Print Graphics and the Art of the Book
SPbU is hosting the exhibition 'Print Graphics and the Art of the Book', introducing visitors to graphic works held in private collections.
Participants in the event will include:
- Andrey Astvatsaturov, Director of the Nabokov Museum at SPbU
- Nikolay Kononikhin, art historian, critic, and collector
- Yuri Shtapakov, artist and collector
- Collectors Kirill Avelev, Alexander Andrushchenko, and Boris Fayzullin
- Kirill Datsuk, the exhibition’s curator, exhibition specialist at the Nabokov Museum
The exhibition explores St Petersburg’s tradition of book design and the outstanding masters who worked in print illustration techniques. Rarely exhibited yet striking works—both published in books and standing as fine examples of print graphics—will be on display, courtesy of private collectors. Visitors will trace the evolution of St Petersburg’s book illustration tradition over 125 years, from Valentin Serov to the present day.
Early printed book illustrations were created using woodcuts, engravings, etchings, and later lithography. These techniques shaped the aesthetics of books and established their modern form. In turn, print graphics evolved technically and aesthetically through the challenges posed by book design.