Alexander P. Basilewski collection (or Basilewsy)

Description

Alexander Petrowitsch Basilewski (or Basilewsky) (1829-1899) was a Russian diplomat who built up an excellent art collection, in which pieces of eboraria were prominent. His repertoire also included exquisite Limoges enamels, Venetian glass, Italian, French and Spanish majolica. In 1884 he decided to dispose of his collection, which was finally acquired for the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, an operation that was certainly successful for the institution, as it enriched its catalogue with some very notable pieces. 

Bibliography

• KRYZANOVSKAYA, Marta (1990): "Alexander Petrovich Basilevsky: A Great Collector of Medieval and Renaissance Works of Art", vol. 2, nº 2, en Journal of the History of Collections .