Day 2: Art at the Hermitage

I decided to make my way to the Hermitage again this morning to focus on the paintings. I had looked online and decided to focus mainly on the impressionists which are in the General Staff building, across the square from the Winter Palace. As I walked into the Palace Square I couldn't believe the queues. I found out later that it was taking 2-3 hours to reach the ticket office.




 Fortunately as I had visited the night before I knew there was another ticket office for the General Staff building. I went inside that building and was delighted to see there was no queue for tickets. I then found out that as today was the 3rd Thursday of the month, the Museum was free of charge and that was why the queues were so long. I couldn't get a decent photo of the General Staff building as they were erecting a giant stage in front of it so this one is from the net.

 The staff building has been totally refitted to display much more of the Museum's art collection. This is the new interior entrance to the gallery floors.

Here is a selection of the paintings I saw.

Henri Matisse: The Ballerina (1927)

Henri Matisse: Vase of Irises (1912)

Henri Matisse: Music ( 1910)

Henri Matisse: Family Portrait (1911)

Pablo Picasso: Head of a woman  Pablo Picasso: Two sisters (1902)

Pablo Picasso: Table in a cafe (1912)

Pablo Picasso: Violin and Guitar (1912/13)

Auguste Renoir: Portrait of a woman (1877)

Edgar Degas: Dancers (1896-98)

Auguste Rodin: The Eternal Spring. After 1884

 I found the next  few rooms really frustrating as the paintings reflected the light from the windows. I was surprised they didn't have blinds on the windows. It was difficult to appreciate the paintings let alone take photos. Anyway that's the reason these photos seem to be at strange angles.

Auguste Rodin: Low tide at Yport 1883

Auguste Renoir: Roses in a vase

Auguste Renoir: In the Garden 1883

Auguste Renoir: Young woman in a flowered hat 1892

Camille Pissarro: The Tuileries Gardens 1900

Camille Pissarro: Quai Malaquais, Sunny Afternoon 1903

Claude Monet: Woman in a garden 1876

Claude Monet: The Seine at Asnieres 1873

Alfred Sisley: Barges at Billancourt 1877

Claude Monet: The Garden 1876

Claude Monet: The Grand Quai at Havre 1874

 Paul Gauguin: Rowan Bouquet 1884

 Paul Cezanne: Jas de Bouffan, the pool 1876

 Paul Cezanne:  Bathers

 Vincent Van Gogh: Arena at Arles

 Vincent Van Gogh: The white house at night 1890

 Vincent Van Gogh: Morning, going out to work 1890

 Vincent Van Gogh: Lilac  Bush 1889

I spent all morning wandering through the galleries. By lunch time I was more than ready for a sit down and something to eat. I stayed in the Hermitage and used the cafe there which was reasonably priced and anyway I couldn't be bothered to look for somewhere else. I stayed there for quite a while replenishing my energy over a sandwich, cake and cup of tea deciding on where to visit next in St Petersburg.