Palekh miniature- a type of folk Russian miniature painting with tempera on lacquer items made of papier-mâché (boxes, caskets, cigarette cases, etc.). It arose in 1918 in the village of Palekh, Ivanovo region on the basis of icon painting.
Cigarette case “Battle”, 1930 Golikov Ivan Ivanovich (1886 - 1937) Wood, tempera, gold, silver, varnish. 16.2 x 24.7 x 3.2
Palekh miniatures are characterized by everyday, literary, folklore, historical subjects, bright local colors on a black background, thin smooth designs, an abundance of gilding, and graceful elongated figures.
Box “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel”, 1934 Bakanov Ivan Mikhailovich (1870 - 1936). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 19.7 x 26.9 x 4.5 From the history of folk crafts
Since pre-Petrine times, Palekh was famous for its icon painters, and Palekh icon painting reached its greatest flourishing in the 18th - early XIX century. The local style developed under the influence of the Novgorod, Moscow, Stroganov and Yaroslavl schools of icon painting.
Plate “And throws her overboard...”, 1929 Bakanov Ivan Mikhailovich. Porcelain, ceramic paints. 22.7 x 35 In addition to icon painting, Palekh masters were engaged in monumental painting, they participated in the painting and restoration of churches and cathedrals, including the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin, the churches of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and the Novodevichy Convent.
Box “Crane and Heron” Box, 1941 Bazhenov Pavel Dmitrievich (1904 - 1941) Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 9 x 17 x 4.5 After the revolution of 1917, icon painting in Palekh ceased to exist. And artists were forced to look for new forms to realize their creative potential.
Plate “Flourish, collective farm land”, 1955. Kovalev Alexey Viktorovich (1915 - 2000). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. D - 32. h - 2.5 The founders of the Palekh style are Ivan Golikov and Alexander Glazunov, in whose Moscow workshop Ivan Golikov wrote the first work in the so-called Palekh style. The people of Palestine became acquainted with the new material papier-mâché, which for a century had been the basis for lacquer miniatures Fedoskina.
Cover of the casket “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, 1956. Kotukhina Anna Aleksandrovna. Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 11.5 x 19 Masters have mastered new material, transferring onto it the traditional technology of tempera painting for ancient Russian icons and the conventional style of the image. In 1918, artists created the Palekh artistic decorative artel, which was engaged in painting on wood.
Plate “Palekh” Chikurin Alexander Vasilievich (1875 - 1965). Papier mache. tempera, gold. As a result of long creative searches, former icon painters showed the world paintings on papier-mâché boxes, painted with a rainbow of colors and golden patterns. At the same time, the masters did not abandon the usual technique of painting with egg paints using created gold.
Box “Chichikov at Korobochka”, 1936 Salabanov Vasily Mikhailovich (1902 - 1941). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 19.6 x 26.7 x 4.4 Also, medieval techniques of stylization and conventional forms were still used in the figurative solution of new works. At the same time, the most popular and most successful compositions of the first years of the existence of Palekh miniatures were “troikas”, “hunts”, “battles”, “couples”, “shepherdesses”, “festivities” and “idyls”.
Box “Chapaev”, 1955 Zaitsev Alexander Vasilievich (1918 - 2001). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, aluminum, varnish. 6.2 x 8 x 4 These works, as a rule, had neither a developed plot nor bright image, but the ornamental principle was strongly expressed. Spontaneity, sincerity and poetry gave charm and warmth to the first works of the Paleshans.
Casket “The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich and gray wolf", 1984 Buldakov Valery Vasilievich born 1951 For the first time, Palekh miniatures on papier-mâché, made to order Handicraft Museum, were presented at the All-Russian Agricultural and Handicraft Exhibition in 1923, where they were awarded a 2nd degree diploma.
Casket “Wedding”, Casket 1994 Lopatina Nina Pavlovna born 1948 Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 9.5 x 14.5 x 9.5 On December 5, 1924, the “Artel of Ancient Painting” was organized in Palekh to paint papier-mâché products. Its founders were seven artists: I.I. Golikov, I.M. Bakanov, A.V. Kotukhin, V.V. Kotukhin, I.V. Markichev, I.I. Zubkov, A.I. Zubkov. Later they were joined by artists Ivan Vakurov, Dmitry Butorin and Nikolai Zinoviev. Already in 1925, Palekh miniatures were exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris.
