The images of Russian cities in the XlXth century lithographs by Andre Durand in the G.A. Stroganov's collection

The article takes up an album of lithographs with images of Russian cities called "The Picturesque and archaeological journey of the French artist Andre Durand created under the leadership of Anatoly Demidov in 1839". Andre Durand (1807-1867), the French lithographer, studied at the Rouen arts school. He was a Corresponding Member of the Committee of Historical Monuments and took part in the Paris Salons with pictures and lithographs of antique architectural buildings. Following the proposal of Anatoly Demidov, Durand undertook a journey around Russia, and during this journey he made sketches of views of Russian cities. The series of lithographs was published in 1840-1849 in Paris, a copy was in the book collection of G.A. Stroganov, and it was presented to Tomsk State University's Library. In 1930 the album was taken away with other editions adhering to the decision of the Soviet Government, but the second edition was later found in the depths of the library, presumably owned by G.A. Stroganov. The lithographs of Andre Durand preserved the images of Russian cities in the middle of the XIX century; In total there are 100 papers in the album. Apart from Moscow and Saint-Petersburg other towns are represented - Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Novgorod and Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Kostroma, Kazan and the purlieus of Volga and Oka. On the way to Russia, the artist drew views of the German towns Hamburg, Lubek and views of Denmark. The definite integrity of the artist's subjective sensations is represented in the lithographs through the look of the town. In the article, the author took a shot to analyze the subjective reflecting principles of the architectural look of the town, depicted by the artist with the help of graphic touch. The basis was taken by typology of graphic pictures, introduced in the research of V.B. Rakova, which took the topographic panoramic type of the image, the frontal panorama and the local view. The town views characterized by A. Durand are in compliance with these principles The lithographs were published on the basis of the artist's sketches from models made during the journey, where he put the exact date: the day, the month and the year. On the base of these signs, the article traces the artist's journey through Russia, it lasted from the 1 of June till the 9 of November 1839. The collection of pictures presents a realistic image of Russia in the 19 century. The undoubted advantage of the images is the liberal interpretation of the urban field and its nearby nature; the works have their own composition solution, completeness and serves as artistic value.

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