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Eduard Hau paintings. Interiors of the Winter Palace in watercolors by E

Eduard Hau paintings. Interiors of the Winter Palace in watercolors by E

31.01.2019

Gatchina Palace in watercolors by Eduard Hau

Gatchina Palace.

The Gatchina Palace, a remarkable monument of architecture and history, was seriously damaged during the Great Patriotic War. Restoration began only in 1976, and at present, visitors can see restored only the ceremonial halls of the mezzanine of the Central building of the building. However, the palace in all its splendor interior decoration appears in watercolors by artists of the second half of the 19th century, who captured all the interiors of the building of artistic significance.

The main merit in the fact that we can clearly imagine what the Gatchina Palace looked like in the second half of the 19th century belongs to the famous artist, academician of the promising and watercolor painting Eduard Petrovich Hau. He created 59 sheets with views of the interiors of the Gatchina Palace. These watercolors are the pride of the graphic collection State Museum-Reserve"Gatchina".

Eduard Petrovich (Ivanovich) Gau, self-portrait

E.P. Gau first came to the Gatchina Palace in 1862 at the age of 55. Behind him were years of fruitful and successful work commissioned by the emperor's family.

Biography of E.P. Gau is not well understood. Brief information about his life and work are contained in a number of publications. We present biographical data about E.P. Gau, based on archival sources preserved in several funds of the Russian State Historical Archive.

Gau began to draw at a very early age. He later noted that he was since childhood, portrait and perspective painting» . E. Gau had younger brother- Voldemar, who also became a famous artist - a master of watercolor portraits.

Vladimir Ivanovich Gau

Eduard studied for four years (1834-1838) at the Dresden Academy of Arts and, upon completion of his education, considered himself a master portrait painting. Living in 1838 in Dorpat, E.P. Gau filed a petition to the Council of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts to grant him the title of a free non-class artist of portraiture. On March 5, 1840, he received this title and the corresponding certificate for writing " oil paints portrait of the Honored Professor and Librarian of the Imperial Derpt University, State Councilor and Chevalier Dr. Morgenstern.

Bellotto. View of Dresden from the right bank of the Elbe, the August bridge. 1748. Dresden Gallery.

Dorpat's view early XIX century. From an engraving by Zenfa

Gau himself noted in the 1850s: “... in 1838 he was recognized from the Academy as an artist in portrait painting with oil paints. From that time on, my studies mainly consisted of perspective watercolor painting, which received the most merciful attention of the Emperor and all imperial family» . It is known that in the 1850s E.P. Gau sketched palace interiors in Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof and the Winter Palace. Later (in 1860, 1870s) he created images of a number of premises of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, the Nikolaevsky and Mikhailovsky Palaces in St. Petersburg.

Salon Princess Ekaterine Dadiani of Mingrelia (Western Georgia) in Tsarskoye Selo, near St. Petersburg, Russia

Gau Eduard Petrovich

Living room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Cottage Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

Gau Eduard Petrovich

Mariinsky Palace in St. Petersburg. Blue Living Room

Gau Eduard Petrovich

In December 1852, E. P. Gau, together with L. Premazzi and K. A. Ukhtomsky, received an honorary order from Emperor Nicholas I to create a whole series of watercolors “ interiors of the hall of the New Hermitage» . New Hermitage, built as a special museum building designed by the Bavarian architect Leo Klenze, was opened on October 8, 1852.

Leo von Klenze

German architect, artist and writer.

Architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov, art director A.G. Varnek

Its construction was carried out by architects V.P. Stasov and N. E. Efimov. Nicholas I was proud of the new museum and ordered views of all the halls of this building. The artists worked on sketching the interiors of the New Hermitage from 1852 to 1861 and completed 50 drawings over the course of nine years. Gau fixed the halls of the second floor of the museum. The sheets of all three artists in 1861 were collected in a uvrazh, which consisted of "from watercolor drawings internal views of all the halls of the Imperial Hermitage, its exterior view and geometric plans, facades and frontispiece (in folio) of 55 sheets, of which 25 drawings were made by Ukhtomsky, 10 by Premazzi, 20 by E. Gau.

New Hermitage. II floor. Main staircase of the New Hermitage. Playground II floor Aquarelle. 1853

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall of the Russian school Aquarelle. 1855

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall of the Russian school Aquarelle. 1856

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall of Cameos Aquarelle. 1854

Gau Eduard Petrovich

While working on the views of the interiors of the New Hermitage in 1854, Eduard Petrovich received the title of academician from the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts. for art and knowledge in pictorial perspective watercolor art» . Upon receiving this title, Gau was approved in the rank of titular adviser and at the same time sworn in for citizenship. Russian Empire. In April 1860, the Minister of the Imperial Court V.F. Adlerberg in "Representation on highest name» about the award of E.P. Gau Knight of the Order of St. Stanislav of the third degree noted: “ The painter, academician Eduard Hau deserves fair encouragement for his talent and excellent work.» . The Order of St. Stanislaus Gau was soon awarded the highest.

New Hermitage. II floor. Gallery ancient painting Watercolor. 1859

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall Italian schools Watercolor. 1853

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall of the Spanish school Aquarelle. 1856

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall of paintings Flemish school Watercolor. . 1860

Gau Eduard Petrovich

In December 1860, Nicholas I ordered Gau, Premazzi and Ukhtomsky to start painting watercolors of interiors. Winter Palace. E.P. Gau sketched several ceremonial halls (Alexander Hall, the Gallery of 1812, the Rotunda), but he mainly specialized in depicting living rooms. In the process of working on watercolors with views of the interiors of the Winter Palace in 1863, Gau turned to the Minister imperial court V.F. Adlerberg with a request to grant him the title of court painter and appointment after 25 years of pension service. By that time, Eduard Petrovich had been working on orders from the emperor for 23 years. However, this request was denied to him.

Alexander Hall

Gau Eduard Petrovich

War Gallery 1812

Gau Eduard Petrovich

View of the Rotunda in the Winter Palace

Gau Eduard Petrovich

Even before completing a series of watercolors with views of the halls of the Winter Palace, Gau created his first sketches of the interiors of the Gatchina Palace. In 1862, the artist depicted the office of the reigning Emperor Alexander II and two offices of the emperor's father, Nicholas I: the Large War Office and the Small War Office. All three offices were located in the recently rebuilt Arsenal Square of the Gatchina Palace. These sheets probably belong to the highest order for sketching the offices of Nicholas I and later Alexander II in various palaces. It is known that in 1852 Hau depicted the Turkish Cabinet in Tsarskoye Selo, in 1854 the cabinets of Emperor Nicholas I in the Winter and Peterhof Palaces, in 1855 the cabinet of Nicholas I, who had already died by that time, in the Cottage in Alexandria.

Turkish Room in the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo

Gau Eduard Petrovich

Large Cabinet of Emperor Nicholas I

Gau Eduard Petrovich

Then work on sketching the interiors of the Gatchina Palace was interrupted for 12 years until 1874, when Gau received an official order to create a large series of views of the premises of this building. The artist himself, in a notice to the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1880, wrote: “On March 9, 1874, it is pleasing to the sovereign emperor that I start making drawings of the interior views of the Gatchina Palace for His Majesty.” Gau noted that during the period from 1874 to 1880 he created 56 watercolors, a list of which the artist attached to the notice. At present, the Gatchina Palace contains all 59 sheets created by Gau, including images of the offices of Nicholas I and Alexander II, drawn back in 1862. Before the revolution, these watercolors were kept in Gatchina in the album of Alexander II, after the museumification of the palace - in the Engraving Room of the Gatchina Palace Museum and currently represent one of the most valuable series of sheets from the fund of watercolors and drawings of the State Museum Reserve "Gatchina".

