IN THE RUSSIAN STYLE

by Jacqueline--Ed. Onassis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20, 1976

From one reign to the next, inclinations changed--Elizabeth loved artifice, the great Catherine demanded informality--but Russian society retained its penchant for opulence, and lavish hospitality was the rule in every class. Such is the tenor of Audrey Kennett's introduction and the impression conveyed by the pictorial wealth on display in this discreetly sumptuous volume, published in tandem with a loan exhibition of Russian costume at the Metropolitan Museum. The book is no mere fashion parade, however; if the summaries of each reign are cursory, the illustrative material (portraits, views, interiors, artifacts) and the accompanying testimony of contemporary witnesses, foreign and domestic, fill out the picture of a prodigal, animated, self-regarding people. For stylish splendor, see the color plates of historic costumes photographed in the Winter Palace; for quick-silver spontaneity, the remarkable 1870 photo of a household game of blindman's bluff.

Pub Date: Jan. 20, 1976

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1976

Categories: NONFICTION