Anna Kustova
State Literary museum, Russia
This article is devoted to the water color series “The Russian Alphabet. Gift to Russian children in memory of the French invasion of Russia in 1812”. This series includes 32 miniature plates which are based on famous Russian caricatures of Napoleon and the French army.
This unique alphabet is stored in the State Literary museum. It has never been researched by art historians or displayed for the public. But engraving sets of “The Russian Alphabet” are well-known to specialists. It is believed that the alphabet had been made by the Russian sculptor and engraver Ivan Terebenev. After careful research we contend that the series was painted by the Russian miniature-painter Mikhail Terebenev (brother of Ivan Terebenev).
The paper offers comparison of the water color and engraving series and traces the process of the Russian Alphabet creation from preliminary sketches to the final edition.