In the 1860s - 1880s, when Gau created his watercolors, the Gatchina Palace experienced another period of prosperity. Shortly before that, in the 1840s and 1850s, the building was rebuilt for the second time during its existence.

The Gatchina Palace was built by the Italian architect A. Rinaldi for G. G. Orlov in 1766-1781. The building consisted of the Central building and side wings-squares connected to it by semicircular wings. The silhouette of the Central three-story building was complicated by two pentagonal towers. Side one-story squares - Kitchen and Konyushennoye - had octagonal towers at the corners. On the second floor of the semi-circular wings on the side of the main courtyard, Rinaldi arranged open galleries.

Bas-relief by F. I. Shubin, 1777

Grigory Grigorievich Orlov

A characteristic feature of the palace was the facing of its facades with local stone - Paritsky dolomite. The premises of the Gatchina Palace decorated by A. Rinaldi were distinguished by refinement and sophistication. The walls were painted or decorated with stucco. Beautiful parquets of various patterns are made of precious woods. The doors were framed with platbands of artificial marble. The high arches of the ceilings ended with graceful cupolas. However, the premises created by Rinaldi did not last long in their original form.

Palace facades. 1781 drawing

Palace facades. 1790s

In the 1790s, the Gatchina Palace was partially rebuilt according to the project of another Italian architect V. Brenna for the new owner, Emperor Paul I. Brenna took into account the climatic conditions of the north of Russia and converted the loggias of the semicircular wings into glazed galleries with piers made of Chernitsa stone. The architect also closed the open arches of the first floor with doors. According to Brenna's project, the side buildings were built on two floors. The architect re-decorated many of the main halls of the Central Building. Brenna gave the rooms great solemnity and splendor, since the new interiors were intended for the emperor. In the decoration of the premises, Brenna used artistic motives and symbolism of art ancient rome which he studied well in Italy.

Vincenzo Brenna. Engraving

Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, I. Pullman, (from the original by P. Batoni, 1782)

The last time the palace was rebuilt according to the project of the architect R.I. Kuzmin from 1845 to 1858. Kuzmin, expert historical styles(especially of Greek and Italian architecture), saw, developed and strengthened the similarity of the Gatchina Palace with buildings Italian Renaissance. Having conceived the reconstruction of the palace, Nicholas I first of all instructed R.I. Kuzmin to rebuild the side squares of the building and create apartments in them intended for the emperor's family, courtiers, as well as numerous office premises.

Roman Ivanovich Kuzmin, portrait by M.I.Scotti, 1849

Nicholas I, Franz Kruger

First, the Kitchen Square was rebuilt (1845-1850). The next step was the restructuring of the Arsenal (previously called Konyushenny) square (1847-1852). The old side buildings were completely dismantled, in their place the architect erected new squares. Developing a project for the restructuring of the side buildings, R.I. Kuzmin sought to achieve their architectural unity with the central part of the building. The architect equalized the height of the side buildings with the height of the semicircles and introduced two ribbed domes into the composition of the building (above the corner towers of the square adjacent to the wings of the palace). Kuzmin decorated the facades of the Arsenal and Kitchen squares with a floor-by-floor order, following in this A. Rinaldi, who decorated the central body of the building with floor-by-floor pilasters. After the restructuring of the side buildings, they began to drive up to the main entrance to the palace through courtyard Arsenal caret. In this square, which became the main building of the palace, Kuzmin arranged new front rooms, art galleries, private rooms of the emperor, empress and family of the heir to the throne. Interiors of the Arsenal square R.I. Kuzmin designed it very elegantly, using decorative motifs from various eclectic stylistic trends.

E.P. Hau, who arrived at the palace in the 1870s, was commissioned to sketch both the premises that appeared in the 18th century and the new interiors designed by R.I. Kuzmin. The work of the watercolorist proceeded unevenly. In some years, Gau managed to create only one watercolor or a little more - four, five. In other years, work progressed faster, and the artist managed to sketch fourteen or more interiors of the palace. There was no clear system in the sequence of depicting the rooms. In the same year, Gau could depict several ceremonial halls of the 18th century, located in the mezzanine of the Central building, and a number of rooms that were part of the personal rooms of the family of the reigning emperor and were located in the side wing of the building - the Arsenal square. The following year, the artist again created views of the ceremonial premises of the Central Building and at the same time sketched the rooms of the late father of Emperor Alexander II - Nicholas I in the Arsenal Square. Nevertheless, the watercolorist clearly imagined the layout of the palace, and in the list of interiors he created in Gatchina, Gau distributed the premises according to the buildings and enfilades. By the end of 1880, Gau managed to capture all the interiors of the palace of artistic and historical significance.

This series of watercolors includes 11 sheets with views of the ceremonial halls of the 18th century, located in the mezzanine of the Central building. These premises have not undergone significant changes since the 1790s, when Emperor Paul I was the owner of the palace. Most of The interior was finished during this period according to the project of the architect V. Brenna. However, a number of interiors retained (fragmentally or completely) the original decorative solution of the architect A. Rinaldi. In many halls of the palace, one can see parquet floors with various ornaments created according to Rinaldi's drawings, artificial marble door trims, stucco decorations of exquisite outlines on the walls and high ceilings. Brenna decorated a number of interiors with artistic fabrics; in many rooms, stucco and carved ornaments are covered with gilding.

Palace in Gatchina from the side of the courtyard. Lithograph by K. K. Schultz from fig. I. I. Charlemagne.

military parade on palace square near the Grand Gatchina Palace,

Gavriil Sergeevich Sergeev

Among the ceremonial interiors of the 18th century, the White Hall stands out - the largest mezzanine room (ill. 1). It was designed by A. Rinaldi in the 1770s. IN late XVIII century, a sculpture was installed around the perimeter of the hall, including two authentic antique busts of Antinous and the emperor Caracalla. Two mezzanine halls (the Crimson Drawing Room and the Throne Room of Emperor Paul I) were decorated with tapestries woven in France at the Royal Tapestry Manufactory (ill. 3). These are gifts from King Louis XVI to Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, the future Emperor Paul I. The Throne Empress Maria Feodorovna housed a remarkable collection of paintings (ill. 2). Among the paintings, densely hung on the walls, were the works of famous European artists: J. Mill, D. Teniers, N. Berchem, G. Romanelli, P. Batoni. Under Emperor Nicholas I in the 1850s, the front rooms of the 18th century were carefully restored and throughout the 19th century existed as a memorial to the era of Paul I (ill. 4).

