detroit institute of arts
it's been a while, but this visit to the detroit institute of arts has been in the works for a while! i bought the tickets to the faberge: the rise and fall, the collection of the virginia museum of fine arts over a month ago! i went to the exhibit with the man friend, jason, and my dad.
i had seen the ads for this exhibit a few months ago and was excited to see what faberge was all about. it was something that i feel like i have always known what it is (those very decorated easter eggs), but had never seen in person.
we went at noon on a sunday arriving slightly before our entrance time. i think we just beat the beginning of the rush! i remembered how busy the rembrandt exhibit was last december, so i am happy we didn't wait until closer to the holiday season and we went earlier in the day this time!
the museum first stepped us through the history of the house of faberge. peter carl faberge, the founder's son, is really the owner who took the jewelry shop from being ordinary to extraordinary (at one time, employing over 1,500 people)! he had some serious ambition and really directed it to ensuring the success of his jewelry store. he employed a different technique than most owners/managers of the day allowing each employee to specialize in a particular skill. most faberge items were the product of multiple employees' skills. it also seems that faberge made all types of decorative items! i just associated him with those magnificent eggs, but he made jewelry, figurines, umbrella handles, cigarette holders, plates to name a few items!
the second stage of the museum compared the styles of the st. petersburg shop with the one in moscow. within the moscow shop, faberge created more traditional pieces taking cues from traditional russian folklore and legends. the st. petersburg shop was more cosmopolitan following the tastes of its citizens. citizens of st. petersburg tended to believe they were part of europe and their preferences reflected it!
then, the exhibit moved into the relationship between the house of fabrege and the russian tsar, nikolas II. faberge was the official jeweler to the tsar providing jewelry, figurines and the famous easter eggs. the eggs had to meet three criteria:
1. it must be unique
2. each must contain a surprise
3. each must have a theme
they were stunning. unfortunately for the house of faberge, they become inextricably tied to the czar as the czar's popularity declines. as the czar is pushed off the throne, so is faberge's shop taken over by soviets.
thank goodness, the tsar and his family left the eggs behind, which essential ensured their survival.
overall, i thought the exhibit was very well laid out. the descriptions for each item contained enough information, but not too much to overwhelm the visitor. the audio guide contained interesting information that was easier to digest in verbal form. the space was large enough for the exhibit allowing ample viewing space for visitors. the exhibit also seemed to follow a logical flow.
time in museum: 1.5 hrs
i had seen the ads for this exhibit a few months ago and was excited to see what faberge was all about. it was something that i feel like i have always known what it is (those very decorated easter eggs), but had never seen in person.
we went at noon on a sunday arriving slightly before our entrance time. i think we just beat the beginning of the rush! i remembered how busy the rembrandt exhibit was last december, so i am happy we didn't wait until closer to the holiday season and we went earlier in the day this time!
the museum first stepped us through the history of the house of faberge. peter carl faberge, the founder's son, is really the owner who took the jewelry shop from being ordinary to extraordinary (at one time, employing over 1,500 people)! he had some serious ambition and really directed it to ensuring the success of his jewelry store. he employed a different technique than most owners/managers of the day allowing each employee to specialize in a particular skill. most faberge items were the product of multiple employees' skills. it also seems that faberge made all types of decorative items! i just associated him with those magnificent eggs, but he made jewelry, figurines, umbrella handles, cigarette holders, plates to name a few items!
the second stage of the museum compared the styles of the st. petersburg shop with the one in moscow. within the moscow shop, faberge created more traditional pieces taking cues from traditional russian folklore and legends. the st. petersburg shop was more cosmopolitan following the tastes of its citizens. citizens of st. petersburg tended to believe they were part of europe and their preferences reflected it!
then, the exhibit moved into the relationship between the house of fabrege and the russian tsar, nikolas II. faberge was the official jeweler to the tsar providing jewelry, figurines and the famous easter eggs. the eggs had to meet three criteria:
1. it must be unique
2. each must contain a surprise
3. each must have a theme
they were stunning. unfortunately for the house of faberge, they become inextricably tied to the czar as the czar's popularity declines. as the czar is pushed off the throne, so is faberge's shop taken over by soviets.
thank goodness, the tsar and his family left the eggs behind, which essential ensured their survival.
overall, i thought the exhibit was very well laid out. the descriptions for each item contained enough information, but not too much to overwhelm the visitor. the audio guide contained interesting information that was easier to digest in verbal form. the space was large enough for the exhibit allowing ample viewing space for visitors. the exhibit also seemed to follow a logical flow.
time in museum: 1.5 hrs
times visited: 4
overall: A-
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