DECORATIVE ARTS(English decorative art, French art decorative, German Decorative Kunst), a term that unites those types of art that serve practical purposes, in contrast to easel and monumental art. Decorative arts contribute art organization in all areas of life. Decorative art includes monumental and decorative art directly related to architecture: the design of buildings or other structures (architectural decor, paintings, mosaics, stained glass, wood carvings, etc.); decorative and applied arts (furniture, fabrics, ceramics, household art products made of metal and leather); design art ( decoration showcases, exhibitions, festivals).

The decorative arts are distinguished from the fine, or major types of fine arts, within which works, e.g. easel paintings, are created only for aesthetic pleasure. However, this distinction is rather arbitrary, since the forms of art are too closely related to each other to be easily distinguished. The criteria by which a painting or sculpture is judged—shape, color, or compositional features—are the same as those used to evaluate a miniature-decorated manuscript or a porcelain vase. Although materials and methods vary depending on the art form, the fundamental principles remain valid - such as good taste, originality of content and composition.

Up to the 19th century. no distinction was made between artist and craftsman. Since antiquity, craftsmen have not allowed an item, be it a silver cup or a painting, to leave the workshop without undergoing strict inspection by the craftsman himself or the guild for quality workmanship and artistic skill. Orders and regulations applied to everything from paintings, sculpture and architecture to carved picture frames and designs for tapestries, sewing, glass work, ornamental stone and metal. For example, the Florentine workshop of Antonio del Pollaiuolo during the Renaissance produced not only paintings, but also magnificent silk banners for ceremonial processions, as well as altar images minted on silver. Benvenuto Cellini, fellow countryman of Pollaiuolo, in the 16th century. gained fame as an excellent and original sculptor, jeweler and goldsmith. The objects made by these artists were as functional as they were beautiful, which is why many of their products became famous as works of art. Many works that are now classified as one of the types visual arts, were created solely for decorative purposes. Among them are the marbles of the ancient Greek Parthenon, sculptures and frescoes that adorned medieval churches throughout Europe.

At the beginning of the 19th century. The paths of fine and decorative arts diverged. This was caused by the advent of the Industrial Revolution and the rapid development of machine production, which resulted in the mass production of consumer goods and the emergence of the art industry. In the middle of the 19th century. opposition to crude and aesthetically unattractive factory products led to a revival of artistic crafts throughout Europe. The term “applied art” arose; it was used to refer to the “application” of an artistic concept to a craft. The revival of genuine artistic craft was facilitated by the activities of such masters as William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones. In 1857 they settled in London as "artists" with the aim of creating home furnishings by hand, from sketches and designs decorative motifs and ending with fabrics and furniture.

The concept of "arts and crafts" more accurately expresses the modern point of view regarding the distinction between functional and purely decorative works than their classification according to their belonging to “great” or “small” art, fine or decorative. At the same time, in the middle of the 20th century. creative activity in a variety of materials is increasingly being valued; this again drew attention to the problem of the unity of all forms of artistic expression, and also significantly expanded the field of activity of artists and contributed to the emergence of new types of art using new materials, for example in the field of industrial

INTRODUCTION

Decorative art is a vast field creative activity person. Products made of ceramics, wood, glass, textiles are ancient products human labor and creativity, they mark the progressive development of civilization and culture at all stages of history. Having arisen at the earliest stage of the development of human society, decorative and applied art for many centuries was the most important, and for a number of tribes and nationalities, the main area artistic creativity. However, the role and significance of decorative art in the general cultural process is still underestimated. In the world history of art it is usually not isolated as a special area aesthetic activity, but is considered only in its utilitarian function: as the design of object products and the living environment, as a product of handicraft or industrial production. In principle, this is true: decorative art is closely related to material production and architecture. It's hard to agree that cultural level eras are determined only pictorial views arts and architecture, and artistic objects - furniture, dishes, textiles, decorations - only serve the everyday needs of people and shine with the reflected light of the “high arts”.

This work sets the goal of a comprehensive study of modern domestic decorative art, establishing the problems of the development of mass production in the context of the socio-cultural situation in Russia in the 20th century.

