France in Russia

Empress Josephines collection of old master paintings at her chateau of Malmaison, outside Paris, was rightly regarded as one of the finest in Europe. After her divorce from Napoleon, Josephine was befriended by Tsar Alexander I of Russia, and on her death in 1814 he acquired a significant part of the collection. It was put on display in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, but was subsequently dispersed among the museums various departments. France in Russia brings parts of the collection back together again for the first time in 150 years, along with other decorative arts objects from Malmaison, including Josephines fabulous dessert service, Antonio Canovas Dancer and the Gonzaga Cameo, one of the Hermitages most treasured possessions.