Russian Lacquer Miniature Painting from famous Mstera artist

Mstyora 'People's Artist of Russia', Lev Alexandrovich Fomichov...

...was born in 1932 in the village of Mstera (Mstiora, Mstyora, Мстёра) situated in the Vladimir region. Fomichyov is one of the leading third-generation master artists of Mstera. His grandfather was an icon painter and his father A.Ya. Fomichov was a manager of the artel 'Proletarian Art' in Mstyora (A.Ya. Fomichov studied under the famous Russian icon painter Feodor Modorov).

This example of Fine Russian Lacquer Art is part of the Ana Elsner Collection.

One of Fomichyov's favorite themes to paint are historical subjects and bylinas, or Russian folk epics. This piece shows several scenes from the ancient Russian legend 'Dobrynya the Matchmaker'. Dobrynya Nikitich comes from a long line of heroes who fought for the pride and defense of Russia's lands. One of the deeds Dobrynya is known for is his assistance in the marriage of Prince Vladimir and Rogneda, the Princess of Polotsk. This legend is based on actual historical events.

The paints he uses for his palette are all homemade by Fomichev himself and reflect strong earth tones. In addition, gold paints are used to detail the scene, especially to create the lustrous chain armor of warriors.


The box measures 12x3.75x2.5 inches and is made out of papier-mâché. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. Gold ornamentation frames the composition, while another pattern accented with red and blue flowers runs along the sides of the box. The artist signed his name, the title of the work and 'Mstera 2005' at the bottom of the scene.

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[See also About Russian Lacquer Miniature Painting on Papier-mâché
and
Discover Russian Lacquer Art]

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Winter in Fedoskino - Russian Lacquer Art

We welcome winter for all the special joys it brings:

... skiing, sledding, snowman-building, not to mention the cozy evenings by the fireplace, the hot mulled wine, the rosy-cheeked faces and the storytelling ... (Never mind about the icy roads, the endless snow-shoveling and the astronomical heating bills, we will not speak of those).

In anticipation of the first snow, we are proud to exhibit this dynamic and joyful Russian winter scene on a large oval black Russian Lacquer Plaque, celebrating the famous RUSSIAN TROIKA. It was painted in 1992 by master artist Tatyana Tipyakova of Fedoskino.

Please visit click here and read more about Russian folklore and the symbolism of the troika.

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[Related article: Russian Lacquer Painting]

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Picture-of-the-Month: October 2005

" Le Roi s'amuse "

Fragment of an original Russian Lacquer miniature painting in egg-tempera created by MSTERA (Mstiora, Мстера) Master Artist Yuri Ikonnikov in 2001, signed and titled

"In no particular Kingdom".

You can see the entire composition of the Dancing King and his Entourage and read a description of the art work by clicking on the picture above or by visiting the Russian Lacquer Fine Art Gallery at Catalog.instaplanet.com.

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[See also: About RUSSIAN LACQUER BOX ART, an Introduction to a unique Art Form from Russia ]

[Related Article: The reasons why many people collect art]

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- Not "Art for Art's Sake", but "Art for OUR Sake"

Everybody knows at least one person who collects art. Perhaps you yourself have bought a picture that caught your fancy, and have hung it on your wall, and then another, and then a third…

Far from being a necessity of life, art can nonetheless lift us up from our daily grind. Looking at it can make us smile, or think, or day dream. Art has a very personal and often magical effect on us. It can even give a certain sense of wellness and healing to the battered soul and to the malnourished human spirit. We recognize its benefit intuitively and that is why we bring art objects into our homes and work-spaces.

The visual arts span a wide range of media: photography, sculpture, drawing, oil on canvas, just to name a few. We want to shine the spotlight on one as yet little known art form: that of Russian Lacquer Miniature Painting on papier-mâché.

- 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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:: About RUSSIAN LACQUER MINIATURE Painting ::

The Russian Lacquer Fine Art Catalog site has a good summary of the historical background of this art form. We reprint it here by special permission from catalog.instaplanet.com and with our thanks to the author.

"The art of Russian lacquer box miniature painting is a unique aspect of decorative and applied art and one that is closely linked with national history and tradition. In Russia the first lacquer work dates to the early 18th century when (in 1716) a chamber in Montplaisir Palace at Peterhof was richly decorated with lacquered panels, the work of early Russian masters. The practice of applying detailed painting skills to objects made from papier-mâché started in the late 18th century in the village of Danilkovo, which later became Fedoskino(Федоскино). After the Revolution the three former icon-painting villages of Palekh (Palech - Палех), Kholui (Kholuy - Холуй) and Mstera (Mstiora - Мстера) also adopted this practice as a means of survival for their resident artists. All four villages, while easily distinguished in style, soon excelled in miniature painting technique and creative execution and achieved world-wide recognition. Formal art schools were established in each village to give bright young talent the proper training, tools and discipline. Throughout the political and social turbulence in 20th century Russia (from monarchy, to socialism, to capitalism) the art of miniature painting has not only survived but has flourished. Fine Art enthusiasts are taking notice and have begun to assemble important Russian Lacquer Art Collections of their own. As the demand for exquisite Russian Miniatures increases, the artists are continually encouraged in the inspired process of free and individual creation, which lends each finished work its unique quality."

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[See also : Miniature painting by a Russian Lacquer artist from KHOLUI]

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