Impressionists at the Hermitage

The Hermitage has one of the world’s finest collections of French art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Impressionists, Post-Impressionists and the masters of early modernism. The key thing to know: these paintings are not in the Winter Palace but in the General Staff Building, across Palace Square.

Where to find the Impressionists

The collection is displayed on the upper floors of the General Staff Building (the main display is on the top floor). Many visitors hunt for Monet and Matisse in the Winter Palace and cannot find them — you need to cross the square and buy a separate ticket. The building’s modern, multi-level galleries, opened after restoration, are specially suited to the art of this era: even light, spacious rooms, a considered hang.

What to see

• Impressionists — Claude Monet (Lady in the Garden, Corner of the Garden at Montgeron), Auguste Renoir (Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary), Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley.
• Post-Impressionists — Paul Cézanne (Mont Sainte-Victoire, Banks of the Marne), Vincent van Gogh (The Bush, Cottages, Memory of the Garden at Etten), Paul Gauguin (Tahitian canvases, among them Woman Holding a Fruit).
• Henri Matisse — the monumental panels Dance and Music, plus The Red Room (Harmony in Red) and The Conversation.
• Pablo Picasso — a large group from his Blue and Rose periods and early Cubism.

This is not just a roll-call of names but a chance to walk through the whole story of modern painting — from the Impressionists’ first experiments with open air and light to Matisse’s radical colour and Picasso’s forms.

Who were Shchukin and the Morozovs

The core of the collection comes from the private holdings of two Moscow businessmen who, early in the 20th century, were the first in Russia to believe in new French art.

Sergei Shchukin, a textile manufacturer, assembled an outstanding collection and effectively introduced Matisse and Picasso to Russia. He was unafraid of the boldest art, hung it in his Moscow mansion and opened it to the public. It was Shchukin who commissioned Matisse’s two panels — Dance and Music (1910) — for the staircase of his house.

Ivan and Mikhail Morozov collected in parallel, with a different taste: they were drawn to Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin and Bonnard. Together the Shchukin and Morozov collections became one of the world’s best holdings of the newest painting — and it was gathered in Moscow, not Paris.

How the collection reached the Hermitage

After the revolution, in 1918, both collections were nationalised. They were merged into the Moscow State Museum of New Western Art, one of the first museums of modern art in the world. But in 1948 that museum was abolished: new art was officially branded “formalist” and alien. The collection was then divided between the Hermitage and a Moscow museum — and so Saint Petersburg gained its world-class Impressionists. The collection was moved into the General Staff Building in modern times, after the building’s restoration. For the wider story see the history of the museum.

What makes it special

The collection is prized worldwide for two reasons. First, the quality of the names: Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse and Picasso are represented not by stray works but by strong, programmatic pictures. Second, its origin: these were not museum purchases but the living choices of two remarkable collectors who bought new art before it was accepted. The collection reflects not a textbook but the passion and taste of real people — it has character.

How to see it

The General Staff Building is a large visit in its own right; see it with energy and time to spare, not “on the run” at the end of the day. Go straight up to the Impressionists on the upper floors and work your way down. For the building, tickets and hours, see the General Staff Building. Plan your day with the one-day itinerary and the floor plan.

FAQ

Where are the Impressionists in the Hermitage? In the General Staff Building opposite the Winter Palace, on the upper floors; a separate ticket is required.

Which artists can I see there? Monet, Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse and Picasso.

Why were they moved out of the Winter Palace? The modern galleries of the General Staff Building are specially suited to 19th–20th-century art.

Where did the collection come from? From the Shchukin and Morozov collections, nationalised in 1918 and divided in 1948 between the Hermitage and a Moscow museum.

Do I need a separate ticket? Yes — the General Staff Building is paid separately from the Main Complex; a combined ticket is sometimes available.

This is an unofficial, informational website. The display, prices and hours change — confirm details on the official museum website.