Leonor de Almeida Portugal, Marquise of Alorna

Early life.

D. Leonor de Almeida Portugal was born in Lisbon, on 31 October 1750, to João de Almeida Portugal, 2nd Marquis of Alorna and 4th Count of Assumar, and Leonor de Lorena e Távora, daughter of Leonor Tomásia de Távora, 3rd Marchioness of Távora. She was born into the House of Távora, one of the most illustrious noble families in Portugal. Her family's wealth and power, however, achieved them suspicion from King José I's Prime Minister Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal. These tensions between the Távoras and the Marquis of Pombal accumulated in 1758, when Leonor was eight years old, in the Távora affair. The affair saw the execution of her maternal grandparents and Leonor and her mother's forced placement in the Convent of São Félix of Chelas, until 1777. Likewise, her father and brother were imprisoned in the Tower of Belém.  While in the convent at Chelas, Leonor lived with her mother and sister. She devoted her time to studying the works of Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Pierre Bayle, and to the Encyclopedia of Diderot. As there was not much for a young girl to do at a convent, Leonor spent most of her time composing poems and other lyrical pieces. It is during her childhood at the convent when Leonor began her career as a poet, publishing her first work, the "Poems of Chelas". It was also in the convent where she came in contact with famed poets and members of the Portuguese literary scene, covents and monasteries having been a traditional place for refuge by writers and artists in Portugal.  The convent was often a location of retreat to the members of the Arcadia, a literary society, and to distinguished poets like Francisco Manuel do Nascimento, best known by his pen-name, "Filinto Elísio". Nascimento, having read the "Poems of Chelas", sought out Leonor, to listen her works and discuss poetry with her, and eventually became her tutor in literature, poetry, and Latin. Nascimento's pen-name was, in fact, given to him by Leonor, while he was her tutor at the convent. It was also during her time at the convent when Leonor started being called "Alcipe", as the nuns often gave nicknames to the young girls at the convent, as they also gave Leonor's sister, Maria de Almeida Portugal, the nickname "Dafne".  Leonor finally left the convent in 1777, when she was twenty-seven years old, at the orders of the newly acclaimed Queen Maria I, who sought to reverse all the policies and actions of the Marquis of Pombal, whom she despised. Similarly, her father and brother were released from Belém Tower and the two branches of the family reunited. The family's former palaces, the envy of the Portuguese nobility, had been destroyed by order of the Marquis of Pombal, and thus the family moved to the Quinta of Vale de Nabais, outside of Lisbon, which they renamed Quinta of Alorna. Though reduced from their previous standing, the family quickly rose in the Portuguese court and nobility. Leonor rapidly became a personality of the aristocracy, her intelligence and charm having captivated the nobles who expected a girl ruined by a forced convent life.

Marriage.

Two years after her release from her imprisoned life at the convent, Leonor already had numerous suitors for her hand in marriage. Her prime suitor was Carlos Pedro Maria José Augusto, Count of Oyenhausen-Grevenburg, a nobleman and military-man from the Holy Roman Empire. The Count served in the Seven Years' War, as an aide-de-camp to General Frederick Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1762, Carlos Pedro came to Portugal with his cousin, William, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe, who was invited by the Marquis of Pombal to train the Portuguese army.  Carlos Pedro went into the service of Queen Maria I, where he distinguished himself as a notable military-man and honourable statesman. His position and reputation made him the prime candidate for Leonor's hand and thus the two married on 15 February 1779. Present were Queen Maria I and King Pedro III, Leonor's godparents, alongside many of the most important nobles at the Portuguese Royal Court. As a gift to the couple, Queen Maria I invested Carlos Pedro as a knight of the Order of Christ, Portugal's highest and noblest order.

Vienna.