Plate “Song”, 1979 Valentin Mikhailovich Khodov 1942 - 1988 Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. D - 26, h - 2.5 In 1928, a vocational school of ancient painting was opened in Palekh, training in which lasted four years. In 1935, the school was transformed into an art technical school, and in 1936 the technical school became part of the system of the All-Union Committee for Arts and began to be called a school (Palekh Art School named after A. M. Gorky), where training lasted five years. (By the way, in the 2000s, the duration of training was reduced to four years).
Box “Faust”, 1957 Golikov N.I. Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. In 1932, the Union of Artists of Palekh was created, and in 1935 the artel was transformed into the Association of Artists of Palekh; in 1954, the Palekh art and production workshops of the USSR Art Fund were formed.
Plate “Rider on a White Horse”, 1984 Ermolaev Boris Mikhailovich (1934 - 2001). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. D - 23.5, h - 2.5 Without a doubt that one of the brightest and talented artists Palekh was Ivan Ivanovich Golikov. He was called the master of the horse, battle and three. The fabulous horses with fragile legs in Golikov’s miniatures are colored with all the colors of the rainbow, and “battles” and “hunts” are a manifestation of the indomitable imagination of the Palekh artist.
Box “Russian Linen”, 1974 Kukulieva Kaleria Vasilievna born 1937 Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 19.7 x 26 x 8 Golikov’s “troikas” are dynamic, impetuous, and often stately and solemn. I.I. Golikov turned to this motif many times, drawing summer and winter threes on a variety of objects: brooches, powder boxes, cigarette cases, trays, etc.
Box “Nastya”, 1994 Shanitsyna Ekaterina Fedorovna (b. 1947). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 9.5 x 12 x 3 I.M. was also considered one of the best experts in icon painting traditions. Bakanov. He was impeccable original technology overlaying layers of paint. Thanks to the transmission of the lower layers of paint through the upper layers, thin and transparent, the effect of an internal glow of the painting is created, the effect of the flow of one tone into another.
Box “Merchant Kalashnikov”, 1972, Vyacheslav Fedorovich Morokin (b. 1945). Bakanov created many wonderful works that have become classics of Palekh art. He also addressed song themes such as “Stepan Razin”, “On the Pavement Street”. The best works of the master are written on topics Pushkin's works- “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel”, “From the Threshold of My Hut”, “Bakhchisarai Fountain”.
Box “Winter” 1993 Ivanova A.N. Ivan Ivanovich Zubkov was a keen connoisseur of his native rural nature. There is no developed action in his miniatures; the artist seems to be contemplating nature. The figures have smooth, somewhat slow rhythms of movement, which gives a feeling of peace and quiet.
Box “Chelubey’s fight with Peresvet”, 1945. Chalunin Pavel Fedorovich (1918 - 1980). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 18 x 23 x 7 Artistic thinking I.I. Zubkov was pictorial and plastic, and not ornamental and decorative. The artist builds a colorful range on subtle tonal relationships, on gentle transitions from one color to another. These are his miniatures “Couple”, “By the River”, “Landscape”.
Box “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel”, 1992 Kochetov Gennady Nikolaevich (born 1941). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 20 x 26.5 x 5.5 Early romantic works A.M. Gorky, built on a song rhythm, are close and consonant with the style of Palekh miniatures. Illustrating them, the Palesians knew practically no failures. Among best works– box I.P. Vakurov "Petrel".
Cigarette case “Guidon”, 1999. Lyubimov Gleb Vasilievich (born 1945). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 12.5 x 10 x 2.5 The red silhouette of a worker with a hammer seems to grow from a block of stone. “I wanted this person to be like a worker and a writer and a builder, and so that he could wisely govern the state,” this is how I.P. explained his plan. Vakurov in E. Vikhrev’s book “Paleshans”. In this miniature, as in other dramatic compositions by Vakurov great importance has a black background. The artist leaves large planes of the background unrecorded, linking them with intense-sounding patches of color.
Cover of the casket “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, 1934 Kotukhin Alexander Vasilyevich (1886 - 1961) Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, aluminum, varnish. 21 x 27.2 One of the most original Palekh artists is Aristarkh Aleksandrovich Dydykin. In his compositions, he skillfully combined ancient iconographic motifs and new techniques mastered in the process of working on miniatures. The works of this master are characterized by a special interpretation of the landscape, abundant application of gold in the ornaments and spaces.
The best miniatures by A.A. Dydykina: “You, Vanya, have gone crazy”, “Demyanov’s ear”, “Emancipation of a woman”, “Russian Volga River” - are in the collection of the GMPI.
