Patronage and collecting in the province: an example of the M.F. Konnov Art Gallery in Orenburg
Collecting works of art in the modern Russian provinces is still a poorly studied topic of art history. The relevance of the study is determined by considering the main activities of private art galleries in Orenburg, which is being done for the first time. The author points out the factors that led to the collection of works by Orenburg artists, who was influenced by the graduates of the Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after V.I. Surikov since the 1960s. Changes in the methodological work of art galleries with viewers and buyers at the present stage are noted. The object of the analysis is the art gallery “On Pushkinskaya” as an example of exhibition, information and educational activities. The study emphasizes the role of the personality of the gallery owner M. F. Konnov, a collector, philanthropist and artist, thanks to whom the art gallery has become a cultural center of the city.