ISBN: PB: 9780300267037

Yale University Press

September 2022

288 pp.

19,6x12,7 cm

29 colour illus., 27 black&white illus.

PB:
£11.99
QTY:

Morozov

The Story of a Family and a Lost Collection

A wealthy Moscow textile merchant, Morozov started buying art in a modest way in 1900 until, on a trip to Paris, he developed a taste for the avant-garde. Meticulous and highly discerning, he acquired works by the likes of Monet, Pissarro, and Cezanne. Unlike his friendly rival Sergei Shchukin, he collected Russian as well as European art. Altogether he spent 1.5 million francs on 486 paintings and 30 sculptures – more than any other collector of the age.

Natalya Semenova traces Morozov's life, family, and achievements, and sheds light on the interconnected worlds of European and Russian art at the turn of the century. Morozov always intended to leave his art to the state – but with the Revolution in 1917 he found himself appointed "assistant curator" to his own collection. He fled Russia and his collection was later divided between Moscow and St. Petersburg, only to languish in storage for decades.

"Morozov: The Story of a Family and a Lost Collection" is being published to coincide with "The Morozov Collection" exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, in October 2020.

About the author

The Russian art historian Natalya Semenova is author of "The Collector: The Story of Sergei Shchukin" and "His Lost Masterpieces", co-author of "Сollecting Matisse", and co-editor of "Selling Russia's Treasures". She lives in Moscow.

The award-winning Arch Tait has translated over thirty books by leading Russian authors.