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Marble dining room. 1880 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 40.6x31.7 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-428-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). White Hall. 1880 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 31.8x43.8 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-430-XI)

Gau also created 6 watercolors with views of the private rooms of Emperor Paul I, located on the first floor of the Central building of the Gatchina Palace. These rooms were decorated more modestly than the grand interiors of the mezzanine. There were oak panels at the bottom of the walls. The walls and ceilings were covered with polychrome paintings with geometric and floral ornaments. The objects that fill these interiors testify to the taste of the emperor and his interests.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Upper throne room of Emperor Paul I. 1878 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 42.8x29.5 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-423-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Throne room of Empress Maria Feodorovna. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 54.5x64.5 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-417-XI)

The composition of the personal rooms of Paul I included the Lower throne room (ill. 5). An unusual feature of the design of this hall was that the throne chair was set against the background of a large-format portrait of Peter I (the painting is attributed to the work of F. Jouvenet). It is known that Paul I had great respect for the personality of Peter. The walls of the Upper Throne Room were decorated with landscapes by Venetian artists and portraits. statesmen XVIII century. On the under-mirror table between the vases is a plaster bust of King Henry IV. Portraits of Henry of Navarre were found in Paul's private rooms more often than anyone else's - 6 times

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). The lower throne room of Emperor Paul I. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 41.5x28.7 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-419-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Oval Office of Emperor Paul I. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 31.5x35 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-418-XI)

In the Oval Office since 1833 there were things from the study of Paul I in the Mikhailovsky Castle: the emperor's camp bed, his clothes, boots, a cane and a screen (ill. 6). These items were transferred to the Gatchina Palace according to the will of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Tower study of Emperor Paul I. 1878 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 38.7x29 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-424-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Weapon gallery. 1880 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 42.7x30.4 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-431-XI)

In the Tower Study, books and drawings were stored in low cabinets, which Paul I always wanted to have at hand (ill. 7). Among them are the memoirs of the Minister of Finance of Henry IV Duke de Sully, books on maritime affairs, religious writings. Gau's watercolor shows a bible on the windowsill, which has always been in this room. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Paul I prayed for hours in his office in front of the Bible.

After the death of Paul I, the subsequent owners of the palace kept the personal rooms of the emperor intact.

The series of watercolors created by Gau also included images of the front rooms of the semicircular wings of the palace. In the western wing, connecting the Central building with the Kitchen square, there were the Chesmenskaya and Armory galleries (ill. 8, 9). The Chesme Gallery was designed by V. Brenna in the 1790s. Initially, the gallery was called Golden (because of the gilding on the stucco ornaments). It received the name "Chesme" in the 19th century thanks to the three paintings by the artist F. Hackert that decorated it with views of the Chesme battle. Under Paul I, solemn exits to the palace church were made through the gallery, sometimes this room served as a hall for crowded banquets. In October 1799, the weddings of the daughters of Paul I Alexandra and Elena were celebrated there. Next to the Chesme Gallery was the Armory (Arsenal) Gallery, created in 1823. There one could see samples of products from the best weapons workshops in Russia, Europe and the East.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Chesme gallery. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 38.4x31.1 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-422-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Church of the Holy Trinity. 1875 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 32.5x45.6 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-451-XI)

Behind the galleries was the Oval Room. Its walls were decorated with paintings by S. F. Shchedrin with views of the Gatchina Park, which were used to cover the paintings by D. B. Scotti in the second half of the 19th century. From the Oval Room one could go along a small corridor to the palace church of the Holy Trinity (ill. 10). The church was built in the tower of the Kitchen Square under G. G. Orlov, but it was rebuilt several times. The watercolor by E. P. Gau depicts the church after the restructuring of the 1840s, carried out according to the project of the architect R. I. Kuzmin. The sculptor P. Dylev created the stucco decoration of this interior, the wall paintings and the skylight were painted by the artists P. M. Shamshin and A. F. Pernits.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Greek gallery. 1880 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 40.3x30.3 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-415-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Arsenal room. 1876 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 28.5x44 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-403-XI)

The Greek Gallery (ill. 11) was located in the eastern semicircular wing connecting the Central Building with the Arsenal Square. It was designed by V. Brenna in the 1790s. The gallery was decorated with busts of Roman emperors, copies of various antique statues, paintings by the "painter of ruins" Hubert Robber. Behind the Greek Gallery was the Rotary room, which housed a collection of paintings by this famous artist middle of the 18th century.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Large military cabinet of Emperor Nicholas I. 1862 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 23.7x32.8 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-407-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Bathroom of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 41.7x30 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-414-XI)

As noted above, the main thing in the second half of the 19th century was the rebuilt R.I. Kuzmin Arsenal square. Gau created 57 watercolors with views of the premises of this building of the palace. The most spacious room in the Arsenal Square is the Arsenal Hall (Fig. 12). Official dinners were held there, amateur performances were held, courtiers and members of the imperial family played cards and billiards. A slide and swings were installed for children in the hall. From the Arsenal Hall one could go to the private rooms of Emperor Nicholas I and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, located in the eastern part of the Arsenal Square.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Oak study of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 29.5x41.5 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-411-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Living room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. 1876 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 29x47 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-410-XI)

An atmosphere of strict orderliness reigned in the emperor's rooms. In these rooms there was mahogany furniture of strict and laconic forms, made by G. Gambs and P.P. Gumbs in the 1820s and 1850s (ill. 13). On the walls are watercolors depicting figures in military uniforms. different eras. The apartments of the empress were decorated with more luxury (14, 15, 16). The walls of some rooms are upholstered with fabrics (silk and chintz), the molding of the ceiling is gilded, the floors are covered with soft carpets with floral ornament. Furniture in the style of the second rococo was in harmony with the molding on the ceiling and the design of the fireplaces. On the walls of these rooms were numerous portraits of the relatives of the Empress and romantic landscapes. Bronze chandeliers, candelabra and clocks for new interiors were created at the St. Petersburg factories of F. Chopin and M. Leuchtenbergsky.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Gothic gallery. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 41.7x29.6 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-413-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Chinese gallery in the Gatchina Palace. 1876 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-455-XI)

The rooms of the family of Emperor Alexander II were decorated by the architect R.I. Kuzmin in a similar way to the personal rooms of Nicholas I and Alexandra Feodorovna. On the ceilings there is elegant molding, the walls are painted with various colors or upholstered in fabrics, the parquets are simple. geometric pattern, in some rooms - carpets with floral ornaments (ill. 19, 20). Walnut furniture in the style of the second rococo workshop of A. Tour corresponded common decision halls. In the personal rooms of Alexander II there were many hunting trophies, since he came to Gatchina mainly for hunting. Under him, the Imperial Hunt was transferred to this city and a whole ranger settlement was built near the Palace Park. In the rooms of Alexander II on the floor you can see stuffed bears in the form of carpets, on the wall of the living room - the head of a bison killed by the emperor in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). 5th Room of the children of Alexander II (the Cabinet of the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna). 1878 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 28.5x41.5 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-452-XI)

Near the apartments of Alexander II were the premises of his children. E. P. Gau sketched three rooms of the daughter of Alexander II - Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna (ill. 24). By the time the watercolors were created, she had already married the Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, the Duke of Edinburgh, Alfred-Ernest-Albert, and practically never visited Gatchina. Therefore, her rooms are in the nature of spare rooms of the palace.

Although the family of Alexander II did not come to Gatchina too often, it was this emperor who invited the artist E.P. Gau to capture all the interiors of a building of artistic or historical significance

GDM-434-XI, KP-7721 - Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Front on the third floor of the Central building. 1870 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 27.7x41.2 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-434-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Bedroom on the third floor of the Central building. 1879 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 42.2x28.8 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-436-XI)

Eleven of Gau's watercolors depict guest rooms on the third floor of the Central Building (ill. 25, 27, 28). These rooms were created in the early 1850s according to the design of R.I. Kuzmin, but finished in the 1860s and 1870s. These rooms included several bedrooms, living rooms and offices. The interiors contained upholstered furniture in the second rococo style, made in the workshop of A. Tour. You could see a lot on the walls paintings. A number of rooms were decorated with urban landscapes by famous Venetian Vedutist artists B.P. Belotto and D.A. Canaletto. In other rooms there were large-format paintings on historical subjects and portraits. In the Yellow Hall, portraits of the heroes of the war of 1812, created by the artist D. Dow, were hung on the walls (ill. 26). These are repetitions of his works made for the 1812 gallery in the Winter Palace.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Oval room on the third floor of the Central building. 1879 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash.