Powder box “Guslyar”, 1932. Alexey Ivanovich Vatagin (1881 - 1947). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, aluminum, varnish. D-11, h-2.6 The miniature “You, Vanya, have gone crazy” was written on the theme of an old Russian song. In the center of the composition is a crying girl, accompanying her fiance to the city. Her drooping figure from grief is echoed by the bowed trees and softly outlined hills, conveying the smoothness and melodiousness of the Russian melody.
Party in the village. Cigarette case. 1927 Zinoviev Nikolai Mikhailovich (1888 - 1979). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 7.5 x 11 x 2, In the art of Palekh lacquer miniatures, portraiture develops as an independent genre. The founders of this genre were former personal icon painters: N.A. Pravdin, I.F. Palikin, I.G. Serebryakov. Portraits were created on various papier-mâché objects: plates, boxes, brooches, cigarette cases. Palekh artists paint portraits of statesmen, historical figures and their contemporaries.
Box “Hunting” 1989 Gribov Nikolay Borisovich (b. 1948) Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 3 x 9 x 3 In the middle of the 20th century, realistic tendencies intensified in the art of Palekh, expressed by the desire of many artists for external verisimilitude in revealing the plot and individual images. Many compositions of those years are characterized by pomp, excessive monumentality and decoration.
Box “Volga - Russian River”, 1943 Dydykin Aristarkh Alexandrovich (1874 - 1954) Papier-mâché. tempera, gold, aluminum, varnish. 23.2 x 18.5 x 8.5 The following generations of miniaturists sought to revive the traditions created by the founders of Palekh miniatures. The art of lacquer miniatures has not exhausted itself; it has enormous potential.
Box “There is a cliff on the Volga”, 1935 Alexey Ivanovich Vatagin (1881 - 1947). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, aluminum, varnish. 22 x 15.5 x 4 Palekh artists show their talent in many forms visual arts: monumental painting, book graphics, theatrical decoration.
Plate “At the Spring” 1992 Livanova Irina Vadimovna (b. 1937). Zotov Vadim Grigorievich (b. 1936). Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 40.5 x 39 Currently, about 600 artists live and work in Palekh; every tenth resident of Palekh is a graduate of the Palekh Art School. A.M. Gorky. They work in various creative groups: the cooperative “Association of Palekh Artists”, JSC “Partnership Palekh”, LLC “Artists of Palekh”, icon painting and iconostasis workshops.
“The Tale of the Little Humpbacked Horse” Nikolai Zinoviev 
Vase “Collective farm abundance”, 1952 Zubkova Tamara Ivanovna. Porcelain, ceramic paints Hello dears.
We continue with you a short review of Russian folk crafts. Well, at least, the most famous of them :-)) Last time we remembered the beautiful Fedoskino miniature: , but today it’s time to talk a little about a more “promoted brand” - namely about Palekh.
Palekh miniature - folk craft, developed in the village of Palekh, Vyaznikovsky district, Vladimir province (now Palekh district, Ivanovo region). The lacquer miniature is made with tempera on papier-mâché. Usually boxes, caskets, egg capsules, brooches, panels, ashtrays, tie pins, pincushions, etc. are painted. Very popular, especially among foreigners :-) Although the art of Palekh painting is still very young, it is only a little over 70 years old. 
The settlement of Palekh itself is very old. In the 15th century, the village of Palekh was part of the Vladimir-Suzdal lands. According to the Spiritual Testament of Ivan the Terrible in 1572, the village of Palekh was in the local ownership of his son Ivan. In 1616, Palekh was listed as the estate of Vasily Ivanovich Ostrogubov and the widow of Yuri Ivanovich Ostrogubov. Soon it was granted patrimonial ownership to Ivan Buturlin “for the Moscow siege of the prince,” that is, for participation in the war against the Polish-Lithuanian intervention. According to the scribe books of 1628-1630 of the Vladimir district of the Bogolyubsky camp, Palekh is the patrimony of Ivan Buturlin and his children. 
The village has always been drawn to art and the place was famous for its icon painters. Palekh icon painting reached its greatest flourishing in the 18th - early 19th centuries.
At first, Palekh painting strictly obeyed the established canons of depicting icons, but gradually they began to change: images of people, landscape outlines, buildings, animals, clothing, and interior items acquired their own, unique style. The artists of Palekh finally found the creative freedom they so needed, and enjoyed it. They developed a unique style of icon painting, which was characterized by extreme detail and the use of a gold and tempera palette.
