Graphic Heritage as a Tool for the Attribution and Style Analysis of Works of the Imperial Ekaterinburg Lapidary Factory of the Last Third of the 19th — Early 20th Centuries

Abstract

Belonging to the style of late eclectics, products of the Ekaterinburg Lapidary Factory are scarce in the collections of Russian museums. Their small size and complex forms did not correspond to the notion of objects worthy of preservation. For this reason, most of the works created by Ural masters in the 1870s–1900s did not enter their collections at the early stage of the formation of Soviet museums. The insignificant presence of these works in available collections, the possibility of becoming acquainted with many of them only from graphic materials, together with a general negative attitude towards the decorative arts of late eclecticism and historicism, led to a lack of systematic analysis, often replaced by general phrases about decadence and insufficient artistic level. Meanwhile, more and more works by the Imperial Lapidary Factory in Ekaterinburg appearing on the antique market during this period are evidence of a strenuous search for new forms. The absence of a recognizable approach to form makes the attribution of such items extremely difficult, and often impossible without reference to the graphic heritage of the factory. Scattered and still awaiting systematization, it indicates the involvement of artists of different trends in the search for new forms and principles of decorating stone works. The article considers the existing complexes of graphic works connected with the activity of the Ekaterinburg Lapidary Factory, restoring the fate of previously undescribed objects. Also, the author provides information on the known materials, analyzing the style of proposed and executed designs and providing examples of attributions made based on drawings. Several graphic sheets are introduced into scholarly circulation for the first time.