38.2x30.7 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-443-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Yellow hall on the third floor of the Central building. 1879 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 43.6x28.7 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-435-XI)

Watercolors by E.P. Gaus attract attention with their technical perfection, accuracy and reliability of the transfer of architecture, furniture, home decoration items, texture of materials. The artist masterfully mastered various methods of constructing perspective and strove for the point of view he chose to give the most spectacular perception of space. The artist built the perspective in pencil in the workshop, using the measured drawings of the halls (plans and wall scans). Based on the characteristics of the interiors, Gau chose the frontal or oblique method of building perspective. Most often, he used a frontal perspective, in which one of the walls of the room was parallel to the plane of the sheet. This method of building perspective allowed one of the walls to be left unchanged and significantly reduced the amount of distortion. Gau used the technique of "withdrawal" outside the hall, which significantly increased the coverage of the depicted space. Sometimes the artist deliberately squeezed the space, finished drawing parts of the interior that did not fall into the construction. In the finished perspective of the hall, the artist placed objects drawn in advance from nature. After that, Gau transferred the pencil construction to a blank sheet to work in color. The artist created his works in the technique of color hillshade, repeatedly covering the sheet with a color layer with a gradual increase in the tonality of the entire image. In some cases, to achieve more artistic impression E.P. Gau applied Additional materials. He could deepen the tone by painting the surface of the depicted object with egg white, sweetened water, or gum arabic. These substances imitated varnish and fixed the surface. Gau used retouching to create illusions of this or that material. The artist also used whitewash to highlight the volume of an object. The color scheme of Gau's watercolors is cold, the contours of objects are always clearly marked.

Watercolors with views of the interiors of the Gatchina Palace were the artist's last large series of works. It is not known when he stopped his creative activity. In the second half of the 1880s, changes took place in the personal life of the watercolorist. He married in 1886 Emilia Maria Lillier. E.P. Gau was married twice. There is no information about his first wife. Gau had two sons from his first marriage: Richard and Arthur. The artist died on December 22, 1887 in Dorpat and was buried in the same city on December 27. a brilliant monument creative way E.P. Gau are preserved in various collections of watercolors created by the artist.

The works of E. P. Gau are not only wonderful works of art, but at the same time valuable historical documents. They played essential role when creating projects for the restoration of the Gatchina Palace, which was badly damaged during the Great Patriotic War, and now restorers often turn to them.

O.V. Petrova, Chief Researcher, State Museum Reserve "Gatchina"

http://gatchinapalace.ru/special/publications/collection/gau.php#_ftnref27

Eduard Petrovich Hau was a famous painter of the 19th century. We invite you to see his unique watercolors depicting the interiors of the Hermitage. These drawings are valuable in that all the details are very finely written and from the pictures one can compose a textbook on the decor of the interiors of that time.
And of course, this is a big dose of inspiration!

Eduard Petrovich (Ivanovich) Gau (1807, Revel-1887) - Russian artist, watercolorist.
Eduard Petrovich Gau was born in 1807 in Reval (now the city of Tallinn) and "was a Russian citizen." He was engaged in drawing from childhood and in 1830-1832 he studied painting at the Dresden Academy of Arts at his own expense. In 1838 (or 1836) the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy arts he was awarded the title of non-class artist and awarded a silver medal. In 1854 (or in 1864) Eduard Petrovich was awarded the title of academician of perspective watercolor painting.

The artist is best known for his watercolors of the interiors of famous buildings in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Gatchina, commissioned by the imperial family, although several portraits by him are also known. In Moscow, he painted the interiors of the Bolshoi Kremlin Palace, Nicholas Palace; in St. Petersburg - the Mikhailovsky Castle, the Winter Palace and the Hermitage, in Gatchina - the interiors of the Grand Gatchina Palace. Only in the Gatchina Palace he painted 59 watercolors, some of which were kept in the palace collection until the 1920s, and only then was transferred to the Hermitage. In Gatchina, Gau first appeared in 1862 to create watercolors with views of the offices of Nicholas I and Alexander II, and continued to work in the palace only in 1874. Gatchina watercolors are special value, since the Great Gatchina Palace was completely burned during the Great Patriotic War by the retreating German troops, and these paintings serve as valuable material when restoring the interiors of the palace.

The artist worked with watercolors using the washdown technique. His paintings are made with great skill - the exact construction of perspective, the drawing of details is very thorough.
Last works the artist were made in the Great Gatchina Palace and marked in 1880.

The collection contains far from all of his watercolors, you can look at them endlessly - the fine work and the magnificence of flowers delight the eye and inspire.

Eduard Petrovich Gau was born in 1807 in Revel (now the city of Tallinn) and was a Russian citizen. He was engaged in drawing from childhood and in 1830-1832 he studied painting at the Dresden Academy of Arts at his own expense.

View of the Rotunda in the Winter Palace

In 1838 (or 1836) the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts awarded him the title of non-class artist and a silver medal. In 1854 (or in 1864) Eduard Petrovich was awarded the title of academician of perspective watercolor painting.

View of the Cathedral in the Winter Palace

The artist is most famous for his watercolors of the interiors of famous buildings in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Gatchina, commissioned by the imperial family, although several portraits by him are also known.

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Alexander Hall

In Moscow, he painted the interiors of the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Nicholas Palace; in St. Petersburg - the Mikhailovsky Castle, the Winter Palace and the Hermitage, in Gatchina - the interiors of the Grand Gatchina Palace.

Only in the Gatchina Palace he painted 59 watercolors, some of which were kept in the palace collection until the 1920s, and only then was transferred to the Hermitage.

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Apollo Hall

In Gatchina, Gau first appeared in 1862 to create watercolors with views of the offices of Nicholas I and Alexander II, and continued to work in the palace only in 1874.

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. White living room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Gatchina watercolors are of particular value, since the Great Gatchina Palace was completely burned during the Great Patriotic War by the retreating German troops, and these paintings serve as valuable material when restoring the interiors of the palace.

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Library of Emperor Alexander II

The artist worked with watercolors using the washdown technique. His paintings are made with great skill - the exact construction of perspective, the drawing of details is very thorough.

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Library of Emperor Alexander II (2)

The last works of the artist were made in the Great Gatchina Palace and celebrated in 1880.