After the revolution of 1917, icon painting in Palekh ceased to exist. On December 5, 1924, the “Artel of Ancient Painting” was organized in Palekh to paint papier-mâché products. As a result of long creative searches, former icon painters showed the world virtuoso compositions on papier-mâché boxes, painted with a rainbow of colors and golden patterns. 
The Paleshians did not abandon the usual technique of painting with egg paints using created gold. In the figurative solutions of new works, they still used medieval techniques of stylization and conventional forms. The most popular and most successful compositions of the first years of the existence of Palekh miniatures were “troikas”, “hunts”, “battles”, “couples”, “shepherdesses”, “idyls”, “festivities”. These works had neither a developed plot nor a vivid image, only a strongly expressed ornamental beginning. 
One of the brightest and most talented artists of Palekh was Ivan Ivanovich Golikov. He was called the master of the horse, battle and three. The fabulous horses with fragile legs in Golikov’s miniatures are colored with all the colors of the rainbow, and “battles” and “hunts” are a manifestation of the indomitable imagination of the Palekh artist. Golikov’s “troikas” are dynamic, impetuous, but sometimes stately and solemn. I.I. Golikov turned to this motif many times, drawing winter and summer three-pieces on a variety of objects: brooches, powder compacts, cigarette cases, trays. 
In the art of Palekh lacquer miniatures, portraiture develops as an independent genre. Its founders were former personal icon painters: Pravdin N.A., Palikin I.F., Serebryakov I.G. Portrait images are created on various papier-mâché objects: plates, boxes, brooches, cigarette cases. Palekh artists paint portraits of statesmen, historical figures and their contemporaries.
In the middle of the 20th century, realistic tendencies intensified in the art of Palekh, expressed by the desire of many artists for external verisimilitude in revealing the plot and individual images. Many compositions of those years are characterized by pomp, excessive monumentality and decoration.
The following generations of miniaturists sought to revive the traditions created by the founders of Palekh miniatures. The art of lacquer miniatures has not exhausted itself; it has enormous potential. 
Palekh artists show their talent in many types of fine arts: monumental painting, book graphics, theatrical decorations.
At the end of the 80s, a trademark appeared on the works of Palekh Artists - the firebird. Each work is accompanied by a certificate indicating the authenticity of the work.
Currently, more than 600 artists live and work in Palekh; every tenth resident of Palekh is a graduate of the Palekh Art School. A.M. Gorky. They work in various creative groups: the cooperative “Association of Palekh Artists”, JSC “Partnership Palekh”, LLC “Artists of Palekh”, icon painting and iconostasis workshops.
The style of Palekh painting has a number of features, namely: smoothness, subtlety of drawing, black or dark background, a large number of shading done in gold, clarity, delineation of the silhouette of simplified figures. Decorative landscape and architecture, elegance of elongated proportions of figures, dynamic combination of red, yellow and green colors - everything in products with Palekh miniatures goes back to ancient Russian traditions.
Black varnish became the main background color, the conventional space of the Palekh miniature and its distinctive feature. Black background of lacquer miniature or " Blank sheet“as if it collects in itself, contains all the colors and embodies the essence of the thing. It symbolizes the darkness of the earthly principle from which light is born. In addition, black color also has internal volume and depth.
Gold in Palekh miniatures is not only a key element of writing technique, but also part of the artistic worldview. It is inextricably linked with the symbol of light, which has great historical traditions, coming from medieval ideas about the two principles of life - light and dark. In Christian symbolism, light takes on a special aesthetic value, becoming a prototype of Divine grace. The material carrier of this light is gold, which symbolizes it and is the materialized Divine clarity. 
Typical subjects of Palekh miniatures are borrowed from Everyday life, classical, fairy tales, epics literary works and songs.
I think that the works of the masters will delight more than one generation of Russians and foreign guests.
Have a nice time of day.
The word Palekh has many meanings. So, Palekh - what is it? Palekh is the name of an ancient village located far from the noise and bustle of big cities. This is a folk craft and painting. Finally, this is one of the symbols of Russia, the same as the Russian matryoshka, Khokhloma and Gzhel dishes.
Written mentions of the village date back to the beginning of the seventeenth century, as the patrimony of the Buturlin princes, relatives of Ivan the Terrible. Even then, they wrote about it as a large settlement. And oral stories about its occurrence go back to the Mongol-Tatar yoke.
The origin of painting
Then, from the devastated Vladimir and Suzdal, people fled into the wilderness, away from Tatar-Mongol captivity. Among them were monastic icon painters, who took with them small icons - pysanky. From these icon painters the world-famous Palekh painting arose.
