Shul'ts M.V. On the Painting «The Battle of Smolensk» (1846) by Peter Hess in the State Hermitage Museum Collection

Abstract: The research subject of thе article is, on the one hand, the history of the restoration corrections to the canvas of «The Battle of Smolensk» by Peter Hess. On the other hand, the article examines the practice of commemorating Russia’s military history during the period of Nicholas I. Particular attention is paid to the history of creating the «Rooms of Battle Paintings» in the Winter Palace, which centered around the named picture. The article’s object of research is the official version of the history of the Patriotic War of 1812, formulated in the 1840—50s under the direct supervision of the emperor. The methodological basis of the study is the systematic examination of historical sources (including visual) and of facts obtained from unpublished archival documents. The study’s main results consist in dating the later corrections of the picture to the first half of the 20th century and the reassessment of the painting’s role during the reign of Nicholas I. The relevance of the obtained results lies in their practical application (for museum restoration), as well as in the theoretic sphere by inciting to rethink the concept of «the people’s war» in the history of Russia during the first half of the 19th century. During Alexander’s reign this concept dominated the historiography of the Patriotic War of 1812, while during Nicholas’s rule it was substantially reformed, finding reflection in the painting «The Battle of Smolensk».

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