Celebrating the Copy in Early Soviet Exhibitions of Icons and Frescoes

• In Event: Art Exhibitions and Their Audiences, 1860–1930

Abstract

In 1926 and 1929, the Soviet Union sent two exhibitions of early Russian painting abroad. Both were intended to promote Soviet innovations in the restoration of icons and frescoes, in particular a unique new method of making “archaeological facsimiles” of original works. This paper explores the reception of these copies in Germany, London, and the United States. What effect did the trompe l'oeil rendering of every loss and scratch have on the appreciation of early Russian art? How did it contribute to western notions of originality and authenticity regarding an unfamiliar visual tradition? This short-lived moment when copies were celebrated provides a new context for considering the problematic connoisseurship of Russian icons.

Author

• Wendy R. Salmond, Chapman U