Show all images on one page	#007799 Title: St.Petersburg Artist: Kuznetsov Anatoliy Size: 18x14x5.5 Size (inches): 7x5.5x2.25 Price : $1850 SOLD!

This brilliantly painted box continues Anatoliy Kuznetsov's series of works dedicated to Russian cathedrals and monasteries. Here we can see a view to Smolniy Convent(St.Petersburg) from a river.
Smolny is a compound of historically interrelated buildings erected in 18th and 19th centuries. As the most widely known of the buildings has been used as the seat of the City Governor's Office, its name is associated with city authorities.
"Smolny" was short for the Russian Smolny dvor ("The Tarring Yard"), referring to its original function as a yard for covering the hulls of wooden ships with tar to make them waterproof and protected from rot and vermin. In the 18th century, this place was located outside of St. Petersburg, but close to the city limits.
In the mid-18th century, Empress Elizabeth of Russia ordered the construction of a Russian Orthodox nunnery, Smolny Convent, where she supposedly wanted to retire in old age. It became a local historical landmark due to its Baroque cathedral, designed by Francesco Rastrelli. The convent had a number of gardens and a hospice.
In the 19th century, the compound received an addition in the form of a Neoclassical building that became the home of the original Smolny Institute-the first and best known royal educational institution for young ladies of noble birth(1764-1917).
The scene is painted with photo-quality precision using light blue and gray oils. Several pieces of mother-of-pearl are in-layed under the buildings, that adds to the composition luster and brilliance.
The scene is framed with gold line; two parallel gold bands wraps around the box's sides.
The box is made out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The lid is hinged from the top of the scene and the box rests on the wavy platform. The work is signed with the name of the artist and the year of 2014.