In 1779, Count Carlos Pedro moved the couple to Porto, as he was made commander of the VI Royal Infantry Regiment, which was based in that city. While in Porto, Leonor bore the couple's first child, Leonor Benedita de Almeida e Oyenhausen. His post in Porto would only temporary, for in 1780, Queen Maria I appointed Count Carlos Pedro as her minister plenipotentiary to the Imperial Court of Vienna and the couple moved thereafter. On the way to Vienna, Leonor and Count Carlos Pedro were received by the courts of King Carlos III of Spain and Louis XVI of France. While in Vienna, Leonor became a prominent member of the local poetry scene and distinguished herself as a notable painter. Though she was often sick, due to the difference of the Austrian climate to the Portuguese one, Leonor bore two children: Juliana de Almeida e Oyenhausen, on 20 August 1782, and Frederica de Almeida e Oyenhausen, 1 September 1784.  In Vienna, Leonor made the acquaintances with many of Europe's great minds and personalities, from Germaine de Staël to Jacques Necker. Leonor even won the favours of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and her successor, Joseph II of Austria, who made her a dame of the Order of the Starry Cross. When Pope Pius VI visited the Imperial Viennese Court, he received a private audience with Leonor, where she was decorated by the Supreme Pontiff. While a great success in her new Austrian home, Leonor still kept contact with her family and the Royal Court back in Portugal. She often sent her works back to Portugal, most notably a painting entitled "Soledade", to her father, and "An Alegory of Conjugal Love", to Princess Benedita, wife of José, Prince of Brazil, and a copy of a painting by Guido Reni, to Queen Maria I. In 1785, Leonor and her family were recalled back to Lisbon.

Return to Portugal.

Leonor and her family moved back to Portugal in 1785, when Count Carlos Pedro, was appointed as Lieutenant-General of the I Royal Infantry. Leonor became a lady-in-waiting to Princess Carlota Joaquina, the wife of João, Prince of Brazil, the son of Leonor's god-parents, Queen Maria I and King Pedro III. Being a high-ranking official of the Portuguese Royal Court, Leonor became a popular personality very quickly and she opened a literary salon, one of the most exclusive and notable in the kingdom. Leonor even drew up some of the preliminary drafts for the Royal Palace of Ajuda, though they were substituted for plans with a more contemporary style.  In 1790, Count Carlos Pedro was appointed Governor-General of the Kingdom of the Algarves, and so the family moved, once again, to Faro. The family's stay, however, was cut short, for on 3 March 1793, Leonor's husband died at the age of 54. The family subsequently moved to their properties in the Almeirim Municipality, in the Ribatejo Province. There, Leonor devoted herself to the education of her six children, educating them in all the classics, as she had been educated in her early years in the Covent of Chelas. In 1800, Leonor was able to marry her eldest daughter, Juliana de Almeida e Oyenhausen, to Aires José Maria de Saldanha Albuquerque Coutinho Matos e Noronha, 2nd Count of Ega.  In 1801, Leonor's father, João de Almeida Portugal, 2nd Marquis of Alorna, died. Her brother, Pedro de Almeida Portugal, succeeded her father as Marquis of Alorna. Grief-stricken, Leonor took her family to London, where she stayed in the palace of Domingos de Sousa Coutinho, Count of Funchal, the Portuguese ambassador to the United Kingdom. Upon arrival, Leonor received news that the War of the Oranges had erupted.

Napoleonic Wars.

