Russian lacquer art developed from the art of

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

painting, which came to an end with the collapse of

Imperial Russia Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * ...

. The icon painters, who previously had been employed by supplying not only churches but people's homes, needed a way to make a living. Thus, the craft of making

papier-mâché file:JacmelMardiGras.jpg, upright=1.3, Mardi Gras papier-mâché masks, Haiti Papier-mâché ( , , - the French term "mâché" here means "crushed and ground") is a versatile craft technique with roots in ancient China, in which waste paper is s ...

decorative boxes and panels developed, the items were

lacquer Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be c ...

ed and then hand painted by the artists, often with scenes from folk tales.

The four centers of Russian lacquer art

The village of Fedoskino (Федоскино), located not far from

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

on the banks of the Ucha River, is the oldest of the four art centers of Russian lacquer miniature painting on

, which has been practiced there since 1795. It stands apart both geographically, and in that oil paints are used rather than

egg tempera Tempera (), also known as egg tempera, is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder medium, usually glutinous material such as egg yolk. ''Tempera'' also refers to the paintings done in ...

. While allowing the artist a free hand in

impressionistic Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

interpretation, the style of Fedoskino painting is largely realistic in composition and detail. The other three Russian lacquer art centers are: *

Palekh Palekh () is an urban locality (a settlement) and the administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is l ...

(Палех) * Kholuy (Kholui, Kholuj, Holui - Холуй) * Mstyora (Mstera - Мстёра) The lacquer artists of Palekh, Kholuy and Mstyora continue to use the technique of painting in egg-based tempera overlaid with intricate gold leaf highlighting.'' All three are situated in the former

Vladimir-Suzdal The Principality of Suzdal, from 1157 the Grand Principality of Vladimir, commonly known as Vladimir-Suzdal, or simply Suzdalia, was a medieval principality that was established during the disintegration of Kievan Rus'. In historiography, the ...

Principality, Ivanovo region of central

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, and are deeply rooted in the 17th-19th century

painting tradition, which lasted until the

Russian Revolution of 1917 The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

, and is now being revived by young artists of the 21st century.

Gallery

Image:Russian lacquered box - Suzdal.png, Kholuy miniature jewelry box:
townscape of

Suzdal Suzdal (, ) is a Types of inhabited localities in Russia, town that serves as the administrative center of Suzdalsky District in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which is located along the Kamenka tributary of the Nerl (Klyazma), Nerl River, north o ...

. File:Brosche Lackminiatur aus Mstjora Vorderseite 1629.JPG, Mstyora miniature brooch:
scene from ''

The Tale of Tsar Saltan The Tale of Tsar Saltan, of His Son the Renowned and Mighty Bogatyr Prince Gvidon Saltanovich and of the Beautiful Swan-Princess ( ) is an 1831 fairy tale in verse by Alexander Pushkin. As a folk tale it is classified as Aarne–Thompson type ...

'' Image:PalekhTroikaWolves.jpg, Palekh miniature cigarette case:
a

troika Troika or troyka (from Russian тройка, meaning 'a set of three' or the digit '3') may refer to: * Troika (driving), a traditional Russian harness driving combination, a cultural icon of Russia Politics * Triumvirate, a political regime rul ...

beset by wolves.

External links

FEDOSKINO GALLERY 1, Russian Lacquer Miniatures by Isaev, KOZLOVA , Solodilov, Dubovikov, Makarov
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References

{{Authority control Russian art Papier-mâché Culture of Russia 1795 establishments in the Russian Empire

The four centers of Russian lacquer art

Gallery

See also

External links