Palekh miniature. Folk craft in the village of Palekh

One of the most beautiful kinds of folk-applied art is the Russian lacquer miniature, modern centers of which are located in Palekh, Fedoskino, Mstera and Kholui. The oldest center of this art is the village of Palekh, Ivanovo region, artists from which for centuries not only painted icons, but also painted walls in Orthodox churches and restored old churches and cathedrals. Palekh miniature, which arose as a result of social and cultural changes that occurred in Russia after the October Revolution of 1917, managed to preserve the age-old traditions of icon painting and transfer them to new forms and to fill with other content that is in demand by society.

History of Russian varnishes

In Russia, lacquer painting has existed for more than two centuries. Its beginning is considered to be the end of the XVIII century, when the Moscow merchant Korobov founded a factory for the production of lacquered visors designed for Russian army headgear. Lacquer miniature appeared a little later, when the Russian imperial court introduced fashion to snuff tobacco. Korobov managed to organize rather quickly the production of miniature lacquer boxes - snuffboxes. Over time, these gizmos became used to decorate the premises. Accordingly, the requirements for their decoration became higher. Subsequently, the works of Russian masters began to differ markedly from Western models both in terms of technique and in subjects that were clearly national in character. So, in the Russian lacquer miniature appeared heroes and scenes from folk epics and legends of classical and Old Russian literature, showing Russian traditions and way of life, reproducing the beauty of the surrounding nature.

Centers of Russian lacquer miniature

In modern Russia there are four centers where they actively develop the preserved old traditions of Russian art of miniature lacquer painting: Fedoskino, Palekh, Kholui and Mstera. Before the 1917 revolution, all villages except Fedoskino were known in Russia as major centers for icon painting, in which not only icons were created, but also masters for restoration and wall painting of temples. Each of these centers created icons in common Orthodox traditions, but it also had its own distinctive differences. Masters of Kholui, as far as possible in icon painting, were close to Russian traditional realism, the inhabitants of Mstera followed the traditions of the Old Believer communities of different Russian regions, and Palekh artists performed the most canonical Orthodox icons.

How iconography began in Palekh

In the 16th century Palekh residents, under the influence of the centers of icon painting that had arisen earlier in Shuya and Kholui, began to try their hand at writing icons. Attempts were few, and especially successful they can not be called.

In the middle of the XVII century the glory of Palekh icon painters reached Moscow, and the masters were invited to perform works at the royal court. If in the XVII century icons were written in virtually every large village in the Vladimir province , then in the 18th century there were three main centers of iconography: Kholui, Mstera and Palekh. The Palekhans, unlike the inhabitants of the more industrialized Mstera and Kholui, up to the beginning of the 19th century combined the traditional agriculture with the writing of icons in their spare time from work in the field. Carefully drawn in accordance with tradition, icons were created slowly and were expensive.

The beginning of the XIX century is considered to be the time of flourishing of the Palekh icon painting. The icons created in Palekh were sold not only in the capital and large Russian cities, but also abroad.

By the middle of the XIX century in Palekh organized the first workshops, owned by Safonov, Korin, Nanykin and Udalov. By the beginning of the XX century, the production of icons became mass, cheaper and less quality. The appearance of cheap images, printed by typographical means, led to the decline of icon painting and the liquidation of a number of well-known workshops. In the beginning of the twentieth century, in Kholui, Palekh and Mstera, for the preservation of traditions, the Student Guardianship of Russian icon painting created training workshops that existed until 1917.

The Soviet period

After the October Revolution, until 1923, most of the masters in Palekh remained without work. Someone left in search of earnings in the city, some tried to make toys, dishes or weave bast shoes. Until 1923, several attempts were made to adapt the former icon painters to the decoration of caskets, children's toys and wooden utensils. However, it did not work, because the need to produce large volumes at low prices, and the very nature of the products led to the production of poor quality products.

The date when the Palekh lacquer miniature was created, in the form in which we know it, should be considered the end of 1922, the beginning of 1923. It was then that the theatrical artist Ivan Ivanovich Golikov on black papier-mache pieces created the composition "Adam in Paradise". This work interested the leadership of the Handicraft Museum (today - the Museum of Folk Art), which began to supply the artist with workpieces and paid for his work. In the future, IV Markitchev, AV Kotukhin and IP Vakurov joined the process. The works created by these masters were presented in 1923 at the All-Russia Art and Industrial Exhibition in Moscow and were awarded a diploma of the 1st degree. In 1924, the works of artists were presented at an exhibition in Venice, and in 1925 in Paris, where they made a real furore and enjoyed great success. All this led to the fact that on December 5, 1924 in Palekh VV and AV Kotukhin, AI and II Zubkov, IV Markitshev, IM Bakanov and I. I Golikov created the Artel of ancient painting.