Though the War of the Oranges ended in the same year it started, 1801, Leonor stayed in England until 1809. The reason for her return was her brother's appointment as Commander of the Portuguese Legion and as a major-general in Napoleonic Forces in Spain. Similarly, Leonor's daughter, Juliana, became the official mistress to General Jean-Andoche Junot, General of Napoleonic Forces in Spain and Portugal. Though she had security through her family relations in the invading Napoleonic forces, Leonor sent her only son, João Carlos Ulrico de Almeida e Oyenhausen, Count of Oyenhausen-Groewenbourg, to join the Portuguese Royal Court in Rio de Janeiro.  When Leonor's brother was dismissed from his position as Commander of the Portuguese Legion, in 1810, Leonor returned to England. She stayed there until 1813, when her brother, Pedro de Almeida Portugal, 3rd Marquis of Alorna, died without any living descendants and Leonor became the rightful heir to the title. In order to acquire the title and all properties associated with it, Leonor applied for a license to return to Portugal and a recognition of title from the Prince Regent João, Prince of Brazil. In between returning to Portugal and obtaining recognition for her titles, Leonor and her children stayed at the Palace of the Marquises of Fronteira, the home of her daughter, Leonor Benedita de Almeida e Oyenhausen, and son-in-law, João José Luís de Mascarenhas Barreto, 6th Marquis of Fronteira. Upon recognition of her titles, Leonor became Marquise of Alorna, though not Countess of Assumar, as it was a subsidiary title for her heir, and the owner of the two quintas associated with the Marquis of Alorna and an annual allowance of 12,000 cruzados, as payment for the services of her brother and father.

Later life.

After the Napoleonic Wars, Leonor lived a very isolated life in her estate at the Quinta of Alorna. Though foreign wars no longer plagued Portugal, the Liberal Wars and Brazilian War of Independence would make Portugal unstable, and thus Leonor preferred to seclude herself from war, which had taken so many of her family members. In 1822, Leonor's only son, João Carlos Ulrico de Almeida e Oyenhausen, Count of Oyenhausen-Groewenbourg, died while serving as the Lieutenant-Colonel of the IV Royal Cavalry. Count João Carlos's death meant that the heir to both Leonor and the deceased Count Carlos Pedro's titles became Leonor Benedita de Almeida e Oyenhausen, and thus she became the Countess of Oyenhausen-Groewenbourg and Countess of Assumar.  Leonor only reintroduced herself to Portuguese society in 1826, when she participated as High-Chamberlady to Infanta Isabel Maria of Portugal, the then Regent of Portugal, at the opening of the Portuguese Cortes. In 1828, she participated in the ceremony where Queen Maria II handed the throne of the kingdom to her uncle, who became King Miguel I of Portugal. When King Pedro IV of Portugal won the Liberal Wars, in 1834, and restored Queen Maria II to the throne, Leonor led the chorus at Queen Maria II's acclamation in the Cathedral of Lisbon. She also participated in King Pedro IV's funeral, later that year.  In 1833, Leonor was made a Dame of the Order of Saint Isabel, by Amélia of Leuchtenberg, Duchess of Braganza, and a Member of the Order of the Starry Cross, by Caroline Augusta of Bavaria, Empress of Austria. As a prominent member of the Portuguese High Nobility, Leonor would customarily have attended the marriage of Queen Maria II to Auguste de Beauharnais, in 1835, but she was unable to, due to her advanced age. The newly-wedded royal couple, however, visited Leonor the next day. In 1836, Leonor moved permanently to the Palace of the Marquises of Fronteira, where she could be closer to her daughter, Leonor Benedita de Almeida e Oyenhausen, Countess of Assumar, and grandson, José Trasimundo Mascarenhas Barreto, 7th Marquis of Fronteira. Leonor died at the palace on 11 October 1839.

D. Leonor de Almeida Portugal, 4th Marquise of Alorna, 8th Countess of Assumar (31 October 1750 – 11 October 1839) was a Portuguese noblewoman, painter, and poet. Commonly known by her nickname, Alcipe, the Marquise was a prime figure in the Portuguese Neoclassic a proto-Romantic literary scene, while still a follower of Neoclassicism when it came to painting.

Leonora de Almeida Portugal, markýza de Alorna (31. října 1750, Lisabon – 11. října 1839, tamtéž) byla portugalská básnířka, jejíž verše jsou poznamenány preromantickou senzibilitou.


History.

