The Story of Russian Lacquer Miniature Painting
There are few art lovers who have not heard of Palekh. Its art has been called "a small miracle", Lacquered Miniatures, as bright as the feathers of the legendary Firebird originate here, taking the inspired poetic art of the wonderous village and its magnificent artists and craftsmen to the far corners of the world.
Palekh is an unusual village, a bit of ancient Russia, in which the past and the present coexist. Log houses with intricately carved lattices stand opposite modern brick buildings. There are street pumps, and the crowing of roosters can be heard above whatever traffic there is. Each house stands among poplars, acacias, and rowan trees. Here the soft hues of the Russian countryside are both a part of every day village life and an endless source of inspiration for the artists.
Icons found in old Russian churches attest to the glory of the painters of Palekh, who were famed for their icon painting in ancient times. Their secrets of the craft were handed down from father to son.
After 1918, the demand for Icons stopped and the artists turned their efforts towards the making of miniature boxes, jewelry, panels, etc. based on the rich Russian folklore, Fairy-tales, folksongs and dances, legends and chronicles from ancient times, and stories from the imaginative giants of Russian literature such as Alexander Pushkin, the latter to be also the basis for many of the Operas and Ballets which we enjoy today.
The boxes come not only form Palekh, but also from three other villages - Mstera, Fedoskino, and Kholui - each with its own unique and individual style and interpretation of the various subjects. Fedoskino is noted for the way its artists achieve a wonderously luminous quality on snow, dancers' costumes and flowers by the use of overlays of transparent colors.
The designs are handpainteed on a specially treated papier mache. The basic boxes themselves are a feat of technical skill and are beautiful befor a singel stroke of design is applied. The colors are oriental in inspiration - rich oranges, reds and yellows, brilliant blues and opulent golds - on backgrounds of jet black or red.
The producion is necessarily limited, but each box is surely worth waiting for. No two, even if on the same subject, are ever exactly alike. Wheather a box shows a lovely Victorian bouquet of flowers or deals with ordinary peasant life, a fairytale, or an ancient legend, each one is a signed original and a collectors's item of heirloom quality.
Palekh is an unusual village, a bit of ancient Russia, in which the past and the present coexist. Log houses with intricately carved lattices stand opposite modern brick buildings. There are street pumps, and the crowing of roosters can be heard above whatever traffic there is. Each house stands among poplars, acacias, and rowan trees. Here the soft hues of the Russian countryside are both a part of every day village life and an endless source of inspiration for the artists.
Icons found in old Russian churches attest to the glory of the painters of Palekh, who were famed for their icon painting in ancient times. Their secrets of the craft were handed down from father to son.
After 1918, the demand for Icons stopped and the artists turned their efforts towards the making of miniature boxes, jewelry, panels, etc. based on the rich Russian folklore, Fairy-tales, folksongs and dances, legends and chronicles from ancient times, and stories from the imaginative giants of Russian literature such as Alexander Pushkin, the latter to be also the basis for many of the Operas and Ballets which we enjoy today.
The boxes come not only form Palekh, but also from three other villages - Mstera, Fedoskino, and Kholui - each with its own unique and individual style and interpretation of the various subjects. Fedoskino is noted for the way its artists achieve a wonderously luminous quality on snow, dancers' costumes and flowers by the use of overlays of transparent colors.
The designs are handpainteed on a specially treated papier mache. The basic boxes themselves are a feat of technical skill and are beautiful befor a singel stroke of design is applied. The colors are oriental in inspiration - rich oranges, reds and yellows, brilliant blues and opulent golds - on backgrounds of jet black or red.
The producion is necessarily limited, but each box is surely worth waiting for. No two, even if on the same subject, are ever exactly alike. Wheather a box shows a lovely Victorian bouquet of flowers or deals with ordinary peasant life, a fairytale, or an ancient legend, each one is a signed original and a collectors's item of heirloom quality.
