December, 24, 2003 – May, 15, 2004

 The State History Museum

The theme of the exhibition is historical portrait – the first secular art genre in Russia, appeared in the second half of the 17th century. Organizers have collected bright portrait gallery of historical persons of the epoch. They say, a portrait represents an epoch. The whole exposition presents collective, various and deeply expressive portrait of the beginning of historical changes.

The exhibition is aimed to represent the origin of portrait in medieval art. Display of a large number of parsunas and icons of the last third of the 17th century  gives a bright opportunity of confronting.

Painted portrait of the last third of the 17th  century – early 18th  century is the main section of the exhibition. Painted parsuna is either heir to spiritual and painting tradition of Russian Middle Ages or root of secular portrait in Russia – phenomenon of Modern Time.

Portraits created in the first decennary of the 18th  century give final touch to the display. At the turn of the new century the idea of a painted image is changing as well as correcting of formal imperfection of parsuna begins.

The exhibition presents early Russian portraits in all their functional externals, either memorial medals or coins or book illustrations or an engraving of circulation.