THE EXHIBITION «KONSTANTIN AND VLADIMIR MAKOVSKY.
EARTHLY LOVE AND HEAVENLY LOVE»
03.06.26 — 13.09.26
Fabergé Museum, St. Petersburg
Press release
The Cultural and Historical Foundation «The Link of Times» and the Fabergé Museum, with the support of their long-standing partner — PJSC Gazprom — present the exhibition project «Konstantin and Vladimir Makovsky. Earthly and Heavenly Love», dedicated to the artistic heritage of two brothers from the famous creative dynasty. The exhibition, which will run from June 3 to September 13, 2026, is timed to coincide with the 180th anniversary of Vladimir Makovsky.
The uniqueness of the event lies in its scale: the exposition will feature 168 works by the Makovsky brothers: 81 by Konstantin Yegorovich (1839–1915) and 87 by Vladimir Yegorovich (1846–1920). This is one of the largest retrospectives of the Makovsky brothers in recent years. The qualitative composition of the exhibition is also impressive. The majority of the works have been provided by 30 state and private museums, and works from 10 private collections will also participate in the exhibition. The geography of the project is also extremely broad: from Khabarovsk to Kaliningrad, both well-known and little-known collections are involved.
A most important event is the participation of the State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Uzbekistan — 9 paintings by the Makovsky brothers from its collection will be demonstrated on the territory of modern Russia for the first time.
The collection of the Fabergé Museum contains several works by Konstantin Makovsky, the main one being the huge canvas «The Judgment of Paris», which is one of the famous works created by the artist for the World's Fair in Paris in 1889. It will become the compositional center of the exhibition. The exposition will be complemented by jewelry boxes with enamel miniatures based on the works of Konstantin Makovsky from the Fabergé Museum collection.
The title of the exhibition — «Konstantin and Vladimir Makovsky. Earthly Love and Heavenly Love» — refers to Titian's painting, which develops the theme of love. First of all, it reflects the direction of the work of two equally talented but so unlike each other artists. Looking at the works of Konstantin and Vladimir Makovsky, one might think that they spoke different languages. One expressed himself in a lofty style, and the criterion of perfection for him was the ancient gods and heroes, to whom he sometimes likened the contemporary aristocracy; the other sought his heroes and drew inspiration from everyday life, understanding and forgiving human imperfections. On the other hand, the allegory allows one to broaden the focus of perception and speak in general about the love for humanity inherent in the work of both brothers.
The exhibition project «Konstantin and Vladimir Makovsky. Earthly Love and Heavenly Love» aims to study and popularize the creative heritage of the artists, which became a vivid phenomenon in Russian art of the second half of the 19th — early 20th century. The Makovsky brothers pushed the boundaries of the artistic fields and genres they chose and influenced the evolution of Russian art.
Address: St. Petersburg, Fontanka River Embankment, 21 (Fabergé Museum)
Exhibition opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 21:00
Exhibition website: makovskys.fabergemuseum.ru