The work poses the following tasks:

Principles of modern shaping of object and decorative products;

Their influence on the formation of the artistic style of the object world and the living environment

The specific place of decorative art in the visual culture of the modern era is noted.

RESEARCH SECTION

History of Decorative and Applied Arts

Folk arts and crafts are the result of the creativity of many generations of masters. It is united in its artistic structure and unusually diverse in its national characteristics, which manifest themselves in everything from the choice (use) of material to the interpretation of visual forms.

Born among farmers, cattle breeders, and hunters, folk art throughout the history of its development is associated with nature, the laws of its renewal, and the manifestation of its life-giving forces.

The very existence of man is inseparable from nature, which provides material for housing and clothing, food, and determines the rhythm human life the change of day and night, the alternation of seasons. Therefore, all this is reflected in works of folk art, which constitute an integral phenomenon of the culture of each nation.

The well-known statement that folk art is firmly connected with everyday life applies not only to arts and crafts. Songs and dances, epics and fairy tales are also inseparable from the everyday life of the people, because they embodied dreams of beauty, ideas about a better life, about good and evil, about the harmony of the world. In harvest festivals, farewell to winter, welcoming spring, in various rites and rituals creativity manifested itself in a complex and multifunctional way. In this regard, folk art is called syncretic, i.e. combining different functions of objects and connecting them with everyday life(Appendix, Fig. 1).

And today, artistic products made by folk craftsmen from various materials serve as an indispensable part of human daily life. They came into everyday life as necessary items, performing certain utilitarian functions. These are floor carpets and ceramic dishes, woven bedspreads and embroidered tablecloths, wooden toy and decorations women's clothing. Their thoughtful form and proportions, the pattern of the ornament and the color of the material itself characterize the aesthetics of these things, their artistic content, turning a utilitarian object into a work of art. All such products belong to the field of decorative and applied arts, in the sphere of which the spiritual and material principles of creativity find organic unity. The world of this area is vast.

Many artistic objects are produced by enterprises equipped with advanced technology, which allows them to produce items in large quantities. But they exhibit a mechanical repetition of the original sample. This type of production is called the art industry. Adjacent to it, but noticeably different in the nature of the product, are folk artistic crafts, in which the appearance of the object and the formation of its artistic features depend on the manual creative labor of the master artist, which determines the final result. That is why the importance of the master in folk art is so great. The artistic level of the thing he creates depends on how he masters his craft, how he uses his knowledge and practical skills.

As a result of such development folk art the shape of the products was polished, beautiful and meaningful ornamental motifs were preserved, an artistic tradition was formed as a system of worldview of folk craftsmen and as a craft basis for creativity.

All these features characterizing folk arts and crafts manifested themselves in the course of its historical development. The creative development of material coming from time immemorial, the improvement of the function of each object led to the endowment of things with additional significance. For example, a lock in the shape of a lion was supposed to enhance, in the opinion of the master, the protective function of this household item. The ornament in the form of a hoop surrounding the body of the turning tool visually strengthened the shape.

Folk arts and crafts did not move to function in the form of crafts everywhere and not simultaneously. They arose only where there were appropriate economic conditions (stable demand, sufficient quantities of local raw materials, etc.). Most active development

Even before the revolution, the artisanal form of farming was tested by masters from the Moscow region and a number of other folk art centers. Thus, after the ruin of the owners of the Fedoskino miniature craft, the craftsmen organized an artel in 1903, thanks to which the core of creatively working painters was preserved, and the art of the craft did not fade away (Appendix, Fig. 3).

In the 1920-1930s. The process of creating cooperative fishing artels continued. New industries arose, but the main attention was paid to strengthening traditional crafts in areas where ancient centers of folk art united several settlements. The production of products with Khokhloma painting on wood was restored on a large scale in Nizhny Novgorod region, production of handmade lace in the Vologda region. New types of products were also born. Thus, masters of the former icon-painting crafts switched to work in the field of lacquer miniatures. Papier-mâché painting by craftsmen from the village of Palekh, Ivanovo region, was already highly appreciated in their first works by major scholars and researchers of folk art.