This place was not widely known. Isolation, dense forests and swamps, remoteness from trade routes, contributed to the preservation of ancient traditions in fishing, only handmade production and bright originality of products.
Icon painting was initially practiced only in monasteries, but from the thirteenth century, the first secular workshops began to emerge. In Palekh, icon painting became a family production. Entire dynasties of local icon painters glorified Palekh throughout Russia and abroad with their paintings. They even tried to get married for their own painters, so as not to pass on the secrets of their craft to others.
Interesting fact
There is a story about how the great Goethe learned about the skill of the artists of Palekh and became eager to see the famous icons painted by harsh Russian men in the village huts of snow-covered Rus'. His dream came true; as a gift they sent him icons that were not inferior to the Byzantine ones, painted by the Kaurtsev brothers.
Modern times
After the accession of Soviet power, everything changed. People were put in prison for icon painting, and could even be shot. Almost the entire male population lost income. Many scattered around the cities in search of work. One of these artists was Ivan Golikov. He became a theater artist in Moscow, and soon created his first piece - a cardboard box painted in miniature.
This work was highly appreciated and soon, upon returning to their homeland, an artel of artists, former icon painters, was assembled. Maxim Gorky, who himself once worked part-time in a Palekh workshop, provided them with enormous assistance. The craftsmen were “between two fires.” Their former artists, considered them apostates, and the new government could not forget their religious past. But Palekh products: boxes, snuff boxes, dishes, brought currency, which was so necessary for the young state, so they were allowed to live and paint.
The heyday of art occurred in the sixties and eighties. Then it was released great amount products with Palekh script - postcards, stamps, various souvenirs, painted boxes for cosmetics, trays and plates.
Nowadays Palekh painting is presented in a wide selection: from expensive exhibition works to souvenirs, decorative panels, various boxes and cases. All products are made in a single copy or a small collection.
Christmas tree decorations, hand-painted by artists from Palekh and Mstera, with congratulatory inscriptions, a recent phenomenon in the art market. But they have already won a place in the hearts of beauty lovers and collectors. Dishes with Palekh script are a wonderful gift for any memorable date.
Features of Palekh painting
The Palekh school can be immediately recognized by the black background of the works and multi-figure compositions illuminated in gold, reminiscent of icon painting. The painting is different:
- Miniature, graceful execution;
- Smoothness and softness of shades;
- Filigree and picturesque;
- Full of elements;
- Accurate painting of small details;
- A variety of tones and transitions.
Another feature is the saturation of objects in motion; these are not only people and animals, but also trees, clouds, and inanimate nature. The iconographic style depicts people, reliefs, and nature, all of which are distinguished by their fragility and grace.
Painting technique
The birth of a Palekh product is a long and arduous process. Items are made from special porous cardboard. Required amount sheets of cardboard are glued with liquid paste, then put on a special blank and placed in a press. Parts for products are formed separately. Then they are dried for two weeks, then soaked in hot drying oil and kept in ovens. The resulting parts become hard and durable.
The surfaces that will later be painted are leveled, polished with sandpaper and primed several times with a mixture of soot, drying oil and clay. After each primer, dry and sand. A solution of soot in oil is applied to the outer sides several times, then covered with black varnish. Internal surfaces treated with red varnish. Then the product is completely painted over with colorless polish.
All surfaces become smooth and shiny. To prevent the applied paints from rolling off, the right places for painting, they are cleaned with pumice and handed over to the artists.
Workstations are equipped with special hand rests to prevent the hand from becoming numb. There are special combs for painting interior walls, and large magnifying glasses are also designed for them. Some images can only be viewed at high magnification.
The artist sketches the painting in pencil, then draws it in with white. After drawing with paints, he paints with gold leaf, previously crushed and rubbed with his fingers. At the end, the master signs, varnishes and finally dries the finished product.
Interesting fact
For a special gold shine, the object is polished with a wolf's tooth. No instrument, even the most high-tech, can compare with its smoothness and silkiness.
Palekh painting pictures
Palekh writing is the most rare and unique of its kind. The laboriousness of the manual process and the filigree precision of the work allow us to create true masterpieces that constitute the national pride of Russia. It combines the fundamental principles of Byzantine inspired icon painting and living arts and crafts folk art.
