Pernat i dva shestopera

Fedor Solntsev prints bring the treasures of old Russia into your home: jewelled crowns, ivory thrones, gilded helmets, embroidered robes of tsars and boyars, icons and church silver. Solntsev was the Russian painter and historian who drew more than 3,000 objects from the Kremlin and other collections for the great Antiquities of the Russian State. Our collection of fine art prints draws on these richly coloured plates.

About Fedor Solntsev

Fedor Grigoryevich Solntsev was born on 26 April 1801 in Verkhne-Nikulskoye, a village near Rybinsk in the Yaroslavl region. His parents were serfs of Count Ivan Musin-Pushkin, who freed the family when Fedor's talent was discovered. In 1815 he entered the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg, studying under Alexei Yegorov and Stepan Shchukin, and won gold medals for A Peasant Family (1824) and Render unto Caesar (1827).

In 1830 the Academy's president, Alexey Olenin, asked him to record the historical treasures of the Russian state. Over the following years Solntsev made more than 3,000 detailed drawings, including the riches of the Kremlin. Some 700 of them became the core of the six-volume Antiquities of the Russian State, published with funds from Emperor Nicholas I.

Solntsev also decorated interiors of the Grand Kremlin Palace, worked on restoring Kremlin buildings, painted in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, and uncovered and restored mosaics and frescoes in Kiev and Vladimir. He is counted among the founders of the modern Russian icon-painting canon. He became a professor of the Academy in 1876 and died in St Petersburg in March 1892, aged 90.

Style and Subjects

Solntsev's plates are records of real objects, drawn with great precision and printed in rich colour with gold. Crowns, helmets, saddles, chalices and thrones are shown large and isolated on the page, so every jewel, pattern and engraved detail can be seen.

His costume plates show the clothes of tsars, tsaritsas, boyars and townspeople, with deep reds, greens, blues and golds. The effect is decorative and luxurious, like a page from a treasury catalogue.

Famous Works

• Antiquities of the Russian State (1849–1853). Six volumes built on about 700 of his drawings of Russian treasures.
• Crown of Empress Anna Ioannovna (1849–1853). A jewelled imperial crown, from the Antiquities.
• Cap of the Kazan Tsardom (1849–1853). The ceremonial crown made for the tsars.
• Ivory Throne of Grand Prince Ivan III (1849–1853). A carved ivory throne from the Kremlin.
• Helmet of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1849–1853). A gilded and decorated royal helmet.
• Royal Clothing of the Seventeenth Century (1849–1853). Robes of a tsar in rich colour and gold.
• Iconostasis of the Dormition Cathedral in Moscow (1849–1853). The great icon screen of the Kremlin cathedral.

Decorating with Solntsev Prints

Solntsev's crowns, thrones and helmets make bold, jewel-like statements in a living room, study or entrance hall. Hang a pair or a group of four in gilt or dark wood frames on deep red, green or navy walls for a regal look.

His costume plates suit a dressing room or bedroom, and his church silver and icon screens make a striking group in a library or dining room.

FAQ

Who was Fedor Solntsev?

Fedor Grigoryevich Solntsev (1801–1892) was a Russian painter and historian of art whose drawings recorded and preserved medieval Russian culture.

What is Antiquities of the Russian State?

It is a six-volume publication of Russian historical treasures, built on about 700 of Solntsev's more than 3,000 drawings and funded by Emperor Nicholas I.

Was Solntsev born a serf?

Yes. His parents were serfs of Count Ivan Musin-Pushkin, who freed the family when the boy's artistic talent was discovered, allowing him to study at the Imperial Academy of Arts.

What else did he work on?

He decorated interiors of the Grand Kremlin Palace, restored Kremlin buildings, and uncovered and restored medieval mosaics and frescoes in Kiev and Vladimir.

Why are the store titles in transliterated Russian?

The plate titles keep their original Russian captions written in Latin letters, such as "Korona" (crown), "Shlem" (helmet) and "Odezhda" (clothing).

Related Artists

• Ivan Bilibin: later artist inspired by old Russian design
• Wenceslaus Hollar: earlier recorder of costume and objects
• Auguste Racinet: French author of a great illustrated history of costume