The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is a beautiful building and museum that houses many wonderful works of art that are not often seen outside of Russia. Many of the galleries are setup in saloon style and the viewer can be overwhelmed by a wall full of Picasso’s or Matisses hung so close together that on first look they resembled wallpaper.
Madonna and Child - Leonardo da Vinc
I visited the Hermitage in 1994 and was a little uncomfortable with how the work was hung. There seemed to be no air or white space, with some of the older paintings hung in direct sunlight, which could not be good.
I’ve been spoiled by the extravagant and often over the top displays of art in the United States. Some museums show how the amount of white space surrounding a painting on view has come to mean “increased value”. One thing that is consistent, museums contain more art from conquest than purchase, therefore visiting can be an interesting way to study history.
If you like the cold, St. Petersburg and the Hermitage deserve a visit. You might be able to find a reasonable airfare.
[ad#Adsense Link Unit]