After the revolution, artel craftsmen were just looking for their own unique genre; they had to create paintings of plates, cigarette cases and boxes in a propaganda style. Pictures appeared depicting Lenin with workers and peasants, industrialization, the meeting of the first tractor in the village, joyful collective farmers in the fields. “Proletarian” jewelry-brooches, with personal inscriptions – “Shura”, “Katya”, “Marusya” were very popular. But even then, master painters created their works with extreme precision, scrupulousness, and in compliance with all decorative canons and traditions. Artists described the achievements of the Russian people through fairy tale images: the theme of electricity - the image of the Firebird, negative heroes- Koshchei, Leshy and Baba Yaga.
The Palekh school is not for military themes, they bloom in the pictures rural landscapes with a church and a river, historical events, illustrations of fairy tales and epics. But this is typical in peacetime. During Patriotic War When all the men went to the front, the tradition was continued by old men and teenagers. They created stunning murals - “In the Footsteps of the Enemy”, “Attack”, “ People's War" The masters achieved their goal - the Palekh workshops did not close even during the war, and the art school continued to operate.
Palekh lacquer miniatures have their own unique world. It is both real and fantastic; even simple everyday scenes are full of joy, movement and poetry.
Elements of Palekh painting
The joyful multi-colored patterns against a black background - all this is Palekh painting. On a small surface there are many different elements. To see all the beauty of a lacquer miniature, you often have to resort to a magnifying glass. These are amazing fancy trees and flowers with painted leaves. The Paleshians have found a way to make images of the crown convex and embossed, for which they use the technique of applying white in several layers. The trees, despite the sketchy design, become alive.
Fairytale grasses and elongated stone mountains with “flanks”, careful depiction of faces and body parts, multi-colored radiance. To enliven the composition, artists use white highlights and golden waves in the curls of hair, the bends of grass, the manes of horses, sea waves. In Palekh miniatures, a mandatory element is the final outline of the figures with a golden outline.
Primary colors in painting
In Palekh painting the main background is black. It signifies the earth, depth and primordial chaos, giving birth to life, light, joy and peace. The ancient Russian combination of colors is inherent - red, yellow and green. Red is a symbol of beauty, fertility (the sun is red, spring is red). Green is a sign of plants, youth, life in nature, relaxation. Yellow speaks of maturity, maturation, achievement of success and prosperity. Gold is abundantly present in Palekh painting. It symbolizes the sun, abundance and the heritage of icon painting - not the created Divine light that illuminates the whole world and pierces everything - even the eternal darkness.
Palekh has been famous for its icon painters since pre-Petrine times. Palekh icon painting reached its greatest flourishing in the 18th - early 19th centuries. The local style developed under the influence of the Moscow, Novgorod, Stroganov and Yaroslavl schools.
In addition to icon painting, the Palesians were engaged in monumental painting, participating in the painting and restoration of churches and cathedrals, including the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin, the temples of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and the Novodevichy Convent.
After the revolution of 1917, Palekh artists were forced to look for new forms of realizing their creative potential. In 1918, artists created the Palekh artistic decorative artel, which was engaged in painting on wood.
, CC BY-SA 3.0The people of Palestine became acquainted with the new material papier-mâché, which for a century had been the basis for Fedoskin’s lacquer miniatures.
The masters mastered the new material, transferring to it the traditional technology of tempera painting for ancient Russian icons and the conventional style of the image.
"Snow Maiden" author. Polunina On December 5, 1924, seven Palekh artists I. I. Golikov, I. V. Markichev, I. M. Bakanov, I. I. Zubkov, A. I. Zubkov, A. V. Kotukhin, V. V. Kotukhin united in "Artel of Ancient Painting". Later they were joined by artists I. P. Vakurov, D. N. Butorin, N. M. Zinoviev. In 1925, Palekh miniatures were exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris.
"The village of Palekh." Box, 1934. I. M. Bakanov Alex Bakharev, Public Domain The Union of Palekh Artists arose in 1932. In 1935, the artel was transformed into the Palekh Artists' Association, and in 1954 the Palekh art and production workshops of the USSR Art Fund were formed.
Typical subjects of Palekh miniatures are borrowed from everyday life, literary works of the classics, fairy tales, epics and songs. The works are usually done with tempera paints on a black background and painted in gold.
How to distinguish from fakes
Each product is made by hand by a master, never repeated, and undoubtedly reflects creative individuality author.
The unique and subtle art of lacquer miniatures in Palekh incorporates the principles of ancient Russian painting and folk art as its basis.
vector-images.com, Public Domain Palekh miniatures are signed according to a single pattern. On the cover of the item there is a serial number of the semi-finished product, an indication of the place (Palekh), the surname and initials of the author.
