulous splendor in the palace bedrooms, I can not resist the desire to decorate my post with a few drawings of them.

2. Bedroom of the wife of General Moreau. 1802

3. Drawing of Juliette Recamier's bed.

4. Bedroom of Julette Recamier in the Empire style.

5. Collection of drawings of Empire beds.