The National Gallery of Armenia (NGA) was founded in 1921 under the decree of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (Armenian SSR) and represents the artistic section of the State museum. Upon its establishment the NGA's art section encountered difficulties, largely because Yerevan lacked state owned and private art collections to form the core of the collection. The first works to enter the collection where the dozens of works purchased from an Armenian painters' exhibition in August 1921.  A decisive factor in the founding of the NGA's art collection was the transfer of the renowned collection of The Armenian Cultural Center (the former Lazarian Seminary, Moscow) and also the donations made by Armenian artists to the NGA. By 1925, 400 pieces by Armenian, Russian and European artists were on display throughout the six halls which compose the museum's art section.  By 1935, the state art section, which had undergone many refurbishments, became a separate Art Museum. In 1947 the gallery was re-dubbed the State Picture Gallery of Armenia and subsequently renamed the National Gallery of Armenia in 1991. The picture gallery's large collection of works are on display thanks to the efforts of many dedicated compatriots and friendly donations from foreign associates.  The NGA currently houses around 26,000 works of art, many of which are permanently displayed in the museum's 56 galleries and halls.

Description.

Armenian art makes up a large part of the collection, beginning with ancient and Medieval art: Urartu frescoes and copies of Garni Temple’s mosaics and Medieval wall-paintings and miniatures, including a 7th-century fresco of "Christ Enthroned" from St. Stephanos Church (Lmbatavank), a10th-century fresco fragment of "The Last Judgment" from St. Poghos-Petros (Tatev), and a 13th-century fresco depicting the Nativity from St. Astvatsatskin (Akhtala),  The museum has an extensive collection of Armenian Apostolic Church-related paintings ranging from the 17th-19th centuries, as well as, silver book-covers of manuscripts, crosses, and 18th-century altar curtains from across Asia.  The collection of historic Armenian art is the largest in the world. There are particularly strong collections of work by Hakob Hovnatanyan, Hovhannes Aivazovsky, Gevorg Bashinjaghian, Panos Terlemezian, Vardges Sureniants, Vartan Mahokian, Martiros Saryan, Hakob Kojoyan, Hakob Gyurjian, Edgar Chahine, Grigor Khanjyan, Minas Avetisyan, and many more.  There is a particular strength in the field of art by diasporan Armenians, and it includes works by Zakar Zakarian (Paris), Edgar Chahine (Paris), Hovsep Pushman (New York), Jean Carzou (Paris), Jean Jansem (Paris), Gerardo Oragyan (Rome), and Paul Guiragossian (Beirut).  Russian art is also extensively present in the NPGA's collection. These include religious icons and images from the 16th and 17th centuries and works of well-known Russian artists from the 18th–20th-century, including F. Rokotov, I. Argunov, F. Shubin, Ilya Repin, Valentin Serov, Ilya Mashkov, Sergey Konenkov, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Vassily Kandinsky, Natalia Goncharova, Marc Chagall, and others.  NPGA has also incorporated many examples of "foreign art" (predominantly Western) into their collection, many of which were originally part of the 'Armenian Cultural Center' (the former Lazarian Seminary, Moscow), which was nationalized during the Soviet period and moved to Yerevan.  The ancient collections include examples of ancient art from Egypt (New Kingdom, Greco-Roman, Coptic), Greece (Corinth, Attica), Rome, and Iran. The Decorative Arts department has ceramic and porcelain collections of Chinese, Iranian, Italian, Japan, German, Austrian, Danish, and an extensive collection from the 18th–19th-century Tsarist Imperial Porcelain Factory in Russia. There are also a small collection of bronze items from 18th-century China (Qing dynasty) and 16th–17th-century Western European wooden furniture.  There are a number of European Old Master works in their holdings, including works by well-known artists from Italy, Holland, Belgium and French art movements, including significant works by Donatello, Tintoretto, Antonio Canova, Joos de Momper, Caspar Netscher, Matthias Stomer, Jan Van Goyen, P. Claesz, E. M. Falconet, Carle Vanloo, J. B. Greuze, Joseph Vernet, Robert Hubert, Théodore Rousseau, Adolphe Monticelli.  In 2008, a pavilion was opened specifically for Hakob Gurjian’s works.  The NPGA building also houses the restoration and conservation studios affiliated with the museum. The complex also has a moderately sized library and archive, a small cafeteria, a souvenir and book store, and a hall used for film screenings and lectures.  The NPGA also lends to international exhibitions with works from her collection, helping to organizize exhibitions of Armenian art in different countries to see that Armenia's works are appreciated by citizens around the world.