By the beginning of the 1960s, supplies of artistic products for export were restored. Subsequently, a number of decrees were issued to promote the development of fisheries. In particular, it is accepted important decision on attracting home-based workers to work. It not only made it possible to expand the workforce, but also made it possible to create entire associations of craftsmen working at home in many union republics. Masters of artistic crafts are provided with a number of economic benefits. In accordance with the tasks set in the directive documents, expeditions, competitions, gatherings of craftsmen, and craft festivals began to be held regularly. Such A complex approach to intensify the creativity of masters, promote their achievements, allowed every nation to see the values ​​of their national culture, and attract young people to the craft, which gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. That is why the number of young people wishing to enter special educational institutions increases every year.

The elegance and artistic content of folk crafts create an atmosphere of festivity and cause a person to be in high spirits. Products of folk craftsmen are indispensable attributes of our life, they enliven daily life people become the main “characters” on special occasions. Costumes in folk traditions are mandatory attributes folklore ensembles, fairs, special exhibitions. Finally, almost every item created by masters of artistic crafts serves as an excellent gift for any important event in the life of an individual, family or team. And small, easy-to-carry things - souvenirs - signs of memory of national culture people and even an entire country.

In our time different types creativity and decoration is at the peak of fashion. And this is not surprising. Man has always had a need to create something, creativity and self-expression. U modern people There was no longer any need to sew clothes, make dishes and household items ourselves. But, one way or another, you often want to give ordinary things some personality. This might just help decor or arts and crafts.

Works arts and crafts may be: interior items, furniture, dishes, clothing, jewelry. Since ancient times this type art went alongside the everyday life of man, reflecting his ideas about the world and beauty. What now?

Today there are a great many types of decorative and applied arts, the most popular among which are:

• Batik— painting on fabric (silk, cotton, wool) with special paints. This type of art came to us from India and Indonesia. Nowadays, paintings on silk, painted shawls, scarves and ties are especially popular. Thanks to the variety of techniques and materials, everyone can find something of their own in the art of batik.
• Tapestry (trellis)- This is also one of the types of decorative and applied arts. This is a lint-free carpet, woven by hand, with an ornament or plot depicted on it. The first tapestries appeared in Ancient Egypt, Greece, China. In Europe, tapestries appeared in the Middle Ages and decorated castles, palaces and temples. Tapestries are woven by hand on a special machine. From a mechanical point of view, the technique of creating a tapestry is very simple, but it requires a lot of patience, skill and artistic knowledge from the master.
• Ceramics- Also oldest species art. In the narrow sense, the word "ceramics" means fired clay. With its help you can create dishes, vases and other interior items. Working on a pottery wheel allows you to escape from everyday worries, watching how a new masterpiece is born on your heads and in your hands.
• Embroidery, perhaps one of the most known species applied arts. Women have been decorating clothes, household items and individual panels with various ornaments and images since ancient times. There are many types of embroidery depending on the techniques and materials (embroidery with ribbons and beads, cross stitch and satin stitch, on silk and rough canvas). And the variety of motifs and colors will not leave anyone indifferent.
• Knitting(manufacturing products from continuous threads by creating loops from them and fastening them together) was known back in the days Trojan War. In addition, knitted items were discovered in Peru and in excavations of ancient Viking settlements. Currently, a distinction is made between crocheting, knitting and using a special knitting machine. In turn, you can knit items of clothing (for any season), accessories, and interior items.
• Glass painting is also gaining popularity these days. Inspired by medieval stained glass windows, today's masters use special paints to create amazingly beautiful paintings on glass of any shape and purpose (from dishes to mirrors and glass doors). Mastering the technique of painting on glass is not at all difficult and you may not even know how to draw (templates can be any pictures with clear contours).

Not all types of decorative and applied arts are listed here. Every person can find themselves in creativity and begin to create beauty around themselves. Whatever you do - knitting or wood carving, glass painting or batik, felting or decoupage, - any kind of creativity gives strength and energy, helps fight stress and make life brighter.

If you want to learn a new type of activity, but you can start getting acquainted with it with t thematic master classes. This is a great way to learn basic techniques, get your bearings on materials and styles, as well as get a boost of energy and communicate with interesting people.