Since 1934, the signature “Made in USSR” was placed on the bottom of the box, which in 1992 was changed to “Made in Russia”. All signatures are made in created gold.
At the end of the 80s, a trademark appeared on the works of Palekh Artists - the firebird. Each work is accompanied by a certificate indicating the authenticity of the work.
For more than ten years, the main production association for the production of miniatures has been ".
The presence of the company's trademark indicates genuine Palekh lacquer painting.
Guide to Russian Crafts, CC BY-SA 3.0 Briefly about the technology
The work of a Palekh artist begins with the preparation of paint. Paints in Palekh are diluted using egg emulsion.
Before painting, the surface of the product is treated with pumice. Then the artist applies a drawing to the semi-finished product with a finely sharpened pencil.
Then the image is drawn with whitewash using a thin squirrel brush (the artists also make their own brushes).
A layer of white is necessary so that when the painting is subsequently coated with varnish, black spots do not appear through the paint (the varnish slightly dissolves the paint).
Brand "Snow Maiden" Mariluna, CC BY-SA 3.0 Having finished the work with paints, the artist takes up the gold. Gold leaf (one portion - 10 sheets 12x7 cm) is carefully crushed and rubbed with fingers. Gold painting is also done with the finest brush.
After the artist has put his signature on the product, it is varnished and dried.
The piece is then polished on a mechanical wheel covered in plush or velvet.
Photo gallery
Helpful information
Palekh miniature
Forefathers of the style
The founders of the Palekh style are I. I. Golikov and Alexander Aleksandrovich Glazunov, in whose Moscow workshop Ivan Golikov painted the first work in the so-called Palekh style.
First confession
For the first time, Palekh miniatures on papier-mâché, commissioned by the Handicraft Museum, were presented at the All-Russian Agricultural and Handicraft Exhibition in 1923, where they were awarded a 2nd degree diploma.
Training in Palekh miniature
In 1928, a vocational school of ancient painting was opened in Palekh, the training in which lasted four years. In 1935, the school was transformed into an art college. In 1936, the technical school transferred to the system of the All-Union Committee for Arts and began to be called a school (Palekh Art School named after A. M. Gorky), where training lasted 5 years. In the 2000s, the training period was reduced to 4 years.
Features of the Palekh letter
The style of Palekh painting is characterized by a thin and smooth pattern predominantly on a black background, an abundance of golden shading, and a clear silhouette of flattened figures, sometimes completely covering the surface of the lid and side walls of the boxes. The decorativeness of the landscape and architecture, the elongated graceful proportions of the figures, the color based on a combination of three primary colors - red, yellow and green, go back to the traditions of ancient Russian icon painting. The composition is usually framed with exquisite ornaments made of melted gold. Gold in Palekh miniatures is not only a key element of writing technique, but also part of the artistic worldview. It is associated with the symbol of light. In Christian symbolism, light becomes a prototype of Divine grace.
Contemporary artists
Currently, workshops of the Russian Art Fund, small private workshops and individual artists continue to work in Palekh. Among them are T. I. Zubkova, A. A. Kotukhina, N. I Golikov, A. M. Kurkin, K. Kukulieva and B. N. Kukuliev, A. D. Kochupalov, T. Khodova, V. V. Morokin, B. Ermolaev, E. Shchanitsyna and others.
Using a magnifying glass
The work of a miniature artist requires not only creative inspiration, but also enormous precision and thoroughness, which is why Palekh painters often have to resort to the help of a magnifying glass.
Wolf tooth
In order for the gold applied to the product to acquire shine, it must be polished. A wolf tooth is used for this - it has a particularly smooth surface. Even with the advent of new technologies and materials, nothing could replace this exotic instrument.
Manual finishing
The final finishing touches during polishing are done only by hand. The surface is covered with lard and treated for an hour with a palm moistened with water. From friction, the surface of the varnish heats up, becomes completely leveled and acquires a mirror shine.
A box or casket is usually called a small box or drawer, which most often has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. They are convenient for storing jewelry, money, papers and other small valuable items. It is believed that the boxes appeared a long time ago and originate from chests in which clothes were stored. In Tsarist Russia in the middle of the 18th century, such a folk craft as lacquer miniatures became especially popular.
The boxes made using this technique by craftsmen from the Ivanovo village of Palekh are an excellent example of the craftsmanship and originality of the Russian people.