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Billiard room of Emperor Alexander II

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Large living room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Large living room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (2)

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Large study of Emperor Nicholas I

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Grand Field Marshal's Hall

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Boudoir of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Boudoir of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Boudoir of Empress Maria Alexandrovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Bathroom of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Bathroom of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Military Library of Emperor Alexander II

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. military gallery 1812

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Second spare half. Second hall

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Second spare half. Living room

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Second spare half. small office

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Second spare half. First hall

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Second spare half. Bedroom

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Second Hall of the Military Gallery

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Dressing room of Emperor Alexander II

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Armorial hall

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Living room in the second rococo style

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Gothic living room of the Grand Duchesses

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Guard Divorce Hall

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Council Hall of Emperor Alexander I

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Winter Garden of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Cabinet of Emperor Alexander II

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Cabinet of Emperor Alexander II (2)

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Cabinet of Emperor Alexander II (3)

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Study of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Study of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (2)

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Valet of Emperor Alexander II

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Raspberry Cabinet of Empress Maria Alexandrovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Small Field Marshal's Hall

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. First spare half. Large office led. book. Maria Nikolaevna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. First spare half. Grand saloon

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. First spare half. Living room of Duke M. Leuchtenberg

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. First spare half. Yellow saloon led. book. Maria Nikolaevna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. First spare half. Office of Duke M. Leuchtenberg

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. First spare half. Small office led. book. Maria Nikolaevna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. First spare half. Salon of Duke M. Leuchtenberg

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. First spare half. Bedroom led. book. Maria Nikolaevna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. First spare half. Dressing led. book. Maria Nikolaevna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. First spare half. Dressing room of Duke M. Leuchtenberg

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. The first hall of the Military Gallery

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Transition from the Small Field Marshal's Hall to the Military Gallery

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Petrovsky Hall

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. picket hall

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Reception of the heir, Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fifth spare half. Living room led. Princess Maria Alexandrovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fifth spare half. Cabinet led. Princess Maria Alexandrovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fifth spare half. Bedroom led. Princess Maria Alexandrovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fifth Hall of the Military Gallery

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Bedroom of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Bedroom of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (2)

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Third Hall of the Military Gallery

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Third spare half. Living room

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Third spare half. Living room (2)

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Third spare half. Bedroom

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Third spare half. fourth room

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Dressing room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Dressing room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (2)

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Study room in the second spare half of the palace

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Flashlight

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. church stairs

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fourth spare half. Living room

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fourth spare half. Cabinet

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fourth spare half. Corridor

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fourth spare half. Bedroom

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fourth spare half. dressing room

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fourth spare half. corner hall

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fourth spare half. Corner hall (2)

Types of halls of the Winter Palace. Fourth Hall of the Military Gallery

Types of halls of the Small Hermitage. Eastern gallery

Types of halls of the Small Hermitage. Gallery of St. Petersburg Views

Types of halls of the Small Hermitage. Winter Garden

Types of halls of the Small Hermitage. Cabinet

Types of halls of the Small Hermitage. Cabinet of Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich

Types of halls of the Small Hermitage. pavilion hall

Types of halls of the Small Hermitage. Romanov Gallery

Types of halls of the Small Hermitage. Romanov Gallery (2)

Types of halls of the Small Hermitage. Bedroom of Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Top landing of stairs

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Gallery of the history of ancient painting

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Hall of the Dutch and Flemish Schools

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Spanish School Hall

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Hall of Italian Schools

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Hall of Cameos

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. German school hall

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. German School Hall (2)

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Russian school hall

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Russian school hall (2)

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Hall of the Flemish School

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Hall of the Flemish School (2) Views of the halls of the New Hermitage. Empress's office

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Empress's office

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Cabinet of Italian Schools

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Cabinet of Italian Schools (2

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Cabinet of Italian Schools (3)

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Cabinet of Italian Schools (4)

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Cabinet of the Flemish School

Types of halls of the New Hermitage. Main staircase. 2nd floor area

Gatchina Palace in watercolors by Eduard Hau

Gatchina Palace.

The Gatchina Palace, a remarkable monument of architecture and history, was seriously damaged during the Great Patriotic War. Restoration began only in 1976, and at present, visitors can see restored only the ceremonial halls of the mezzanine of the Central building of the building. However, the palace, in all the splendor of its interior decoration, appears in watercolors by artists of the second half of the 19th century, who captured all the interiors of the building of artistic significance.

The main merit in the fact that we can clearly imagine what the Gatchina Palace looked like in the second half of the 19th century belongs to the famous artist, academician of perspective and watercolor painting, Eduard Petrovich Hau. He created 59 sheets with views of the interiors of the Gatchina Palace. These watercolors are the pride of the graphics collection of the Gatchina State Museum-Reserve.

Eduard Petrovich (Ivanovich) Gau, self-portrait

E.P. Gau first came to the Gatchina Palace in 1862 at the age of 55. Behind him were years of fruitful and successful work commissioned by the emperor's family.

Biography of E.P. Gau is not well understood. Brief information about his life and work is contained in a number of publications. We present biographical data about E.P. Gau, based on archival sources preserved in several funds of the Russian State Historical Archive.

Gau began to draw at a very early age. He later noted that he was since childhood, portrait and perspective painting» . E. Gau had a younger brother - Voldemar, who also became a famous artist - a master of watercolor portraits.

Vladimir Ivanovich Gau

Eduard studied for four years (1834-1838) at the Dresden Academy of Arts and upon completion of his education considered himself a master of portrait painting. Living in 1838 in Dorpat, E.P. Gau filed a petition to the Council of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts to grant him the title of a free non-class artist of portraiture. On March 5, 1840, he received this title and the corresponding certificate for the oil-painted portrait of the Honored Professor and Librarian of the Imperial Derpt University, State Councilor and Chevalier Dr. Morgenstern.

Bellotto. View of Dresden from the right bank of the Elbe, the August bridge. 1748. Dresden Gallery.

View of Dorpat at the beginning of the 19th century. From an engraving by Zenfa

Gau himself noted in the 1850s: “... in 1838 he was recognized from the Academy as an artist in portrait painting with oil paints. From that time on, my studies mainly consisted of perspective watercolor painting, which received the most merciful attention of the emperor and the entire imperial family. It is known that in the 1850s E.P. Gau sketched palace interiors in Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof and the Winter Palace. Later (in 1860, 1870s) he created images of a number of premises of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, the Nikolaevsky and Mikhailovsky Palaces in St. Petersburg.

Salon Princess Ekaterine Dadiani of Mingrelia (Western Georgia) in Tsarskoye Selo, near St. Petersburg, Russia

Gau Eduard Petrovich

Living room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Cottage Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

Gau Eduard Petrovich

Mariinsky Palace in St. Petersburg. Blue Living Room

Gau Eduard Petrovich

In December 1852, E. P. Gau, together with L. Premazzi and K. A. Ukhtomsky, received an honorary order from Emperor Nicholas I to create a whole series of watercolors “ interiors of the hall of the New Hermitage». The New Hermitage, built as a special museum building designed by the Bavarian architect Leo Klenze, was opened on October 8, 1852.

Leo von Klenze

German architect, artist and writer.

Architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov, art director A.G. Varnek

Its construction was carried out by architects V.P. Stasov and N. E. Efimov. Nicholas I was proud of the new museum and ordered views of all the halls of this building. The artists worked on sketching the interiors of the New Hermitage from 1852 to 1861 and completed 50 drawings over the course of nine years. Gau fixed the halls of the second floor of the museum. The sheets of all three artists in 1861 were collected in a vrazh, which consisted of “watercolor drawings of the interior views of all the halls of the Imperial Hermitage, its exterior view and geometric plans, facades and frontispiece (in folio) numbering 55 sheets, of which 25 drawings were made by Ukhtomsky, 10 - Premazzi, 20 - E. Gau ".

New Hermitage. II floor. Main staircase of the New Hermitage. Playground II floor Aquarelle. 1853

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall of the Russian school Aquarelle. 1855

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall of the Russian school Aquarelle. 1856

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall of Cameos Aquarelle. 1854

Gau Eduard Petrovich

While working on the views of the interiors of the New Hermitage in 1854, Eduard Petrovich received the title of academician from the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts. for art and knowledge in pictorial perspective watercolor art» . Upon receiving this title, Gau was approved in the rank of titular adviser and at the same time was sworn into allegiance to the Russian Empire. In April 1860, the Minister of the Imperial Court V.F. Adlerberg in "Submission to the highest name" about the award of E.P. Gau Knight of the Order of St. Stanislav of the third degree noted: “ The painter, academician Eduard Hau deserves fair encouragement for his talent and excellent work.» . The Order of St. Stanislaus Gau was soon awarded the highest.

