The Netherlandish and Dutch Painting of the 16th and 17th Centuries in Scientific Works of Elena Fekhner

This article is the first historiogphaphic work to study the scientific heritage of the Soviet art historian and museum specialist Elena Yu. Fekhner (1900–1985), expert in the Netherlandish and Dutch painting of the 16th and 17th centuries and staff member of the State Hermitage Museum. The Netherlandish and Dutch painting from the museum’s collection (landscape painting, genre painting, and still life) was the subject of her articles and monographs. The article discusses Elena Fekhner’s professional interests, her views on Netherlandish and Dutch painting, and her contribution into research on Dutch Golden Age painting. The author characterizes her as a representative of the established school of Dutch studies of the State Hermitage Museum and draws a conclusion that her works were characteristic of the Soviet art history of the mid-20th century and continue to be of great interest for modern researchers

Painting · Cultural History and Identity Formation · Historical Art and Culture Studies · Historical Influence and Diplomacy