Armenian art.

Armenian art makes up a large part of the collection – around 700 pieces. Exposition of classic Armenian art begins with ancient and Medieval art: Urartu frescoes and copies of Garni Temple’s mosaics and Medieval wall-paintings and miniatures, including a 7th-century fresco of "Christ Enthroned" from St. Stephanos Church (Lmbatavank), a10th-century fresco fragment of "The Last Judgment" from St. Poghos-Petros (Tatev), and a 13th-century fresco depicting the Nativity from St. Astvatsatskin (Akhtala).  The museum has an extensive collection of Armenian Apostolic Church-related paintings ranging from the 17th-19th centuries, as well as, silver book-covers of manuscripts, crosses, and 18th-century altar curtains from across Asia.  Collection of Armenian paintings of the 17 century consists mostly of the artistic heritage of the Hovnatanian’s dynasty. Beside works of Hovnatan Hovnatanian, strong collection of pieces by Hakob Hovnatanyan, founder of portrait genre in Armenian painting, is displayed in the Gallery.  The Gallery stores more than 62 canvases of Ivan Aivazovsky, Russian painter of Armenian background, who wrote a lot of paintings on Armenian motifs.  The largest part of the Armenian collection is dedicated to the work of classical Armenian painters of the 19-20 century – Vardges Sureniants, Stepan Aghajanian, Yeghishe Tadevosyan, Panos Terlemezian, Gevorg Bashinjaghian, Martiros Saryan, Hakob Kojoyan, Arshak Fetvadjian and others.  There is a particular strength in the field of art by diasporan Armenians, and it includes works by Zakar Zakarian (Paris), Edgar Chahine (Paris), Hovsep Pushman (New York), Jean Carzou (Paris), Jean Jansem (Paris), Gerardo Oragyan (Rome), and Paul Guiragossian (Beirut).  In 2008, a pavilion was opened specifically for Hakob Gurjian’s works.

Western art.

