Pavel Tretyakov’s Tretyakov Gallery
One of the most influential merchants in the arts was Pavel Tretyakov. From a young age, Pavel was fascinated with art. With the goal to create an expansive gallery of Russian national art, he began collecting art in 1854 eventually honing his focus on only Russian contemporary art. Understanding that he was by no means an expert in Russian art, Pavel trusted artists such as Ivan Kramskoy and Vasily Stasov to guide his purchases.
Pavel was determined to make his art public and by 1872 to continue housing the collection in his house he added another story to the building. 20 years later, Pavel presented his home and gallery as a gift to Moscow. Over 1,200 paintings and 400 sculptures became part of the public domain. Yet, his ambition outgrew his home and various additions to the building had to be implemented in order to provide enough space to display and store his collection. It quickly became a popular exhibition hall, and it continues to be one of the primary art museums of Russia.
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