Rainy and grey day – perfect for visiting the Hermitage museum.  Founded in 1764 when Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of paintings from a Berlin merchant. A collection of over 3 million items, including the largest collection of paintings in the world.

Decided to concentrate on the 3rd floor of the General Staff Building (Rossi wing). French salon painting was rather grand, featuring elegant woman with alabaster skin posing coquettishly  – Francis Xavier Winterhalter’s 1958 portrait of Sofia Naryshkina stood out, particularly as a result of the elaborate frame; as did Joseph Desire Court’s 1840 portrait of  demur and wistful looking Princess Ekaterina Scherbatov.

Picasso, Matisse, Gaugin, Renoir, Latour and Van Gogh all were represented. I particularly liked Van Gogh’s, “Thatched Cottages”, and “Bush”. And Renoir’s, “Roses and Jasmine”.

I discovered some new artists – Rockwell Kent from the USA – his “Seal Hunter:North Greenland” was captivating.

Loved Bernard Buffet’s,  “St Petersburg: The Hermitage, Winter Palace”.

A small gallery of Kandinsky’s works, including “Winter Landscape”, was the last hurrah!