Book excerpt: "The Collections of the Romanovs celebrates the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg by exploring the role of the Romanov dynasty as collectors of fine and decorative arts. The book investigates in particular the historic role of St. Petersburg as Russia's window to the West, and features the great masterworks of Western European art collected and prized by Romanov tsars, from Peter the Great (who ruled from 1721-25) to the last of the dynasty, Nicholas II (who ruled from 1874-1918). Included are masterpieces of painting, drawing, printmaking, porcelain, silver, and tapestry over one hundred works in all, drawn exclusively from the extraordinary collection of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved