A Russian Paints America : The Travels of Pavel P. Svin'in, 1811-1813

"Pavel Petrovich Svin'in (1787/88-1839) was a painter, diplomat, and journalist who spent two years as part of the first Russian diplomatic mission to the United States. Soon after returning to Russia, Svin'in published a travel narrative of his experiences." "A Russian Paints America presents the first complete English translation of Svin'in's fascinating memoir. Thirty-one original watercolours complement his provocative views on topics such as slavery, religion, politics, and the fine arts. Introductory essays by Marina Swoboda and William Whisenhunt examine Russian-American relations, consider Svin'in's life and particular role in Russian history, and set his work in the context of the genre of picturesque travel - Svin'in clearly did not set out to produce a scholarly account of the United States but a work of literature, at a time when Russian literary language was in its earliest stages of development." "A Russian Paints America provides a compelling picture of the political and cultural environment in Russia and America in the early nineteenth century." --Résumé de l'éditeur "Pavel Petrovich Svin'in (1787/88-1839) was a painter, diplomat, and journalist who spent two years as part of the first Russian diplomatic mission to the United States. Soon after returning to Russia, Svin'in published a travel narrative of his experiences." "A Russian Paints America presents the first complete English translation of Svin'in's fascinating memoir. Thirty-one original watercolours complement his provocative views on topics such as slavery, religion, politics, and the fine arts. Introductory essays by Marina Swoboda and William Whisenhunt examine Russian-American relations, consider Svin'in's life and particular role in Russian history, and set his work in the context of the genre of picturesque travel - Svin'in clearly did not set out to produce a scholarly account of the United States but a work of literature, at a time when Russian literary language was in its earliest stages of development." "A Russian Paints America provides a compelling picture of the political and cultural environment in Russia and America in the early nineteenth century."--Jacket Contents Acknowledgments A Note on the Translation Introduction The Beginnings of Russian-American Diplomatic Relations A Biography of Pavel Petrovich Svin’in, 1787–1839 Travel in North America and the Genre of the Picturesque Journey A Picturesque Voyage through North America Appendix: Observations of a Russian in America: A Look at the Free Visual Arts in the United States of America Additional Watercolours of North America Notes Bibliography Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y