In 2004, the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco presented “Imperial Saint Petersburg,” the inaugural showcase of Russian art. What’s different this time? Brigitte de Montclos, the exhibition curator, explains, “It’s not at all the same exhibition starting over. Here, we dive deep into the heart of the subject of the Romanovs by focusing on Moscow.” This exhibition aims to recount 300 years of the Russian city, restoring the image it deserves, one that few people actually know compared to its current state.
The exhibition is divided into eight sections, each representing a period in Moscow’s history while integrating the life of the royal family. It begins with the tsar’s coronation through the reconstruction of the Dormition Cathedral. And it concludes with Russian avant-garde style. Between these two events, Moscow was artistically enriched. Each room of the exhibition recreates an era, a characteristic of Moscow—from the Peredvizhniki (Wanderers) painters, to the jewelry, the Russian art (‘ruskii style’), and the Romanov family.
The pieces assembled for the exhibition have been largely loaned by the Historical Museum of Moscow and the Kremlin Museum, as well as by Russian, Swiss, French, Monegasque museums, and private individuals. Clothing, jewelry, paintings, engravings… all these items contribute to reviving Moscow, the city that was no longer the capital at the time.
