Dutch masters from the Hermitage, Hermitage Amsterdam

The Russian love for the Dutch masters began in the 17th century. Peter the Great visited Holland and purchased a number of works. His successors and the people at the court were even more passionate collectors than he, making the Hermitage the proud owner of an unprecedented, extensive collection of works by Dutch masters. But why did the Russian aristocracy love Dutch art so much? How did the collections come together? And how did these Dutch paintings influence Russian art? In this book, Russian and Dutch authors give answers to these questions and take you on a journey all the way to Saint Petersburg and back.