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Lectures & Cultural and Social Events

Ottawa Chapter presents
The Fall 2009 Lecture Series
All lectures will be held in
The Chamber
Ben Franklin Place
101 Centre point Drive — Ground Floor
Ottawa
10 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Members: this lecture — $15.00 each $60.00 series Non-Members: $20.00 each — $80.00 series Our speakers are coming from New York, Washington, Toronto and Montreal so we cannot offer a discount for this series Please call 613 236-1116 or email: ryoung1@magma.ca to reserve your seat and pay with a credit card, or mail cheques to: Canadian Friends of the Hermitage 1500 Bank St. Suite 302, Ottawa, ON K1H 1B8 Parking is free and plentiful There is plenty of seating We will take cheques at the door, please no cash or cards

 

We are pleased and privileged to welcome back Dr. Corey Keeble. Dr. Keeble is an ardent scholar of naval ships and naval battles and he will introduce us to the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905 through the presentation of a set of beautiful watercolours, as yet unpublished, currently held under the care of the Royal Ontario Museum.

The genesis of this war was the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, which caused the European powers and Japan to send toops to China to suppress the rebels. When the fighting was over, Russian troops occupied Manchuria, and though Russia was to withdraw her troops by 1903, she resisted doing so, because she wanted to keep a foothold for further expansion in the Far East. Japan was fighting in Korea and Russia also had interests in that country. As both powers attempted to exert their influence, tensions led to hostilities.

The opening salvo of the Russo-Japanese War was the Japanese naval attack on Port Arthur, Manchuria, held at that time by the Russians. Japan had just signed an alliance with Great Britain, so the formidable Royal Navy was waiting in the wings.

Join us to learn more about this fascinating period in Russian history and a unique opportunity to see as yet unpublished watercolours.

Dr. Corey Keeble was born in Winnipeg, completed his B.A. in English and History at United College, now the University of Winnipeg. He then earned an Art History degree from the Courtauld Institute in London, UK. His studies completed, fortunately for the Canadian art scene, Dr. Keeble returned to Canada, to the Royal Ontario Museum. He joined the curatorial staff in the European Department now called World Cultures. Dr. Keeble is a recognized authority on the history of Renaissance and Baroque bronze sculpture and his interests are many and varied, including medieval sculpture, Gothic architecture, Russian Orthodox icons and Judaica. He has published over 100 articles and catalogues. He speaks French, German and Italian and has studied Hebrew in conjunction with the establishment in 2000, of the ROM's first collection of European Judaica, the Weinberg Judaica Collection. A self-described "cultural omnivore", now studying Russian, Dr. Keeble describes having a passion for all things Russian in particular the iconography of the Russian Orthodox religion and he counts among friends a number of distinguished curators at the Hermitage Museum.

 

Those of you who attended Dr. Corey Keeble's presentation on The Wanderers (Peredvizhniki) last year, gained insight into Russia's famous 19th Century itinerant painters. Their realistic portraits of 19th century Russian peasant life left a lasting impression on our lecture attendees as they do on anyone fortunate enough to see the originals at the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg and the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

Part of that lecture focussed on the beautiful landscapes by artists such as Levitan (left) and Shiskin to name just two, and we have been asked to repeat that portion of the lecture which we agree deserved much more exploration.

With that in mind, Dr. Keeble has isolated and expanded that portion of the presentation and will lecture on the exquisite landscapes from the Russian school. These images are lovely and haunting and they show the Russian countryside dressed in its four seasons. It is speculated that these scenes were often meant to convey thoughts, deep emotions and the personal philosophy of the painter.

Join us for Dr. Keeble's trademark high energy, fact-filled, enormously entertaining presentation.

You won't regret it!

Dr. Corey Keeble was born in Winnipeg, completed his B.A. in English and History at United College, now the University of Winnipeg. He then earned an Art History degree from the Courtauld Institute in London, UK. His studies completed, fortunately for the Canadian art scene, Dr. Keeble returned to Canada, to the Royal Ontario Museum. He joined the curatorial staff in the European Department now called World Cultures. Dr. Keeble is a recognized authority on the history of Renaissance and Baroque bronze sculpture and his interests are many and varied, including medieval sculpture, Gothic architecture, Russian Orthodox icons and Judaica. He has published over 100 articles and catalogues. He speaks French, German and Italian and has studied Hebrew in conjunction with the establishment in 2000, of the ROM's first collection of European Judaica, the Weinberg Judaica Collection. A self-described "cultural omnivore", now studying Russian, Dr. Keeble describes having a passion for all things Russian in particular the iconography of the Russian Orthodox religion and he counts among friends a number of distinguished curators at the Hermitage Museum.

