Rovinsky Collection

The noteworthy collection of the engraved and lithographed sixteenth- to nineteenth-century portraits was bequeathed to the library by Dmitry Rovinsky(1824 - 1895) in 1895. The historian, connoisseur and collector of prints, Dmitry Rovinsky purchased prints from Russian and foreign second-hand booksellers and antique-dealers and at various auctions, ultimately accumulating 40,200 items. The collecting of printed portraits was in vogue for centuries and some publishing-houses even specialized in them.

Rovinsky's bequest includes imaginary depictions of ancient heroes and likenesses of European humanists made in their lifetimes. Indeed the whole thing is a sort of historical gallery in which one can find kings, nobles, clergymen, generals, politicians, scholars, writers, poets and artists.

Prints & Photographs Collections

Prints & Photographs. Brief Summary

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