- Follow the Quiet Collectors - Discover Russian Lacquer Art

This winter village scene was painted in egg-tempera on a papier-mâché surface of 14 x 4 cm (5 ½ x 1 ½ inches) using special single-haired brushes to accomplish the finest of details. The artist who created this superb Russian Lacquer box is Vladimir Kiselyov (Kiselev) of Kholui (Kholuy, Kholuj, Holui - Холуй), a Master Russian Lacquer miniature painter.

Like Palekh (Palech - Палех) and Mstera (Mstyora, Mstiora - Мстера), the Village and School of Kholui is located in the Ivanovo Region in Central Russia and uses egg-tempera in their miniature painting. Compositions show a boldness of execution and a more realistic style than the other two tempera villages, which is perhaps influenced by Revolutionary (propaganda) prints and images and by other non-iconographic sources. Subjects range from 'bylini' (popular Russian heroic sagas), 'skazki' (Folk-lore and fairytales) and epic historical events to architectural and nature scenes (see illustration above).

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[See also : Russian Lacquer Miniature painting by a Master Artist from MSTERA]

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