The new-born Palekh miniature faced a number of problems: first of all, a new material was needed-papier-mache, the technology of which was not known to Paleshan artists, and it was necessary to move from painting the flat canvas to decorating things and objects that had volume and shape.

And the assortment and forms of items painted by Palekh masters was quite large: brooches, beads, chests, boxes, cigarette cases and snuffboxes, ochechniki and powder boxes and much more. Palekh miniature of that time has a strongly pronounced ornamental beginning, but it lacks bright images and a developing storyline. The most successful and popular compositions of that time were battles, shepherds, hunting, party and triplets.

It can be safely asserted that it was in the 1920s that the lacquer miniature in Palekh was formed under the influence of both the Old Russian icon painting tradition and the entire world art.

Postwar years

In the first peaceful decades, many masters of the Palekh miniature depict in their works various battle scenes, both recently ended World War II, and other great battles that glorified the Russian army. In the fifties, according to many art historians, the lacquer miniature in Palekh is experiencing a clear crisis, which was due to the propensity of many artists to excessive realism, displacing the works of romanticism and sublime refinement, characteristic of works of previous years. Palekh miniature, the photo of which is presented below, clearly shows the influence of the Soviet ideology of that time on artists.

Excessive realism, monumentality and pathos characterize most of the works created in these years, although there were some masters who preserved the romanticism and traditions of the old school.

The sixties are characterized by the fact that monumentality and excessive naturalism are gone, and the elevation and romantic haze return to Palekh, the lacquer miniature again becomes poetic and allegorical. During this period the Paleshan artists are turning not only to folklore sources, but also to the works of classical literature, as well as to contemporary songs. At the same time socially significant events, such as, for example, the flight of man into space, also find their reflection in the works of masters.

Seventies-eighties of the XX century were the time of blossoming of the Palekh painting. Painters of Palekh are invited to design the scenery of various concert programs, the decorative design of children's and cultural institutions.

Modernity

Having survived the difficult 90-ies, the Paleshans did not abandon their traditional fishing. Palekh Art School annually produces young masters, who carefully preserve the traditions and features that Palekh miniature is so interested in. Today, there are several artels and family enterprises manufacturing traditional lacquer products in Palekh.

Distinctive features

Palekh painting, like any other folk art, formed in this or that locality, has its own distinctive features and traditions. As already mentioned, icon painting for centuries glorified Palekh. Lacquer miniature adopted from the iconography of many features, such as, for example, the composition of the composition and careful study of each detail. We can say that the Palekh miniature grew on the centuries-old traditions of icon painting. From other folk schools of varnish painting Palekh style differs following features:

• Drawing of integral compositions and plots;
• Miniature painting;
• Pattern and ornamental richness of the figure;
• Careful detailing of each element;
• Elongation and fragility of human figures;
• Subtlety of drawing human body parts;
• Various color transitions;
• Use of dark backgrounds;
• Use of egg tempera;
• Painting in gold.

But for the artist to be able to start creating a miniature, it is first of all necessary to create a product from papier-mâché, which will be signed.

How do papier-mache?

It is made from cardboard, which is pre-cut into strips, lubricated with a paste cooked from wheat flour, and overlapped on a wooden mold (blank) overlapping. After the required thickness is obtained, the blank with the cardboard is fixed in a special press. Under the influence of pressure they turn into tubes of different shapes and sizes. Pressed in this manner, the gluing is dried at room temperature for about two weeks. Then, the dried billets are lowered for a day in warm linseed oil for impregnation, after which they are dried for four days in a special oven, the temperature of which is maintained at 120 ^° C. The next step is to ground and grind the billet. After grinding, several layers of black lacquer are applied to its outer surface, and oil varnish with cinnabar is applied to the inner surface. At the end of the process, the whole surface is varnished with several layers of clear varnish. After applying each layer, the workpiece is dried at a certain temperature in the oven. Only after all these manipulations the artist will be able to begin painting.

Techniques and Techniques

As already noted, one of the distinguishing features of the lacquer miniature of the Palekh painting is the letter with egg tempera colors. To prevent paints from rolling down from the smooth varnish surface, it is specially treated with pumice stone. The contour of the future drawing is applied to the product with a sharp pencil, and underpainting is done. It is for him and will be the master to apply a lot of transparent and subtle layers of painting. There are five main stages of creating an image:

1. Roskrysh - the outline of the main silhouettes and contours.

2. Registration - clarification of the outlines and shades of color.

3. Smelt - application of liquid skincare paint with thick smears.

4. Blink - a notch performed by the created gold.

5. Framing the painting with a gold pattern.

After that, the gold ornament is polished with agate in the form of a cone or wolf tooth, and then the whole product is covered with 6-7 layers of varnish. After applying each of them, the work is dried, polished on a special polishing wheel, and then passes the finishing treatment by hand polishing. Lacquered surface, polished to a mirror finish, gives the image an extra depth and makes the colors "sound" more richly and gently.