Historical reference
The history of Palekh miniatures as a folk art craft is closely connected with icon painting. In the 18th century, masters who skillfully painted icons lived in the village of Palekh, which at that time belonged to the Vyaznikovsky district of the Vladimir province. Along with icon painting, local craftsmen took part in the painting and restoration of the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin and churches located in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and on the territory of the Novodevichy Convent.
After the revolution of 1917, it became impossible to continue to engage in icon painting, so a year later the Palekh Art Decorative Artel was created. The artists who entered it began to paint on wood. The founders of Palekh miniature are considered to be Ivan Golikov and Alexander Glazunov. The craftsmen mastered a new material - papier-mâché, which is based on a mass obtained from mixing paper and cardboard with gypsum, starch and other substances. In 1923, Palekh miniatures were sent to the All-Russian Agricultural and Handicraft Exhibition, where they received a II degree diploma.
In December 1924, seven masters from Palekh founded the Artel of Ancient Painting. The works of this association were sent to the World Exhibition in Paris in 1925. In 1932, the Union of Artists of Palekh was formed, and in 1935 the artel was transformed into the Association of Artists of Palekh. In 1954, the Palekh art and production workshops of the USSR Art Fund arose. Currently, you can learn the art of this miniature in 4 years in Palekh art school named after A. M. Gorky.
Manufacturing technology
As noted earlier, boxes in the tradition of lacquer miniatures had a papier-mâché base. The cardboard blank is compressed and then dried for several days. Next, it needs to be soaked in linseed oil for 24 hours and dried in a hot oven for 2 days. Then the semi-finished product is processed using an emery brush, polished and the necessary fittings are attached to it. At the end of this stage, the box is primed with a special composition, covered with black varnish in several layers and 7 layers of light varnish, carefully drying each layer in the oven.
The painting has a strict sequence in the application of tempera. Tempera paints have been used since ancient times; artists made them from dry powder pigments, in which emulsions served as a binder: natural (chicken yolk) and artificial (oils in an aqueous solution of glue). The skill of working with tempera needs to be studied for several years, only then can one achieve ideal smoothness of lines, accuracy and clarity of miniature silhouettes.
On initial stage master painters paint the composition with white, emphasizing dark and light places. Then the paints necessary to paint the box are applied. Craftsmen painstakingly draw squirrel bones self made contours of all elements, emphasizing each detail with color and often using a magnifying glass. At the end of the painting, gold is applied (a sheet of gold is crushed and mixed with glue), it gives the drawing warmth and brightness, creating the feeling that the image is glowing from within.
Gold finishing was borrowed by Palekh masters from icon painting, where gold is a symbol of divine light.
On last stage Before production, the box is coated with oil varnish and polished. Polishing occurs by applying several layers of varnish, which are well dried at a given temperature for a certain time. Then the surface is leveled using glass and pumice, and then polished on a special moving wheel, which is covered with velvet.
Originality of style
The background for the drawings on the Palekh boxes is black - it is a symbol of the darkness from which life and colors are born, and gives depth to the entire composition. The inside of the product is always red. For Palekh painting Bright tempera paints and gold painting are also typical. Gracefully drawn elongated figures are an echo of icon painting traditions. The heroes are characters from fairy tales and epics, as well as classical works and songs. The boxes have their own names, for example, “Troika”, “Ermak’s Campaign”, “Stone Flower”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, “Vasilisa the Beautiful”.
How to distinguish an original from a fake?
Painted boxes from Palekh are a wonderful interior decoration and a unique gift. But in order not to purchase a fake, you should pay attention to the following details when purchasing.
- Original Palekh boxes are usually black on the outside (sometimes they can be painted green or blue) and are always painted red on the inside.
- The painting is characterized by multi-tonal painting of shadows, slightly elongated images of characters, and precise drawing of all elements and details.
- Products from Palekh are distinguished by perfect polishing outside and inside. Scratches, stains and blisters are signs of a non-original box.
- The lid of the box is always tightly fitted to the base - the so-called box.
- The original item must have a gilded inscription “Palekh”, which is always located in the lower left corner, and in the lower right corner you can read the name of the master.
- A real Palekh box is packed in a tin box, which has a layer of glued cotton wool inside that can protect the varnish and painting from damage.
- A low price for such a product is always an indicator that it is a fake. Palekh miniature is a very labor-intensive folk craft, so such things are highly valued and cannot be cheap.
Palekh painted boxes are unique works of art into which the master puts his soul and all his many years of experience. Boxes made using the Palekh technique are known all over the world and are an integral part of the original Russian culture.
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