New Hermitage. II floor. Gallery of ancient watercolor painting. 1859

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall of Italian Schools Aquarelle. 1853

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall of the Spanish school Aquarelle. 1856

Gau Eduard Petrovich

New Hermitage. II floor. Hall of paintings of the Flemish school Aquarelle. . 1860

Gau Eduard Petrovich

In December 1860, Nicholas I ordered Gau, Premazzi and Ukhtomsky to start painting watercolors of the interiors of the Winter Palace. E.P. Gau sketched several ceremonial halls (Alexander Hall, the Gallery of 1812, the Rotunda), but he mainly specialized in depicting living rooms. In the process of working on watercolors with views of the interiors of the Winter Palace in 1863, Gau turned to the Minister of the Imperial Court V.F. Adlerberg with a request to grant him the title of court painter and appointment after 25 years of pension service. By that time, Eduard Petrovich had been working on orders from the emperor for 23 years. However, this request was denied to him.

Alexander Hall

Gau Eduard Petrovich

War Gallery 1812

Gau Eduard Petrovich

View of the Rotunda in the Winter Palace

Gau Eduard Petrovich

Turkish Room in the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo

Gau Eduard Petrovich

Large Cabinet of Emperor Nicholas I

Gau Eduard Petrovich

Bas-relief by F. I. Shubin, 1777

Grigory Grigorievich Orlov

Palace facades. 1781 drawing

Palace facades. 1790s

In the 1790s, the Gatchina Palace was partially rebuilt according to the project of another Italian architect V. Brenna for the new owner, Emperor Paul I. Brenna took into account the climatic conditions of the north of Russia and converted the loggias of the semicircular wings into glazed galleries with piers made of Chernitsa stone. The architect also closed the open arches of the first floor with doors. According to Brenna's project, the side buildings were built on two floors. The architect re-decorated many of the main halls of the Central Building. Brenna gave the rooms great solemnity and splendor, since the new interiors were intended for the emperor. In decorating the premises, Brenna used artistic motifs and symbols of the art of Ancient Rome, which he studied well in Italy.

Vincenzo Brenna. Engraving

Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, I. Pullman, (from the original by P. Batoni, 1782)

The last time the palace was rebuilt according to the project of the architect R.I. Kuzmin from 1845 to 1858. Kuzmin, a connoisseur of historical styles (especially Greek and Italian architecture), saw, developed and strengthened the similarity of the Gatchina Palace with the buildings of the Italian Renaissance. Having conceived the reconstruction of the palace, Nicholas I first of all instructed R.I. Kuzmin to rebuild the side squares of the building and create apartments in them intended for the emperor's family, courtiers, as well as numerous office premises.

Roman Ivanovich Kuzmin, portrait by M.I.Scotti, 1849

Nicholas I, Franz Kruger

First, the Kitchen Square was rebuilt (1845-1850). The next step was the restructuring of the Arsenal (previously called Konyushenny) square (1847-1852). The old side buildings were completely dismantled, in their place the architect erected new squares. Developing a project for the restructuring of the side buildings, R.I. Kuzmin sought to achieve their architectural unity with the central part of the building. The architect equalized the height of the side buildings with the height of the semicircles and introduced two ribbed domes into the composition of the building (above the corner towers of the square adjacent to the wings of the palace). Kuzmin decorated the facades of the Arsenal and Kitchen squares with a floor-by-floor order, following in this A. Rinaldi, who decorated the central body of the building with floor-by-floor pilasters. After the restructuring of the side buildings, they began to drive up to the main entrance to the palace through the courtyard of the Arsenal square. In this square, which became the main building of the palace, Kuzmin arranged new front rooms, art galleries, private rooms of the emperor, empress and family of the heir to the throne. Interiors of the Arsenal square R.I. Kuzmin designed it very elegantly, using decorative motifs from various eclectic stylistic trends.

This series of watercolors includes 11 sheets with views of the ceremonial halls of the 18th century, located in the mezzanine of the Central building. These premises have not undergone significant changes since the 1790s, when Emperor Paul I was the owner of the palace. Most of the interiors were decorated during this period according to the project of the architect V. Brenna. However, a number of interiors retained (fragmentally or completely) the original decorative solution of the architect A. Rinaldi. In many halls of the palace, one can see parquet floors with various ornaments created according to Rinaldi's drawings, artificial marble door trims, stucco decorations of exquisite outlines on the walls and high ceilings. Brenna decorated a number of interiors with artistic fabrics; in many rooms, stucco and carved ornaments are covered with gilding.

Palace in Gatchina from the side of the courtyard. Lithograph by K. K. Schultz from fig. I. I. Charlemagne.

Military parade on the Palace Square near the Great Gatchina Palace,

Gavriil Sergeevich Sergeev

Among the ceremonial interiors of the 18th century, the White Hall stands out - the largest mezzanine room (ill. 1). It was designed by A. Rinaldi in the 1770s. At the end of the 18th century, a sculpture was installed around the perimeter of the hall, including two authentic antique busts of Antinous and the emperor Caracalla. Two mezzanine halls (the Crimson Drawing Room and the Throne Room of Emperor Paul I) were decorated with tapestries woven in France at the Royal Tapestry Manufactory (ill. 3). These are gifts from King Louis XVI to Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, the future Emperor Paul I. The Throne Empress Maria Feodorovna housed a remarkable collection of paintings (ill. 2). Among the paintings, tightly hung on the walls, there were works by famous European artists: J. Mill, D. Teniers, N. Berchem, G. Romanelli, P. Batoni. Under Emperor Nicholas I in the 1850s, the front rooms of the 18th century were carefully restored and throughout the 19th century existed as a memorial to the era of Paul I (ill. 4).

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Marble dining room. 1880 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 40.6x31.7 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-428-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). White Hall. 1880 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 31.8x43.8 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-430-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Upper throne room of Emperor Paul I. 1878 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 42.8x29.5 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-423-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Throne room of Empress Maria Feodorovna. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 54.5x64.5 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-417-XI)

The composition of the personal rooms of Paul I included the Lower throne room (ill. 5). An unusual feature of the design of this hall was that the throne chair was set against the background of a large-format portrait of Peter I (the painting is attributed to the work of F. Jouvenet). It is known that Paul I had great respect for the personality of Peter. The walls of the Upper Throne Room were decorated with landscapes by Venetian artists and portraits of statesmen of the 18th century. On the under-mirror table between the vases is a plaster bust of King Henry IV. Portraits of Henry of Navarre were found in Paul's private rooms more often than anyone else's - 6 times

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). The lower throne room of Emperor Paul I. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 41.5x28.7 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-419-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Oval Office of Emperor Paul I. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 31.5x35 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-418-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Tower study of Emperor Paul I. 1878 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 38.7x29 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-424-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Weapon gallery. 1880 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 42.7x30.4 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-431-XI)

After the death of Paul I, the subsequent owners of the palace kept the personal rooms of the emperor intact.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Chesme gallery. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 38.4x31.1 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-422-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Church of the Holy Trinity. 1875 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 32.5x45.6 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-451-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Greek gallery. 1880 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 40.3x30.3 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-415-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Arsenal room. 1876 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 28.5x44 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-403-XI)