Western art collection totals around 170 pieces and consists of 4 major sections – Italian, Flemish, Dutch and French art, but also includes works of Spanish, German and other artists.  There are a number of European Old Master works in their holdings, including works by well-known artists from Italy, Holland, Belgium and French art movements, including significant works by Donatello, Tintoretto, Antonio Canova, Joos de Momper, Caspar Netscher, Matthias Stomer, Jan Van Goyen, P. Claesz, E. M. Falconet, Carle Vanloo, J. B. Greuze, Joseph Vernet, Robert Hubert, Théodore Rousseau, Adolphe Monticelli.  There are more than 180 sheets of European graphics of the 16-17 century.  Italian art collection Italian collection starts with the works of the 14th century. One of the most remarkable ones is “Christmas”, canvas of an unknown artist of the Botticelli circle. “Apollo and Pan” by famous Tintoretto is a prominent example of High Renaissance. Portrait genre of the 17th century is represented by the work of Bernardo Strozzi “Portrait of Nikola Kuchi” and 2 portraits by Guercino, member of the Bolognese School. Pontormo’s canvas illustrate earlier period of portrait genre.  The museum has an extensive collection of Biblical art – “The birth of Jesus and Adoration of the Shepherds” by Jacopo Bassano (recently the gallery received one more canvas by Bassano), “Good Samaritan” by Leandro Bassano, works of Luca Giordano, Pietro da Cortona, Sebastiano Ricci, Luca Signorelli, Pompeo Batoni, Bernardino Luini, Paolo Farinati, Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato, Alessandro Turchi, Giacomo Cavedone. There are a number of noteworthy Theotokos portraits by Benvenuto Tisi, Sebastiano Conca, Elisabetta Sirani and others.  Landscape art of the XVIII century is represented by Francesco Guardi, Francesco Zuccarelli, Gisolphi and several unknown artists.  The collection includes graphic works of Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Giovanni Paolo Panini, Federico Zuccari, Jacopo da Empoli, Luca Cambiasi, Stefano della Bella.  Flemish and Dutch collection According to 1982 survey, around 30 works of Flemish and 60 works of Dutch art were exhibited in the gallery. Most of them belong to the XVII century.  Flemish art school is represented by remarkable pieces including “Procession of Silenus” by Peter Paul Rubens, “Descent from the Cross” by Anthony van Dyck, outstanding still-life paintings by Verbruggen and Jan Fyt and “Mountain landscape” by Joos de Momper. Portrait genre is represented by several canvases, most notable ones are woman portrait by Pieter Pourbus and portrait by unknown artist of the 17th century. Two works of David Teniers the Younger disclose genre painting. Work of comparatively little-known artist Jan Cossiers “Faun visiting peasants” is an example of realism art.  The Dutch collection includes works of famous artists of the Dutch Golden Age painting. The section contains “Singing lesson” by Caspar Netscher, “Company at the Table” by Pieter Codde, “Holiday” Joost Cornelisz Droochsloot, piece by Cornelis Dusart, and paintings depicting tavern motifs etc. It is worth mentioning the work “War and Peace” by Hendrick Goltzius. “Birth of Christ” by Joos van Cleve is based on the Biblical plot.  Canvases of several landscape artists are exhibited in the gallery including “View of Dordrecht” by Jan van Goyen, “Landscape with a Broken Tree” by Allaert van Everdingen and sea landscape by Ludolf Bakhuizen. At that time in Holland the so-called “Italianate landscape” became widely popular. In the gallery “Italianate landscape” is represented by the works of Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, Cornelis van Poelenburgh, Karel Dujardin and Frederik de Moucheron. The gallery holds works of such Dutch still life artists as Pieter Claesz, Jan Weenix and Abraham van Beijeren. Dutch portrait genre is represented by Stom's “The Money-changer” and woman’s portrait by Caspar Netscher.  Dutch collection include works of military art, for example “Poles in the battle against the Swedes” by Philips Wouwerman and “Battle” by Esaias van de Velde.  The collection includes graphic works of Adriaen van Ostade, Jan Lievens, Jan van der Heyden, Maerten van Heemskerck, Godfried Schalcken, Abraham van Diepenbeeck, Adriaen van de Velde, Jan Dirksz Both and others.  French art  Collection of French paintings is the largest in quantity among other western collections. Section starts with works of remarkable artists of the XVII century including “Rinaldo and Armida” by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, “Head of a Young Woman” by Jean-Baptiste Greuze and works of Jean-Marc Nattier, Nicolas de Largillière, François-Hubert Drouais, Charles-André van Loo, Jacques Courtois etc. Recently the gallery received a canvas “Young woman with a flower” by one of the most prominent representatives of rococo - François Boucher. There are other works within the same style – “The Italian actors” by Nicolas Lancret and “Sleeping child with angels” by François Lemoyne. Sentimentalism and classicism are represented by portraits of Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun.  Development of the landscape genre in French painting can be traced back to the XVII century with the work of Gaspard Dughet. Landscape genre of the XVIII century is represented by 3 pieces of Hubert Robert and 3 works of Claude-Joseph Vernet.  The gallery holds works of Barbizon school artists, art movement that heavily influenced development of realistic traditions in the French art of the XIX century, - Théodore Rousseau “Dusk in a forest”, 2 paintings of Narcisse Virgilio Díaz and seascape by Félix Ziem. The Gallery exhibits “Portrait of a girl” by the leader of the realism movement in 19th-century French painting Gustave Courbet. French collection of that period includes works of Horace Vernet, Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps, Théodore Gudin and others.  Works of Eugène Boudin, Louis Anquetin, Bernard Buffet and Adolphe Monticelli give a brief overview of the later development of the French art.  Gallery collection includes graphic works of Jean-Antoine Watteau, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Jacques Bellange, Jules Pascin, Auguste Rodin and others, sculptures of Antonio Canova and Étienne Maurice Falconet.  Spanish, German and other artists  Spanish art school is represented by several works, one of them is The Descent from the Cross, painting of the prominent representative of Spanish mannerism – Luis de Morales. The collection includes etching “Bulls” by the outstanding master of romantic period - Francisco Goya, “The Moment of Lecture” by Marià Fortuny, one of the leaders of romantic orientalism. Recently the Gallery received 4 graphic works of Salvador Dali. German art is represented by landscape painters Jacob Philipp Hackert, Johann Heinrich Roos and others. Collection also includes 9 graphics of the outstanding German painter Albrecht Dürer, engraining “Christ presented to the people” by Sebald Beham, graphic work of Franz Stuck and others.  Beside works of Spanish and German artists, the Gallery owns paintings of Swiss artists Alexandre Calame, Louis Léopold Robert, paintings of Daniel Chodowiecki, January Suchodolski, Ion Andreescu, Ștefan Dimitrescu and others.

