THE ART COLLECTION OF PAVEL VYAZEMSKY (1820-1881): ASPECTS OF HISTORY

Among many collections that form the basis of Russian museums, the collection of diplomat and writer Prince Pavel Vyazemsky (1820-1888) is a rare illustration of the interest in the works of the early Italian Renaissance, masters of the Northern Renaissance, which is more common among European collectors. In this article, the author dwells on the history of this collection, based on archival data available at the moment. Circumstances that contributed to the splitting of the collection after the Russian Revolution of 1917 seem to be crucial in this case.