The Youssoupoffs (Yusupovs): A Century of French Collections
Hillwood's chief curator and deputy director Wilfried Zeisler will discuss his new book Les Youssoupoff : Un siècle de collections françaises (The Youssoupoffs (Yusupovs): A Century of French Collections.)
The members of the Russian Yusupov family were known for their art patronage and the significant art collection. Established by Prince Nikolai Borisovich (1750-1831), the Yusupov collection provides insight in the family’s connections with France, the success of French art abroad, as well as the vitality of the Parisian art market. As a result of new research, this presentation will explore the collection with a fresh perspective, focusing instead on the heirs of Prince Nikolai, such as Princess Zinaida Ivanovna (1809-1893), and their French mansion and château.
Photos are courtesy of the speaker and Hillwood.
HYBRID PROGRAM
This lecture will be presented in the theater in the Ellen MacNeille Charles Visitor Center and will be livestreamed via Zoom. Visitors can submit questions for the speaker from any location.
IN-PERSON TIMELINE
5:30–6:30 p.m. | Explore Hillwood
- Enjoy Hillwood’s mansion, gardens, and greenhouse, and exhibition, Glass: Art. Beauty. Design. on view in the Adirondack building.
- Find the perfect memento from your visit at the museum shop
6:30–7:30 p.m. | Lecture
7:30 p.m. | Book signing. The Youssoupoffs: A Century of French Collections (in French) is available in the museum shop.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Wilfried Zeisler is Hillwood’s deputy director and chief curator. He is a graduate of Sorbonne University and the Ecole du Louvre, Paris. Wilfried has written extensively on French and Russian decorative arts, including several articles and contributions to books. Wilfried’s dissertation, L’Objet d’art et de luxe français en Russie (1881-1917) [French Objets d’art and Luxury Goods in Russia], was published in Paris in 2014. Since 2009, he has participated in and curated exhibitions in Paris, Monaco, and Washington DC. At Hillwood, his most recent exhibitions were Fabergé Rediscovered (2018), Bouke de Vries: War and Pieces (2019), Natural Beauties: Exquisite Works of Minerals and Gems (2020), The Porcelain Flowers of Vladimir Kanevsky (2021), Determined Women: Collectors, Artists, and Designers at Hillwood (2023), and Glass: Art. Beauty. Design. (2023). Wilfried co-authored Konstantin Makovsky: The Tsar's Painter in America and Paris (2015) and The Houses and Collections of Marjorie Merriweather Post – The Joy of It (2022) and is the author of Fabergé Rediscovered, Vivre la Belle Epoque à Paris -- Paul de Russie et Olga Paley (both published in 2018), and Les Youssoupoff – Un siècle de collections françaises (2023).
