Re: Maple Room

[BobAtchison]

The entire remodeling of this section of the palace was designed by Roman Meltzer, who also had done the remodeling of 1895 in the AP.  Ernst-Ludwig's involvement was in the arrangement of the furniture, discussions about the overall design, the colors, fabrics, etc.  He rearranged the furniture in Alix's Reception Room as well.

In coming up with the designs of the New Study and the Maple Room, Alix wanted something very modern, comfortable in the Darmstadt style.  You can see some of things going on in the Artist's Colony in residential interior design for some comparisons - obviously on not such a grand scale.

Meltzer's furniture in particular shows the impact of work by Darmstadt artists and Architects like Peter Behrens.  You might even call them knock-offs.

Bob

[Dimitri]

To me the maple room was the most beautiful room in the palace.

[BobAtchison]

I would agree - my other favorites are the Marble Hall and Alix's Reception Room.

The Maple Room was the finest Art Nouveau room in Russia - it's a shame that changing fashion and politics lead the Russian authorities to destroy it.  There is STILL a problem with how some Russians feel about "Style Moderne" - as it is called there.  Some think it is decadent and not worthy of study or presevation in comparison with Russian Empire interiors.

I think if more people knew about the Maple Room it would change their opinion.  If and when it is restored I think it will be the most popular room in the palace for tourists.  Of course - this would only be true if the restoration was done right with the same level of quality and materials.  The New Study next door suffers from the addition of cheap fabrics, bad furniture reproductions, etc.  Right now it looks like it was rfestored by the Bombay Company.  The museum people can't be blamed.  These things were left behind after a movie was filmed in the room.  They were only intended as props.

Bob

[Lisa]

Dear Thomas,
I believe to have read somewhere that their current location was unknown...  

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

Hello Thomas!
The paintings returned to the palace after the murder of the family. They remained there for a short time, and then were sold by the Soviet Government, along with many,many other items from the Alexander Palace, Winter Palace, etc...
Their present location is still unknown.

[Sarai_Porretta]

I saw pictures of the 1903 (Darmstadt) Kaulbach portraits of GD Olga and Maria in R.K. Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra".

Is their present location still unknown? Did they ever return to the AP after the murder in Jekaterinburg?

And are there pictures of the portraits of Tatiana and Anastasia? Could someone add them here?

Thomas,
On the main AP site, click on the link for the Maple Room, and there you can see a picture of the Kaulbach portraits of G.D. Marie and Anastasia. The article states that there were four pastel portraits of the girls made, even though I haven't seen the ones for Olga and Tatiana.

With regards to their fate, the article states "They followed the family into exile in Siberia in 1917 and some returned to the palace after the murder of the Romanovs. Later they were sold by the Soviet Government to finance the clandestine Soviet sponsorship of foreign communist and leftist parties during the 30's. These pictures ultimately passed through the antique dealer A La Vieille Russie in New York in the 1940's and their whereabouts are now lost." I have always thought this to be a great shame, as the paintings look to be so beautiful and had such sentimental value for Alix. From what I can see of Marie's portrait, it greatly resembles the little girl, unlike another painting I have seen of her, which I believe is in the Nicholas & Alexandra exhibition catalogue book. I can only hope that these will turn up someday.

[Helen]

Kaulbach also did a portrait of the tsar himself in 1903 - or at least a study for a portrait. I haven't been able to detect it in any of the pictures of the palace interiors. Is it known in which room of the Alexander Palace this portrait used to be? (I posted this question under "Alexander Palace Interiors" a couple of days ago, but apparently it went unnoticed;  I hope I'll  be more lucky here.)

Among the items that the family took with them to Tobolsk were the portraits that Kaulbach did of Alexandra and the grand duchesses. I have been wondering: Did they take the Kaulbach portrait of Nicholas with them too? And does anyone know what happened to it after 1918? Was it sold to Alexander Schaffer too?

[Vladimir_V.]

I heard that the Maple Room still exist. It was disassembled and sent to the Museum Fund (the Pavlovsk museum today).

[Helen]

Thank you for this information, Vladimir! I'll contact them and ask about Kaulbach's portrait of Nicholas II.

I found the following page about the Maple Drawing Room, part of the Pavlovks Palace museum web site: http://www.pavlovsk.org/english/palace/interior/page17.html .

[Mazukov]

It didn't say that it was from the AP. Just where it was produced from.

[Helen]

I had noticed this, too.   But wathever the case may be, the Pavlovsk Palace musuem web site is worth browsing! 

[Forum Admin]

It is indeed the Maple Room furniture from the AP.  Kutchumov told Bob all about  their transferring it to Pavlosk.

[Helen]

I'm glad to hear that it is the original Maple Room from the AP. Thank you for telling us this. Did Kutchumov by any chance say anything about the movers taking the original Kaulbach portrait of Nicholas with them when loading the furniture etc. into a van?

 

[Vladimir_V.]

It is indeed the Maple Room furniture from the AP. 
Kutchumov told Bob all about  their transferring it to Pavlosk.

Not only furniture, but also wooden parts of the Maple Room entresol.

[Forum Admin]

Helen

The portrait of Nicholas from the Maple room was not by Kaulbach, it was by Becker, and it is also at Pavlovsk.