"The Hermitage Museum" "Hermitage Bridge Studio present " The Universe of the Hermitage "" "a film by Alexander Sokurov" "Hubert Robert." "A Fortunate Life" "The day is done." "Friends talked me into going to see a traditional theatre performance." "It was cold and wet." "The play began somehow quietly, very quietly" "The actors appeared silently from out of the mist" "and seemed weightless." "Undoubtedly, the covered the faces of great," "eternal actors." "As I peered at this miracle" "I recalled something from Dostoevsky that I read once." "Something like:" ""Without noticing how it came about" "I found myself in another land." "All was the same in our country, but everything was radiant with the triumph finally attained." "Tall, beautiful trees stood in all the splendour of their blossom," "and their countless leaves" " I am sure of it - greeted me with their soft, endearing rustling," "if whispering words of love."" "And further on:" "...At last, I saw the people of this happy land..." "These people clung to me and caressed me..." "Everyone of them was eager to soothe me." "They did not question me about anything, but somehow they knew all." "What a marvellous picture!" "Who is the author?" "And why was it this precise picture which appeared in my mind's eye?" ""Quite unnoticeably, I found myself in another land." "Everything seemed to be radiant with triumph..." "Tall, beautiful trees stood in blossom" "and their countless leaves greeted me with their soft, endearing rustling," "if whispering words of love."" "So who is the artist?" "Now I remember..." "I remember." "Robert." "Hubert Robert." "The 18th century." "He was born, I think, in 1730..." "No, no." "He was born in 1733." "In France, Louis XV was on the throne and the Great Revolution was still to come." "In Russia the ruler was the little-known Anna Ioannovna:" "The United States of America had not yet been born." "The Prussian state was gaining strength." "England was acquiring new colonies," "Japan was almost unknown to Europe." "The Europeans were constantly at war, and at the same time - a love for antiquity," "the adoration of beauty, amplification of beauty..." "Those who knew him in his lifetime said that the soft look in his large, radiant eyes, his calm and natural pose," "all these inspired one with affection..." "At 21 years old" "Robert arrived in Rome to study painting and classical architecture." "Already 21 years old..." "But still, this was Rome, the city of cities!" "And within only 5 years" "Robert received his first professional commission." "Fate was to allow him to relatively at ease," "11 years travelling and studying in Italy." "When he returned to Paris he was immediately elected a member of the Academie." "His fellow professionals took him in without malice." "And why not'?" "In everything he did there are marks of tradition, of skill." "He annoyed no one with his style or his subjects." "Spontaneously, he loved what was then loved by ma")!" "" "How lucky he was..." "He was in tune with his time." "He did not allow himself to take a single pace ahead, but went on, in step," "second by second." "In the natural death of a building there is no ugliness, only sorrow." "The most simple, and therefore accessible for everyone." "The ruins..." "One can look at them endlessly." "And this undoubtedly cures one of arrogance." "The architectural setting is a box to hold light and shade," "bright sunrays and grey winter twilight." "In Petersburg, in the Hermitage, there are many pictures by Robert." "Russian tsars and nobles paid Robert well, whatever the price." "Then the pictures were packed up and long, long" "was the journey, in carts, to distant, cold Russian palaces." "Of Robert it was said that he painted pictures as quickly as letters." "He left after him over 500 canvases." "An unbounded world into which a whole civilisation could fit." "Do not trust Robert." "These buildings never existed on the earth." "Neither did the fountains, nor the colossal arches." "He invented it all." "Everything, everything was invented." "Yes, undoubtedly, my own artistic preferences are for the 18th century." "Pictures, furniture, porcelain, books, romantic landscapes, deep skies, classical ruins, the marble of the sculptures," "the grandeur of the museums, the triumph of classical art..." "The more he looked, the more he was amazed" "by the incredible fruitfulness of the past." "When and how... did they manage to create all that?" "When?" "and how'?" "The body of Robert's painting." "Its skin, its living veil." "This body breathes and is very often sick." "How strange... the Hermitage in St:" "Petersburg is built just a few metres from a deep, mighty river," "which rises up to flood the city several times a year." "Boldly and with pleasure did Robert paint huge canvases," "from the very parquet to the vaults of the palace." "And there was no vanity in this, only great skill" "and a tender love for architecture..." "Life passed by, day after day, year after year." "Already he had fame, money, success." "After all, he was loved by many." "His character was easy, his temper merry," "he was always lively and lucky." "But there was a shadow on his life." "Suddenly, within a short time, one after the other," "all his children died:" "Gabrielle, Adelaide," "Charles and Adele." "Napoleon came to power." "He evicted Academician Robert and his wife from their beloved flat in the Louvre, where they had lived 25 years." "And in 1808 at the age of 75 he died, falling down by his easel," "perhaps because the life had finished." "Yes, and the ancient play is over." "Only the scent of blossoming trees remains." "Paintings by Hubert Robert from the Hermitage Museum" "A film by Alexander Sokurov" "Camera:" "Alexei Fiodorov Sound:" "Vladimir Persov" "Editor:" "Leda Semionova" "Producer Andrei Deryabin" "Hermitage Bridge Studio © 1996"