The Greek Gallery (ill. 11) was located in the eastern semicircular wing connecting the Central Building with the Arsenal Square. It was designed by V. Brenna in the 1790s. The gallery was decorated with busts of Roman emperors, copies of various antique statues, paintings by the "ruin painter" Hubert Robber. Behind the Greek Gallery was the Rotary Room, which housed a collection of paintings by this famous mid-18th-century artist.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Large military cabinet of Emperor Nicholas I. 1862 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 23.7x32.8 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-407-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Bathroom of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 41.7x30 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-414-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Oak study of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 29.5x41.5 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-411-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Living room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. 1876 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 29x47 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-410-XI)

An atmosphere of strict orderliness reigned in the emperor's rooms. In these rooms there was mahogany furniture of strict and laconic forms, made by G. Gambs and P.P. Gumbs in the 1820s and 1850s (ill. 13). On the walls are watercolors depicting figures in military uniforms from different eras. The apartments of the empress were decorated with more luxury (14, 15, 16). The walls of some rooms are upholstered with fabrics (silk and chintz), the molding of the ceiling is gilded, the floors are covered with soft carpets with floral patterns. Furniture in the style of the second rococo was in harmony with the molding on the ceiling and the design of the fireplaces. On the walls of these rooms were numerous portraits of the empress's relatives and romantic landscapes. Bronze chandeliers, candelabra and clocks for new interiors were created at the St. Petersburg factories of F. Chopin and M. Leuchtenbergsky.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Gothic gallery. 1877 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 41.7x29.6 cm.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-413-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Chinese gallery in the Gatchina Palace. 1876 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash.

(GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-455-XI)

The rooms of the family of Emperor Alexander II were decorated by the architect R.I. Kuzmin in a similar way to the personal rooms of Nicholas I and Alexandra Feodorovna. On the ceilings there is elegant molding, the walls are painted with various colors or upholstered with fabrics, parquets of a simple geometric pattern, in some rooms there are carpets with floral ornaments (ill. 19, 20). Walnut furniture in the style of the second rococo workshop of A. Tour corresponded to the general solution of the halls. In the personal rooms of Alexander II there were many hunting trophies, since he came to Gatchina mainly for hunting. Under him, the Imperial Hunt was transferred to this city and a whole ranger settlement was built near the Palace Park. In the rooms of Alexander II on the floor you can see stuffed bears in the form of carpets, on the wall of the living room - the head of a bison killed by the emperor in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Bedroom on the third floor of the Central building. 1879 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 42.2x28.8 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-436-XI)

Eleven of Gau's watercolors depict guest rooms on the third floor of the Central Building (ill. 25, 27, 28). These rooms were created in the early 1850s according to the design of R.I. Kuzmin, but finished in the 1860s and 1870s. These rooms included several bedrooms, living rooms and offices. The interiors contained upholstered furniture in the second rococo style, made in the workshop of A. Tour. There were many paintings on the walls. A number of rooms were decorated with urban landscapes by famous Venetian Vedutist artists B.P. Belotto and D.A. Canaletto. In other rooms there were large-format paintings on historical subjects and portraits. In the Yellow Hall, portraits of the heroes of the war of 1812, created by the artist D. Dow, were hung on the walls (ill. 26). These are repetitions of his works made for the 1812 gallery in the Winter Palace.

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Oval room on the third floor of the Central building. 1879 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash.

38.2x30.7 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-443-XI)

Gau Eduard Petrovich (1807-1887). Yellow hall on the third floor of the Central building. 1879 Paper, pencil, watercolor, whitewash. 43.6x28.7 cm. (GMZ "Gatchina", Inv. No. GDM-435-XI)

Watercolors by E.P. Gaus attract attention with their technical perfection, accuracy and reliability of the transfer of architecture, furniture, home decoration items, texture of materials. The artist masterfully mastered various methods of constructing perspective and strove for the point of view he chose to give the most spectacular perception of space. The artist built the perspective in pencil in the workshop, using the measured drawings of the halls (plans and wall scans). Based on the characteristics of the interiors, Gau chose the frontal or oblique method of building perspective. Most often, he used a frontal perspective, in which one of the walls of the room was parallel to the plane of the sheet. This method of building perspective allowed one of the walls to be left unchanged and significantly reduced the amount of distortion. Gau used the technique of "withdrawal" outside the hall, which significantly increased the coverage of the depicted space. Sometimes the artist deliberately squeezed the space, finished drawing parts of the interior that did not fall into the construction. In the finished perspective of the hall, the artist placed objects drawn in advance from nature. After that, Gau transferred the pencil construction to a blank sheet to work in color. The artist created his works in the technique of color hillshade, repeatedly covering the sheet with a color layer with a gradual increase in the tonality of the entire image. In some cases, in order to achieve a greater artistic impression, E.P. Gau applied additional materials. He could deepen the tone by painting the surface of the depicted object with egg white, sweetened water, or gum arabic. These substances imitated varnish and fixed the surface. Gau used retouching to create illusions of this or that material. The artist also used whitewash to highlight the volume of an object. The color scheme of Gau's watercolors is cold, the contours of objects are always clearly marked.

Watercolors with views of the interiors of the Gatchina Palace were the artist's last large series of works. It is not known when he stopped his creative activity. In the second half of the 1880s, changes took place in the personal life of the watercolorist. He married in 1886 Emilia Maria Lillier. E.P. Gau was married twice. There is no information about his first wife. Gau had two sons from his first marriage: Richard and Arthur. The artist died on December 22, 1887 in Dorpat and was buried in the same city on December 27. A brilliant monument to the creative path of E.P. Gau are preserved in various collections of watercolors created by the artist.

The works of E. P. Gau are not only wonderful works of art, but at the same time valuable historical documents. They played an important role in creating projects for the restoration of the Gatchina Palace, which was badly damaged during the Great Patriotic War, and now restorers often turn to them.

O.V. Petrova, Chief Researcher, State Museum Reserve "Gatchina"

http://gatchinapalace.ru/special/publications/collection/gau.php#_ftnref27

Eduard Petrovich (Ivanovich) Gau (1807, Revel-1887) - Russian artist, master architectural watercolor. The artist worked with watercolors using the washdown technique. His "portraits of interiors" are made with great skill - the exact construction of perspective, the drawing of details is very thorough.

Eduard Petrovich Gau was born in 1807 in Reval (now the city of Tallinn) and "was a Russian citizen." He was engaged in drawing from childhood and in 1830-1832 he studied painting at the Dresden Academy of Arts at his own expense. In 1838 (or 1836) the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts awarded him the title of non-class artist and a silver medal. In 1854 (or in 1864) Eduard Petrovich was awarded the title of academician of perspective watercolor painting.
The greatest fame for the artist was brought by watercolors of the interiors of famous buildings in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Gatchina, painted by order of the imperial family, although several portraits by him are also known. In Moscow, he painted the interiors of the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Nicholas Palace; in St. Petersburg - the Mikhailovsky Castle, the Winter Palace and the Hermitage, in Gatchina - the interiors of the Grand Gatchina Palace.

Gatchina works

Only in the Gatchina Palace of Gau were painted 59 watercolors, some of which were kept in the collection of the palace until the 1920s, and only then was transferred to the Hermitage. In Gatchina, Gau first appeared in 1862 to create watercolors with views of the offices of Nicholas I and Alexander II, and continued to work in the palace only in 1874.
Gatchina watercolors are of particular value, since the Great Gatchina Palace was completely burned during the Great Patriotic War by the retreating German troops, and these paintings serve as valuable material when restoring the interiors of the palace. The last works of the artist were made in the Great Gatchina Palace and celebrated in 1880.

