Guided Mini-Tour: “Gifts and Prayers: The Romanovs and Their Subjects”

On your way to view the newly arranged permanent collection, be sure to stop in the Dorothy Alexander Roush and Martha Thompson Dinos Galleries. They’ll be easy to spot because they’re the ones painted verdant green. They feature highlights drawn from an extensive collection of 2,217 objects on extended loan to the museum and make up “Gifts and Prayers: The Romanovs and Their Subjects,” on display through December 31. The exhibition illuminates a culture of gift-giving in the Russian Empire, where rulers could maintain their benevolent image and their subjects could appease those in power.

Vasilii, F. Timm (1820–1895) [Georg Wilhelm Timm], chromolithograph. From the coronation album of
Alexander II: Alexander II receiving felicitations from the Cossacks in Saint Andrew Hall
of the Great Palace in the Moscow Kremlin

With just over 140 objects ranging from miniscule medals to towering trophies, it’s easy to feel lost in the grandeur, so we’ve put together this guided mini-tour to help you make the most of your visit. As you first enter the Roush Gallery, take in the presence of the silver trophy from a distance, then begin to notice the masterful craftsmanship in its details. It is topped with the doubled-headed eagle, an important feature in the Russian coat of arms; its two heads represent the Russian Empire as the great bridge between East and West. You might recognize it multiple times throughout the exhibition. In this case, the double-headed eagle was used to call attention to the valor of a commander during the Crimean War.

Breastplate with the imperial
double-headed eagle, ca. 1900

In the middle of the room sits a large, wooden cigar box covered in miniatures to represent the empire’s territories. It was given to Alexander II at his coronation to commemorate a specific moment in which the tsar and his people blessed and prayed for one another. Opening the box was like reliving the experience.

Presentation cigar box with a coronation scene and coats of arms, 1856

Now, turn toward the doorway where you entered to view a silver snuffbox with a portrait of Alexander I. The relief depicts him wearing the traditional laurels of victory in reference to his triumph over Napoleon’s forces. His profile sits atop a pedestal surrounded by weapons, armor and imagery resembling the Ark of the Covenant. As you move back toward the entrance, notice a painting of a little boy. This 1827 portrait was a previously unknown and undocumented work created by the famed painter Aleksei Venetsianov, and it shows a delicate sensitivity for the vibrancy of youth. It demonstrates the power of portraiture, and its placement in the exhibition shows the diverse use of portraits in 19th-century Russia. To the right, a pair of luminous objects feathered with gold will surely catch your attention. The first, a triptych, was presented to the Lifeguard Volinsky Regiment by the last imperial couple in 1907. It shows gratitude for the unit’s safeguard, complemented by the prayers of protection written on the outside. The other object showcases the opposite direction of giving gifts. It was presented by a monastery to the court of Saint Petersburg, and it speaks praises and prayers for the ruling family through the select use of Christian saints. In the corner opposite to the icons is a document of particular importance, a Charter of Ennoblement signed by Alexander I. It was gifted to a civil servant whose dedication in service progressed him to a status of nobility; the charter includes his new coat of arms, verified by the emperor’s seal and signature.

Making your way into the second gallery, you’ll see a vast array of jaw-dropping, brilliant medals and orders made with the highest degree of precision and beauty. Each object displays exacting craftsmanship with precious metals, enamel, and guilloché (a mechanical decoration technique that engraves patterns into materials such as metal). Every one is superb on its own, but imagine the men decorated with a mass of them as seen in the portrait of Alexander II in the first gallery. Last, three ribbon-shaped decorations known as cockades sit next to the helmets on the corner pedestal. They were placed on the front of helmets to reward exceptionality in battle, and they represented the divine in subtle ways. The ribbon suggests the iconography angels, and the ephemeral tips were meant to invoke the Holy Spirit.

This selection represents highlights in the exhibition, but there is much more for all to see and learn. An accompanying catalogue, published by the museum, will be available for purchase in the Museum Shop or by phone at 706.542.0450.

