A Russian Paints America The Travels Of Pavel P Svinin 18111813

By Pavel P. Svin'in

Subjects: Voyages, Painting, russian, Aquarelle russe, Watercolor painting, United states, pictorial works, Canada, pictorial works, Pictorial works, Canada, description and travel, Travelers' writings, Russians, In art, Russian Watercolor painting, Descriptions et voyages, United states, description and travel, Description and travel, Ouvrages illustrés, History, Travel

Description: "Pavel Petrovich Svin'in (1787/88-1839) was a painter, diplomat, and journalist who spent two years as part of the first Russian diplomatic mission to the United States. Soon after returning to Russia, Svin'in published a travel narrative of his experiences." "A Russian Paints America presents the first complete English translation of Svin'in's fascinating memoir. Thirty-one original watercolours complement his provocative views on topics such as slavery, religion, politics, and the fine arts. Introductory essays by Marina Swoboda and William Whisenhunt examine Russian-American relations, consider Svin'in's life and particular role in Russian history, and set his work in the context of the genre of picturesque travel - Svin'in clearly did not set out to produce a scholarly account of the United States but a work of literature, at a time when Russian literary language was in its earliest stages of development." "A Russian Paints America provides a compelling picture of the political and cultural environment in Russia and America in the early nineteenth century."--Jacket.