Imperial chambers of the Gatchina Palace in watercolors by Eduard Hau

Behind last decade this is the third exhibition of works by the artist E. Hau. The first was organized in 1997, when the watercolors were returned from Pavlovsk, where they were kept after the Great Patriotic War and were virtually unavailable. Today, E. Hau's watercolors are often illustrated in various Gatchina guidebooks and art books. And this is no coincidence, because. 59 watercolors have preserved for us not only the image of magnificent interiors, but also provide an opportunity to see the Gatchina Palace as it was and as it should be revived in the near future.

Many artists captured Imperial Gatchina in their works. So well known, and they are constantly in the exposition of the palace, are the classic panoramas of S. Shchedrin's park, the documentary clear landscapes of J. Mettenleiter and military parades on the canvases of G. Schwartz. But Eduard Petrovich Gau made for our city, one might say, a "royal" gift: he created a whole watercolor suite glorifying and glorifying unique monument Arts - Gatchina Palace. If old buildings have a soul, then Eduard Hau preserved it with the power of his talent from destruction and time of oblivion.

In art, as in life, it often happens that the work and talent of many people remains unappreciated at its true worth. While preparing the first exhibition, I was struck by the meager information about the life of the artist and his work. It is known that the artist was born in 1807 in Reval and "consisted of Russian citizenship." As a child, he studied drawing, and then graduated from the Dresden Academy of Arts at his own expense. After returning to Russia, E. Hau was awarded the title of "Academician perspective painting"as determined by the Council of the St. Petersburg Academy. As a result, he began to receive orders from the imperial family: he painted "portraits" of the interiors of the Grand Kremlin, Nikolaevsky, Mikhailovsky, Winter Palaces and the Hermitage. By the way, some of these watercolors were kept in Gatchina Palace, only then was transferred to the Hermitage.

The image of the interior belongs to the genre of perspective painting. In the 19th century, writing "the insides of rooms" became very fashionable. This was done as professional artists, and amateurs, drawing for the pleasure of relatives and friends in home albums. The interiors of buildings are not only a reflection of their time, but also a story about those who live in them, their tastes, interests, prosperity, i.e. as if "an indirect portrait of the owners."

For the first time, E. Gau came to Gatchina in 1862 to paint watercolors with views of the offices of Nicholas I and Alexander II. In the Gatchina Palace, the emperors' offices are special rooms with their own inner world where only a select few were allowed. Moreover, since the time of Paul I, these offices were located in the towers on the 1st floor. The office of Paul I was located in the Clock Tower of the main building, in a suite of so-called "private rooms". Among archival documents and even pre-war photographs, E. Gau's watercolors depicting these rooms are the most valuable iconographic material for restoration. Today, these rooms house an exhibition of weapons, and part of the exposition is dedicated to Paul I. Reproductions from Hau's watercolors hung on the walls help to understand how the emperor's private rooms looked like and to verify the authenticity of the exhibits: this is a marble bas-relief of Paul I by M.-A. Collo, students of the famous Falcone, favorite paintings of the emperor, folding camp table and chair, uniform, bible, etc.

E. Gau saw these rooms - the "holy of holies" only 10 years later, when he continued to work in the palace and had already painted more than a dozen watercolors. Private rooms were turned into a kind of memorial to the memory of Paul I and there was a "verbal command of the Sovereign without special permission not to let anyone in." In 1833, by order of Nicholas I, a camp bed, a screen, a uniform and even a bloody shirt of the emperor were brought to the Oval Office-bedroom next to the tower office - these silent witnesses of the murder in the Mikhailovsky Castle on March 11, 1801. But to compare the offices of 3 emperors: Paul I, Nicholas I, Alexander II - father, son and grandson, you can only visit the opened exhibition of watercolors. You will see that Nicholas I, imitating Paul I, also slept on a narrow camp bed. Alexander II, just like his father, hung lithographs and engravings depicting the uniforms of various military branches on the walls of his office, but as a passionate hunter, he also decorated his apartments with numerous animal figurines, stuffed animals and portraits of his beloved dog - the English setter Milord. It should be noted that the only living creature in the entire Gatchina series of watercolors by E. Hau is this dog lying on the carpet in the owner's office.

The special value of the artist's watercolors lies, first of all, in the fact that they can be used to compile a textbook on the history of the interior from the middle of the 18th century to almost the end of the 19th century, from the time of the owner of the Gatchina Palace, Grigory Orlov, to Alexander II. The halls of the central building of the palace are an example of the classicism style, and the enfilades of rooms, galleries of the Arsenal square are the so-called "historicism" with its multi-style and imitation of the style of past centuries. For example, a romantic passion for medieval Gothic was embodied in the interiors of the Gothic, Chinese and Japanese galleries. "Second Rococo" or style "in the style of Pompadour" favorite of the French king Louis XV - a variety of living rooms, boudoirs, bedrooms, offices.

IN mid-nineteenth centuries, when they abandoned the division into front and living quarters, decorations began to play a decisive role in the interior. Numerous furniture began to be arranged, forming cozy corners for work, rest, and conversation. Soft "quilted" furniture, upholstered in silk fabrics with bright floral patterns, was very cozy. Some of the sofas had a table or a jardinière for flowers, and a bathtub was hidden under the other... The furniture was made on wheels and could easily be moved over soft carpets. In the rooms there are many small chests, cabinets, bookcases, an abundance of draperies, trinkets, and here porcelain from famous European factories and bronze.

In the kaleidoscope of E. Hau's watercolors, the charming "calico" rooms of Maria Alexandrovna, the wife of Alexander II, stand out in particular. Their walls and furniture are upholstered in waxed Chinz chintz, the forerunner of washable wallpaper. Light blue and light pink chintz with colorful bouquets of flowers gives the rooms the look of a spring blooming garden. You can also see samples of these fabrics in showcases at the exhibition.

One of the artist's watercolors shows a whole suite of rooms: a blue bedroom, a green study, yellow and red living rooms and, at the end, a window overlooking the park. Here, as in other watercolors, E.P. Gau uses the technique of building a perspective, when the vanishing point goes through the doors of the rooms into the depths. I am simply fascinated by the miniature landscapes of the park, the White Lake, which the artist draws in the windows of the premises, and they are genuine!

It should be noted that the watercolors of E. Hau are united by high technical skill: this is an accurate construction of perspective, careful drawing of details, skill watercolor technique. Working with watercolor in the hillshade technique, when repeated coating with color - layer by layer, enhancing the tonality, is very difficult, and you can not make a mistake, rewrite. There is an assumption that E. Hau, like other perspective artists, used optical devices such as a camera obscura (a prototype of a camera). Even so, painting watercolors is still a lot of work. If at first the artist created a small number of sheets, 3-4 per year, then ten. All watercolors of the Gatchina series are signed and have the date of creation on them.

Eduard Petrovich Gau lived long life up to 80 years old. However, after his death, the widow Emilia Gau with adopted daughter, not having sufficient funds, were forced to ask the St. Petersburg Academy for financial assistance. I found documents in the archive, where the Academy, noting the merits of the artist, allocated a one-time allowance, but refused a pension, referring to the fact that "Eduard Hau was not in the service of the Academy."

Today we are immensely grateful wonderful artist. And it is a pity that later there was no such master who would capture the interiors of the time Alexander III. Their restoration would have gone much more successfully at the present time ...