Tsarskoe Selo

Description

This subcollection from the William C. Brumfield Collection -- Photographs of Russian Architecture contains views of the grounds and buildings of the imperial estate of Tsarskoe Selo, located in the St.Petersburg suburb of Pushkin. It includes the Catherine and Alexander Parks, along with their respective palaces. Dotting the multiple English-style gardens are pavilions and follies, constructed mostly in a highly Classicized style. The grandest of the palaces is that named in honor of Peter the Great's second wife, Catherine I. It dominates the landscape both in size and Baroque glory, with a facade that maximizes both detail and color. Surrounded by Greco-Roman statues, the palace contains the famous and splendorous Amber Room. The Alexander Palace, by contrast, was built in a purely Classical style to reflect the sensibilities of Catherine II.