Treasures from the Hermitage Museum, Russia: Rubens and His Age

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

When Rubens' The Union of Earth and Water, goes on display at the AGO, it will be the only time the Hermitage has ever lent this work outside of Russia since it was acquired by Czar Paul, Catherine the Great's son, over 200 years ago.

For the first time ever the Art Gallery of Ontario joins forces with one of the world’s greatest art institutions – The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. In May 2001, the AGO provides the only venue for Treasures from the Hermitage Museum, Russia: Rubens and His Age – a breathtaking array of Old Master paintings, drawings and decorative arts that form the cornerstone of the Hermitage’s unrivalled collections. The exhibition will run from May 5 to August 12, 2001.

See the associated exhibition - Rubens and His Legacy: A Selection from the AGO Collection

Treasures from the Hermitage Museum, Russia: Rubens and His Age is the first of the three exhibitions that will travel to the AGO. Following will be L’Invitation au Voyage: Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso from the State Hermitage Museum, Russia, and Art of Imperial Russia: Masterworks from the Court of the Czars.

In return, the AGO will send an exhibition of Canadian art, Land of Promise: The North in Canadian Art, to the Hermitage in 2001. This exhibition will feature significant works by the Group of Seven, Inuit art, and leading edge works from Canadian contemporary artists. Land of Promise: The North in Canadian Art marks the first time an exhibition that includes historical, Inuit and contemporary art will be shown outside of Canada.
Treasures from the Hermitage Museum, Russia: Rubens and His Age is presented in association with The State Hermitage Museum Foundation of Canada and The Canadian Friends of the Hermitage.