London-based Collector Bequeaths Venetsianov Painting To Tretyakov Gallery

A painting by the famous Russian painter Alexei Venetsianov, "Haymaking," has been handed over to the Moscow Treatyakov Gallery, the world's largest collection of Russian art. Until recently, this picture, dating from the 1820's, was part of the private collection held by an ethnic Russian resident of London, and he bequeathed it to the gallery. Speaking at the handing-over ceremony Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov qualified the painting's return home as a sign of intensive interaction and trust in Russo-British relations. It will be remembered that Venetsianov is one of the biggest Russian painters of the 19th century's first half. In his paintings, he created poetic images of peasantry life in the Classicism style. Venetsianov's works are extremely hard to come by in private collections.