Russian art.

Russian art is also extensively present in the NPGA's collection. Around 230 works of art are exhibited in the gallery. Russian secular art is represented from the middle of the XVIII century. Collection of the gallery encompasses portraits and sculptures from the end of XVIII – beginning of XIX centuries including works of Ivan Argunov, Dmytro Levytsky, Fyodor Rokotov, Vladimir Borovikovsky, Ivan Martos and Fedot Shubin. Russian landscape art of the XVIII century is represented by several canvases by Fyodor Matveyev and Mikhail Ivanov.  Russian painting of the first half of the XIX century is represented by works of Orest Kiprensky, 4 canvases of Vasily Tropinin, 3 works of Sylvester Shchedrin, works of Karl Bryullov, Pyotr Basin and others. Art works of Henryk Siemiradzki, Sergey Zaryanko, Ivan Khrutsky and Vasily Serebryakov depict the second half of the XIX century.  The turn of the XIX-XX centuries is presented by works of Alexandre Benois, artists of the symbolism movement Boris Anisfeld and Victor Borisov-Musatov, and works of Russian avangard. Collection of that period includes such masterpieces as “Summer residence” by Marc Chagall and 2 works of Wassily Kandinsky. There are also 5 works of Ivan Shishkin, 10 works of Isaac Levitan, multiple works of Vasily Surikov, Ilya Repin, Valentin Serov, Arkhip Kuindzhi, Vasily Vereshchagin, Konstantin Makovsky, Vladimir Makovsky, Vasily Polenov, Mikhail Vrubel, Mikhail Nesterov, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin and others. The museum holds the most complete collection of paintings of Ivan Aivazovsky - around 60 paintings.

Directors.

In the years prior the gallery was directed by:

The National Gallery of Armenia (, "Hayastani azgayin patkerasrah") is the largest art museum in Armenia. Located on Yerevan's Republic Square, the museum has one of the most prominent locations in the Armenian capital. The NGA houses significant collections of Russian and Western European art, and the world's largest collection of Armenian art. The museum had 65,000 visitors in 2005.

Arménská národní galerie (arménsky Հայաստանի ազգային պատկերասրահ) v Jerevanu je největší muzeum umění v Arménii a jedno z největších v postsovětském prostoru. Má významné sbírky ruského a západoevropského umění a největší sbírku arménského umění na světě. Bylo založeno v roce 1921 jako umělecká část Státního muzea.