Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The main building ( GOOGLE MAP ; ul Volkhonka 12; adult/student R300/150; Kropotkinskaya)
opened in 1912 as the museum of Moscow University. It now exhibits the bulk of the hold-
ings that date from antiquity through the 18th century.
The excellent Ancient Civilisation exhibits in rooms 1 and 2 contain ancient Egyptian
weaponry, jewellery, ritual items and tombstones. Most of the items were excavated from
burial sites, including two haunting mummies. Room 3 houses the impressive Treasures of
Troy exhibit, with excavated items dating back to 2500 BC.
The highlight of the museum are the Dutch masterpieces from the 17th century, located
in rooms 9 through 11. Rembrandt is the star of the show, with many paintings on display,
including his moving Portrait of an Old Woman .
The Greek and Italian Courts (rooms 14 and 15) contain examples from the museum's
original collection, which was made up of plaster-cast reproductions of the masterpieces
from Ancient Greece and Rome, as well as from the Renaissance. You'll find more plaster
casts upstairs, including a special room devoted to Michelangelo (room 29).
The 17th and 18th centuries dominate the second floor. Room 17 contains a diverse col-
lection of Italian paintings , including some formidable large-scale canvases. Rooms 21
through 23 are devoted to France, with a separate gallery for the Rococo period, featuring
some appropriately dreamy paintings by Boucher.
Gallery of European & American Art of the 19th & 20th Centur-
ies
The separate Gallery of European & American Art of the 19th & 20th Centuries ( MAP
GOOGLE MAP ; www.newpaintart.ru ; ul Volkhonka 14; adult/child R300/150; Kropotkinskaya) con-
tains a famed assemblage of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works, based on the col-
lection of two well-known Moscow art patrons, Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov.
The Impressionists occupy rooms 8 through 10, with paintings by Degas, Manet, Renoir
and Pisarro, and an entire room dedicated to Monet. Rodin's sculptures include pieces from
The Gates of Hell and The Monument to the Burghers of Calais .
Room 11 is dedicated to post-Impressionism , most notably Van Gogh. The museum con-
tains several of his lesser-known gems, including the scorching Red Vineyards and the
tragic Prison Courtyard, painted in the last year of his life. Room 14 is almost exclus-
ively Cézanne, featuring his sensuous Bathers . Room 15 is devoted to works by Gauguin,
representing his prime period. Rooms 19 and 20 display many of the most famous paintings
by Matisse, such as Goldfish . There are a few exquisite, primitive paintings by Rousseau
in room 21, and some lesser-known pieces by Picasso in room 22.
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