A strange name for this sculpture gallery. The wall decorations show the influence of Raphael's Loggia.
This gallery has a superb collection of works by Canova & his followers.
A later version of this is at the V&A.
Ann seeing the funny side of Canova.
Falconet was also the sculptor of St. Petersburg's most iconic statue - The Bronze Horseman.
The Tsars certainly got around. I didn't expect to see any connection with Malta at the Hermitage.
A very grand drawing-room from the time of Nicholas I. The wall decorations (of Poetry with Night & Day) I feel are incongruous.
Another stunning large malachite vase.
Living up to its name, as we were passing through we were serenaded by quartet singing traditional songs.
Another great hall for setting off these classical sculptures.
This statue of Jupiter was from the villa of Emperor Domitian.
Dionysus himself with Ariadne (?).
Philoctetes was a Greek hero, lover of Hercules and participated in the Trojan war, being one of the warriors inside the Trojan Horse.
After going through some amazing galleries and halls, it was a jolt coming into the relative intimacy of the last Tsar's library.
If only he had studied the lessons of history here, you never know, events might have turned out quite differently for him and his family - and the country!