Benjamin Thrash
Publications Intern

Guided Mini-Tour: “Paper in Profile: Mixografia and Taller de Gráfica Mexicana”

Although our permanent collection is currently undergoing some new changes, there are still plenty of things to see at the Georgia Museum of Art. Our exhibition “Paper in Profile: Mixografia and Taller de Gráfica Mexicana,” which runs through August 21, focuses on the artistic processes of the Mixografia workshop, a print studio that takes traditional art making outside of the box.

With 60 artists and over 130 works, you might find yourself short on time or lacking direction; so we’ve put together this guided mini-tour of this extensive exhibition to help you make the most of your visit.

Pablo O'Higgins, Dos Mujeres, 1973

The exhibition begins in the Boone and George-Ann Knox Gallery I. Many different prints line the walls, but focus on the first print to your right: Pablo O’Higgins’ “Dos Mujeres.” O’Higgins was the first artist to encourage the Rembas on their journey into the art world. His work with their printing business was a precursor to the birth of Mixografia.

Continuing into the Rachel Cosby Conway Gallery, you’ll find many works by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo. Luis Remba worked with Tamayo to create a process to show texture and depth. From this collaboration, Mixografia was born. Due to its sheer size, you won’t have any trouble noticing the work hanging on the center wall to your right: Tamayo’s “Dos Personajes Atacados por Perros” For the print, the workshop made the world's largest lithographic stone, which weighs more than four tons (a record it still holds).

Next, in the Alfred Heber Holbrook Gallery, if you look to your right you’ll see two large works by Helen Frankenthaler: “Guadeloupe” and “Hermes.” Frankenthaler was well known for her large abstract works, and she often used unconventional materials when applying her strong, flowing colors. For these, she used warm wax.

On the left wall of the Charles B. Presley Family Gallery, you’ll see a 3D work from French artist Arman. “To Garcia Lorca (Red)” was based on a model made by dismantling a guitar and reassembling them on a canvas in eccentric ways. Federico Garcia Lorca was a poet executed in Spain by fascist militia in the 1930s. Colored resin drips down the pieces of the instruments, emphasizing the 3D effects and recalling the blood spilled by the firing squad.

The Lamar Dodd Gallery leads you to its left wall where you’ll see Karel Appel’s “The Cry.” While Mixografia specializes in paper prints, they also make sculptural multiples like Appel's cast metal sculpture here. Appel moved to making sculpture in the latter part of his career. Prior to this time, Appel was known for rejecting conventional ideas about art and creating paintings that were colorful and abstract. “The Cry” features unusual materials cast in copper and bronze, with some items tipped in glowing red.

John Baldessari, Stonehenge (With
Two Persons) Yellow, 2005

In the Philip Henry Alston Jr. Gallery, you’ll find two works by American artist Frank Stella: on the left wall, “Bamboo Trophy II,” and in the center of the room, “Dadap I,” both made in the early 2000s. These are examples of assembled sculptural multiple. Stella adopted the curved shapes of his works from previous decades for these sculptures. Both “Bamboo Trophy II” and “Dadap I” use curved bamboo and metal hardware to create fluid shapes that suggest movement.

The last space, the Virginia and Alfred Kennedy Gallery, showcases Ed Ruscha and John Baldessari, two big names in contemporary art and longtime collaborators with Mixografia. On the wall to the left hangs Ed Ruscha’s “Ghost Station,” a revision of his popular work “Standard Station.” “Ghost Station” uses the same composition of “Standard Station” but with raised shapes instead of color, to create a more haunting effect.

Past the temporary wall and to the right, you’ll see the “Stonehenge” series from artist John Baldessari, which uses his trademark dots over the faces of people. By covering the faces, Baldessari takes away the individuality of each person and renders them as indistinct units of a crowd or group. Here, the work is duplicated six times with varying colors of dots and a contrasting colored Stonehenge in the background. Each of the six versions also has a different arrangement of depths.

This guided mini-tour ends with the “Stonehenge” series and we hope you enjoyed the highlights from this exhibition. An accompanying catalogue, published by the museum, can be purchased in the Museum Shop or by phone at 706.542.0450.

Benjamin Thrash
Publications Intern