 

The tragic story of the last of the Romanovs, Russia's Royal Family, is one that most people know.

When a mass grave containing the skeletal remains of nine people was discovered in 1991 in Ekaterinburg, where the Royal Family was imprisoned, extensive discussion, speculation and forensic testing ensued. Was this in fact the Royal Family? Where were the other two bodies? Who was missing?

Debates continued for years, the most famous of which was the identification of a woman, Anna Anderson, who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia. The mystery prevailed as Russian scientists were convinced it was Grand Duchess Maria that was missing from the grave, while their American colleagues were equally convinced it was Anastasia, lending credence to the claims of Anna Anderson.

The remains of the Tsar, Tsarina and three of their five children as well as their faithful servants who chose to go into exile with the family, were identified using DNA analysis from members of the Romanov bloodline (including the Duke of Edinburgh and the living relatives of Alexandra's grandmother, Queen Victoria, as well as a bloodstain on a shirt belonging to Nicholas II that is held in the Hermitage!). However the debates raged on as arrangements for the last of the Russian Tsars to be buried in Peter and Paul Fortress Cathedral, St. Petersburg, were made, without the cooperation of the Orthodox church.

This is fascinating — join us and hear the "inside" story.

Captain Peter Sarandinaki is the president of S.E.A.R.C.H. (Scientific Expedition to Account for the Romanov Children) a group of individuals, including members of the Romanov family, who believe it is essential that the events regarding the murders of the Russian Imperial Family and their loyal servants, July 17, 1918, be factually documented and preserved for posterity. Captain Sarandinaki's great grandfather, Lieutenant General Sergey Nikolaevich Rozanov was the Military Commander of the Amur Region until 1920. He was among the first to enter the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg, where the Royal Family had been imprisoned, to see what horrific events had taken place. The remains of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Tsarina Alexandra and three of their five children, along with their maid, valet, chef and doctor, were located in 1991, but S.E.A.R.C.H. worked tirelessly on the location and recovery of the remains of the last two of the Romanov children, finally found in 2007. Dr. Michael Coble, of the American Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, performed forensic DNA tests on the bones found in 2007 and confirmed in 2008 that they belonged to the last two of the Romanov children come and listen to the details of this amazing discovery!

 

The magnificent porcelain centrepiece shown here is called "The Glorification of the Tsarina". It was commissioned by King Frederick the Great in 1772, as part of a dessert service given to Catherine the Great as a diplomatic gift. The elaborate service was manufactured at the Konigliche Porzellan Manufactur - Frederick's porcelain factory. It was presented to Catherine to mark the 1769 renewal of the defence alliance between their two countries, just after the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War (1768-1774).

The many components of this service, particularly the elaborate centrepiece, were designed to compliment Catherine. The dishes are decorated with battle scenes and the centrepiece portrays the Empress enthroned and surrounded by virtues and deities. A second row of figures, representing the estates of Russian society, encircle the deities.

Scattered around the table are representatives of the many nationalities within the Russian Empire - allegorical figures emblematic of the liberal arts, and manacled Turks.

This large and complex arrangement of dishes and sculptural ornaments decorating the Tsarina's table, attests to the value of porcelain and its prestige and importance as a diplomatic gift. This service is but one representation of the role European porcelain played within 18th-century court culture. This lecture will discuss the European perception of Asian porcelain that established this material as rare, mysterious, magical and valuable. You will be introduced to the princely obsession with porcelain and the amassing of collections that led to the discovery of the arcanum for European porcelain.

Tania Shamy is a PhD candidate in the Department of Art History and communication Studies at McGill University. She has a BA in Fine Arts and a Teaching Diploma from Concordia University and an MA in Art History from McGill.

 

Please also see the latest "Bulletin" for up to date information on the Friends' lectures and events in Toronto and Ottawa.

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