Description of some of the Legends and Stories
COQ'D"OR The Golden Cockerel:
An opera by Rimsky - Korsakov was based on this story by Alexander Pushkin. The Golden Cockerel is given to the King Dodon by his Astrologer when the King is beset by troubles surrounding his Kingdom. The Cockerel has a gift of prophecy and is thus able to warn the King whenever his enemies approach. The Cockerel saves the King from disaster many times by his warning crows and the Kingdom prospers as a result. The king meets the beautiful Queen Shemakha and his happiness is complete. However, when the Astrologer demands payment for the Cockerel, King Dodon kills him. The King is then killed by the avenging Golden Cockerel.
The Firebird:
An ancient fairy tale, upon which is based the magnificent ballet by Igor Stravinsky. The young hero, Prince Ivan, crosses mountains and fields to find the magic forest in which the legendary Firebird lives. His aim is to obtain a feather from the Firebird, by means of which he can lift the spell which has been placed on his beloved. The boxes show the weaving exotic ferns and brighlty colored shrubs and bushes in the magic forest, as well as the exquisitely delineated folds of the hero's clothes This fabulous Firebird symbolises freedom and joy.
The Snowmaiden:
An old folk tale Rimsky - Korsakov wrote an opera based on this "Legend of Springtime" . The setting is the land of Berendeys in prehistoric times. The Snowmaiden, daughter of Spring and Frost, wants to live the life of a mortal and is placed in the care of two childless villagers. She is safe from death by the sun's rays only so long as she is innocent of love. She is happy as a mortal and very soon the handsome Mizguir falls in love with her, wooing her with his wonderous flute playing. The Snowmaiden falls in love with him and while she is with Mizuir, the sun touches her and she disappears.
Ruslan and Ludmilla:
A poem by Pushkin, upon which an opera by Glinka is based. The story starts at the court of Svietosar, where the Grand Duke Vladimir of Kiev is entertaining his daughter Ludmilla's suitors - Ruslan, Ratmir, Rogday and Farlaf. When the festivities are at their height, Ludmilla mysteriously disappears. Svietosar promises his daughter to the suitor who finds her. Ruslan learns from a Sorcerer that Ludmilla has been abducted by a dwarf, Chernomor, He is also warned about the witch Naina. which is Farlaf's ally. Fariaf, meanwhile, visits the witch for help. Her advice is to allow Ruslan to find Ludmilla and then to kidnap her from Ruslan. The scene changes to a battlefield, where Ruslan kills a breathing head, under which lies a magic sword. By means of this magic sword, Ruslan is able to over come all obstacales and win Ludmillas as his bride.
Prince Igor:
An old Russian chronicle. An opera was written by Borodin based on this legend. In the twelfth centruy, the Polovitzi - a Tartian race of Central Asia - captures Prince Igor and his son Vladimir. Khan Kontchak, the Polovetzian leader, assures Price Igor that he is a guest and not a captive and entertains him with a lavish feast and oriental dancers. He offers him his freedom if he is ready to promise not to fight the Polovitzi. Igor cannot do this. He effects his escape and returns to his own people and to his wife Yaroslevna. His son, in love with the Khan's daughter, refuses to flee and is accepted by the Khan as a son-in-law.
Others
Other subjects shown on the boxes include well know fairy tales such as "Sleeping beauty", "The Enchanted Frog-Princess"',"The Magic Carpet", and "Vasilisa the Beautiful": scenes from legends such as "Don Quixote", "Sadko", and " The Prophet Oleg". The wonders of ancient Byzantine architecture are depicted in all their detailed splendor. The ancient cities and monestaries of Suzdal, Uglich, Rostov and Pokrov make wonderful subjects.
In addition, the artists paint scenes from peasent life or landscapes. Many boxes simply show lovely bouquets of spring or summer flowers pictured in different ways - on some boxes the horses are shown jogging along this luminescent snow and on others they rear up in a frenzy of mythological splendor.
