| The Ruin of Opulence: A reflection on the Amsterdam Hermitage |
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| Written by Daniel Cecil |
| Wednesday, 12 August 2009 14:02 |
 Stretching along the River Amstel, a building accessible by foot, bike and boat has opened its doors to the public. After five years, The Amsterdam Hermitage has revealed extensive renovations, turning this one time home for the elderly into a gallery showcasing the art of the St. Petersburg Hermitage.
The Amsterdam Hermitage, in partnership with the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, has brought together an exhibition showcasing Russian power and elegance in the 19th Century. At the Royal Court: Palace and protocol in the 19th Century, brings over 1,880 pieces from the St. Petersburg Hermitage to recreate the life of the Russian Court in the 1800’s, a time which saw 6 tsars enter and leave power, as well as the last tsar, Nicholas the II, fall from grace. The Amsterdam Hermitage has been gutted of junk wiring, halls cleared and tiled, and walls painted. Redesigned by architectural bureaus Hans van Heeswijk, Merkx+Girod, and Michael van Gessel, the modern mixes with the old in stunning effect. In minimal style, the walls are painted white, contemporary typeface is printed out on the wall, and automated glass gates give entry to the exhibition inside. This is what the Dutch are particularly good at –melding the old with the new in seamless integration.  Hermitage Russ The gallery is set into two main areas, one showcasing the ball of the Russian Court, and the other section showcasing materials used for grand banquets and masquerade balls. Markx+Girod, who also designed the interior of the revamped Hermitage, designed the main ballroom where gown and regal military garb are being displayed. This grand room displays some large Russian artifacts, such as large portraits of royalty, aristocrats, and military personnel, large urns, and the last tsarina’s piano. The inspiration from the main room, according to the Hermitage’s literature, is from the most famous rooms of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the Nicholas Hall, and St. George’s Hall. The play of light upon the white of the walls certainly leaves an impression. The ball gowns sit lonely in glass cases in the middle of the room, headless, confronting all of those who enter. It is as if those in the portraits around the garments places of rest, stare on, wishing for a reunion. However, the dresses never seem to find their rightful owners amongst the wall. It is hard to tell who is who with the placement of the paintings descriptive plaques. The portraits hang – not unlike London’s Tate Modern – one on top another. It is a modern hanging style I have never been fully able to support. Portraits are the mirrors of an age, and important, and to place them on top of each other, none garnering the same attention of light and description as the next, takes away the power of the viewer to determine which portrait is important to them. The person who hung one portrait at eye level, and another, possibly superior painting, ten feet in the air, has decided this for them.  Hermitage Russ One painting, hung at eye level, makes a point. A portrait of Anna Bernardakil is a subtle sort of perfection. The use of bright white oil, a mere shade or two lighter than the white dress it sits upon, shows a subtle hand, a nod to the Dutch Masters and their similar use of light. Her white dress, and white pearl necklace, paired with a bracelet displaying the face, if I am correct, of Julius Caesar, shows virtue, courage, and innocence in the young lady. Subtle details are present in the other portraits hanging in the gallery, I am sure, but with the details hidden by the void of space we will never know. It is a situation that perpetuates itself throughout the exhibition. So many pieces are displayed without explanation. From room to room, is a new theme; the minimal display for the smoking habits of the gentry of Russia is an interesting spectacle, giving you just enough to take your time, to comb over the fine details of the extraordinarily made pipes and smoking jackets, and fully appreciate some of the grandeur these gentlemen could afford. It is one of the few times the displays work. With so many pieces on display, it is hard to get a feel for what was trying to be said by the exhibition. Yes, it is about the grand balls and elegance of the Russian Court. Is it only meant to be about the finery, the opulence of wealth and the joy and gaiety that brings? Or should it be about the tragic decline of a great Court, now succumbed to the glass cases of antiquity. It certainly isn’t about the people who lived in the court. It speaks volumes of the exhibit that one gown in particular stands out from the rest of the pieces in the show. A pink dress stands in one of the large cylindrical glass cases in the main hall. The dress looks a bit dirty. Around the bust, where beautiful lace is sewn to the fine material of the gown, are a multitude of beads. On close inspection, several beads are missing. On closer inspection, a small stain of wine is apparent just underneath the bust. Inside that dress, was a woman of some character and life. That is what is missing from this exhibition. With all of its great display something is missing in the infrastructure; a character, a heartbeat, and a pulse. In the finery there is an aspect of missing things, of a narrative gone AWOL from the grand excess it produced. Everything thrown together in such a way, outside of its native Russia, fails to translate. Perhaps that is the purpose, to give the visual tourist a lank overview of a grand kingdom’s wealth, while the museum takes away some of theirs? I certainly hope this is not the fate of the populous gallery in the future. At the Russian Court: Place and Protocol in the 19th Century Hermitage Amsterdam P.O. Box 11675 1001 GR Amsterdam The Netherlands Bookmark us: 
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| Last Updated on Wednesday, 12 August 2009 14:23 |