donderdag 23 oktober 2014

Dining with the Tsars

A few weeks ago I visited a nice exhibition in the Hermitage in Amsterdam called "Dining with the Tsars".

Eight magnificent porcelain and creamware services from the collection of the Hermitage in Sint Petersburg are exhibited in a setting that conveys what the balls and banquets of the Russian Tsar's court were like.

The exquisite porcelain services comprising no less than 1,034 pieces exhibited on authentically laid tables with decorative centrepieces, reveal the enchanting grandeur of the Tsar's banquets.

The exhibition tells the story of the lavish ball and banqueting culture that reached its zenith under the reign (1762-1796) of Catherine the Great, Queen of Feasts when hundreds of dishes would be served at a single banquet and thousands of guests attended the balls.

The last Tsar Nicolas II (ruled 1894-1917) and his wife Alexandra organised the largest balls, but were only present as briefly as possible. With their tragic abdication, the ball and banqueting customs that had once captured the imagination of all the courts of Europe came to an end.

17 opmerkingen:

  1. So beautiful. And how clever that the barricades around the tables are ghostly chairs.

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  2. This looks a wonderful exhibition, and appears to have been presented in a splendid manner. I love the mirrors with the frosted details reflecting so much of the room settings.

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  3. It's been many years since we visited the Hermitage and the collection there is pretty incredible. These are truly treasures of times past.

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  4. Oh my goodness, what divine lovely table settings! This is just spectacular!

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  5. Lavish indeed Marianne, those Tsars sure knew how to throw a dinner :)

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  6. Exorbitant maar prachtig om te zien.

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  7. Fantastic shots ... looks like a wonderful exhibition. Wish I could visit :)

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  8. Dearest Marianne,
    One wonders how genetically being of Danish, German and Russian descent, their taste did leave a lasting impact in history. Grandeur was to be found at all courts of Europe and beyond. No comparison with the 'little working man'...
    Loved those barricades; very smart design.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  9. Artists and cooks were kept busy in those days.

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  10. How elegant and stunning! I would love to have seen this in person. I just love those peacocks!

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  11. Just magnificent. I didn't know the Hermitage sent out anything like that on loan, but it's beautiful.

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  12. Elegant. I can't even imagine the number of servants it took to pull this off!

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  13. That's some china. So pretty!
    I wonder about the peacocks though - were they stuffed ones or were the feathers fitted onto man-made peacock figures?
    Peace :)

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  14. interessant en elegante uitstelling, wat een luxe zo te mogen eten. Groetjes Dietmut

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  15. This is so sumptuous it's difficult to imagine as a way to entertain and to live.

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