An opera by Rimsky - Korsakov was based on this story by Alexander Pushkin. The Golden Cockerel is given to the King Dodon by his Astrologer when the King is beset by troubles surrounding his Kingdom. The Cockerel has a gift of prophecy and is thus able to warn the King whenever his enemies approach. The Cockerel saves the King from disaster many times by his warning crows and the Kingdom prospers as a result. The king meets the beautiful Queen Shemakha and his happiness is complete. However, when the Astrologer demands payment for the Cockerel, King Dodon kills him. The King is then killed by the avenging Golden Cockerel.
The Firebird:
An ancient fairy tale, upon which is based the magnificent ballet by Igor Stravinsky. The young hero, Prince Ivan, crosses mountains and fields to find the magic forest in which the legendary Firebird lives. His aim is to obtain a feather from the Firebird, by means of which he can lift the spell which has been placed on his beloved. The boxes show the weaving exotic ferns and brighlty colored shrubs and bushes in the magic forest, as well as the exquisitely delineated folds of the hero's clothes This fabulous Firebird symbolises freedom and joy.
The Snowmaiden:
An old folk tale Rimsky - Korsakov wrote an opera based on this "Legend of Springtime" . The setting is the land of Berendeys in prehistoric times. The Snowmaiden, daughter of Spring and Frost, wants to live the life of a mortal and is placed in the care of two childless villagers. She is safe from death by the sun's rays only so long as she is innocent of love. She is happy as a mortal and very soon the handsome Mizguir falls in love with her, wooing her with his wonderous flute playing. The Snowmaiden falls in love with him and while she is with Mizuir, the sun touches her and she disappears.
Ruslan and Ludmilla:
A poem by Pushkin, upon which an opera by Glinka is based. The story starts at the court of Svietosar, where the Grand Duke Vladimir of Kiev is entertaining his daughter Ludmilla's suitors - Ruslan, Ratmir, Rogday and Farlaf. When the festivities are at their height, Ludmilla mysteriously disappears. Svietosar promises his daughter to the suitor who finds her. Ruslan learns from a Sorcerer that Ludmilla has been abducted by a dwarf, Chernomor, He is also warned about the witch Naina. which is Farlaf's ally. Fariaf, meanwhile, visits the witch for help. Her advice is to allow Ruslan to find Ludmilla and then to kidnap her from Ruslan. The scene changes to a battlefield, where Ruslan kills a breathing head, under which lies a magic sword. By means of this magic sword, Ruslan is able to over come all obstacales and win Ludmillas as his bride.
Prince Igor:
An old Russian chronicle. An opera was written by Borodin based on this legend. In the twelfth centruy, the Polovitzi - a Tartian race of Central Asia - captures Prince Igor and his son Vladimir. Khan Kontchak, the Polovetzian leader, assures Price Igor that he is a guest and not a captive and entertains him with a lavish feast and oriental dancers. He offers him his freedom if he is ready to promise not to fight the Polovitzi. Igor cannot do this. He effects his escape and returns to his own people and to his wife Yaroslevna. His son, in love with the Khan's daughter, refuses to flee and is accepted by the Khan as a son-in-law.
Others
Other subjects shown on the boxes include well know fairy tales such as "Sleeping beauty", "The Enchanted Frog-Princess"',"The Magic Carpet", and "Vasilisa the Beautiful": scenes from legends such as "Don Quixote", "Sadko", and " The Prophet Oleg". The wonders of ancient Byzantine architecture are depicted in all their detailed splendor. The ancient cities and monestaries of Suzdal, Uglich, Rostov and Pokrov make wonderful subjects.
In addition, the artists paint scenes from peasent life or landscapes. Many boxes simply show lovely bouquets of spring or summer flowers pictured in different ways - on some boxes the horses are shown jogging along this luminescent snow and on others they rear up in a frenzy of mythological splendor.