Russian Liturgical Gallery, Hillwood Mansion, Washington, D.C.
“Pageant of the Tsars” is an exhibit of Coronation Albums of seven of the Romanov rulers on display in the “Dacha” at the Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens in Washington, DC, through June 8, 2013.
Download the free digital versions of the albums from the iTunes store.
The Albums were printed on the occasion of the coronations of Catherine I (1724), the second wife of Peter the Great; Anna Ioannovna (1730), daughter of Ivan V and niece of Peter I ; Elizabeth Petrovna (1742), daughter of Peter I and Catherine I; Nicholas I (1826), brother of Alexander I and son of Paul I; Alexander II (1856), son of Nicholas I; Alexander III (1883), son of Alexander II; and Nicholas II (1896), son of Alexander III.
Hillwood Russian Gospels (1702): Silver, velvet, paper
From the exhibit brochure:
“These coronation albums offer unique perspectives of the Romanov dynasty and also trace the development of printmaking in Russia through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. While progressing through the exhibition, one can observe how the black-and-white etchings of the eighteenth century give way to the vibrant color images of the late nineteenth century. For more information about these techniques, please visit www.hillwoodmuseum.org/pageant.”
Note that the cover of Nicholas II’s coronation album is in the style of Art Nouveau.
Royal Doors of an Iconostasis (16th cent.), Hillwood Mansion, Washington, D.C.
Sources: Exhibit brochure for Pageant of the Tsars, visit to the exhibit, and the Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens website.
Image Sources: Photographs taken in the Hillwood Estate Mansion, March 7, 2013.