Unlike faceless mass-produced products, handmade items are always unique. Masterfully crafted household utensils, clothing, and interior elements are expensive. And if in the old days such things were objects of utilitarian purpose, then in our days they have passed into the category of art. Beautiful thing made a good master, will always be in value.

In recent years, the development of applied art has received a new impetus. This trend cannot but rejoice. Beautiful dishes made of wood, metal, glass and clay, lace, textiles, jewelry, embroidery, toys - all this, after several decades of oblivion, has again become relevant, fashionable and in demand.

History of the Moscow Museum of Folk Art

In 1981, the Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art opened in Moscow, on Delegatskaya Street. His collection consisted of unique samples of products self made domestic masters of the past, as well as the best works of contemporary artists.

In 1999, the following important event occurred - All-Russian Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art accepted exhibits from the Savva Timofeevich Morozov Museum of Folk Art into its collection. The core of this collection was formed even before the 1917 revolution. It was based on exhibits from the very first Russian ethnographic museum. It was the so-called Handicraft Museum Arts and Crafts, opened in 1885.

The museum has a specialized library where you can get acquainted with rare books in theory and history of art.

Museum collection

Traditional types of decorative and applied arts are systematized and divided into departments. Basic thematic areas- these are ceramics and porcelain, glass, jewelry and metal, bone and wood carvings, textiles, lacquer miniatures and fine materials.

The Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts has more than 120 thousand exhibits in its open fund and storage facilities. Russian modernism is represented by the works of Vrubel, Konenkov, Golovin, Andreev and Malyutin. The collection of Soviet propaganda porcelain and textiles from the second quarter of the last century is extensive.

Currently, this museum of folk arts and crafts is considered one of the most significant in the world. The oldest exhibits of high artistic value date back to the 16th century. The museum's collection has always been actively replenished through gifts from private individuals, as well as through the efforts of senior government officials during the years of Soviet power.

Thus, the unique exhibition of textiles was created largely thanks to the generosity of French citizen P. M. Tolstoy-Miloslavsky, who donated to the museum a large collection of Russian, Eastern and European textiles collected by N. L. Shabelskaya.

Two large collections of porcelain were donated to the museum by prominent figures Soviet art- Leonid Osipovich Utesov and spouses Maria Mironova and Alexander Menaker.

The Moscow Museum of Applied Arts boasts halls dedicated to the life of Russian people in different time periods. Here you can get acquainted with the homes of representatives of all classes. Furniture, dishes, clothes of peasants and city residents, and children's toys were preserved, restored and put on display. Carved decorations of platbands and roof canopies, tiled stoves, chests, which served not only as convenient storage for things, but also as beds, since they were made in appropriate sizes, conjure up pictures of the quiet, measured and well-fed life of the Russian hinterland.

Lacquer miniature

Lacquer miniature as an applied art reached its greatest flourishing in the 18th and 19th centuries. The artistic centers that gave residence to the main directions were cities famous for their icon-painting workshops. These are Palekh, Mstera, Kholui and Fedoskino. Boxes, brooches, panels, caskets made of papier-mâché were painted with oil paints or tempera and varnished. The drawings were stylized images of animals, plants, characters from fairy tales and epics. Artists, masters of lacquer miniatures, painted icons, made custom portraits, and painted genre scenes. Each locality has developed its own style of painting, but almost all types of applied art in our country are united by such qualities as richness and brightness of colors. Detailed drawings, smooth and rounded lines - this is what distinguishes Russian miniatures. It is interesting that images of the decorative and applied arts of the past also inspire modern artists. Antique drawings are often used to create fabrics for fashion collections.

Artistic painting on wood

Khokhloma, Mezen and Gorodets paintings are recognizable not only in Russia, but also abroad. Furniture, cabinets, boxes, spoons, bowls and other household utensils made of wood, painted in one of these techniques, are considered the personification of Russia. Light wooden utensils painted with black, red and Green colour on a golden background, it looks massive and heavy - this is a characteristic manner of Khokhloma.

Gorodets products are distinguished by a multi-color palette of colors and somewhat less roundness of shapes than Khokhloma products. Genre scenes are used as plots, as well as all kinds of fictional and real representatives of the animal and plant world.

The decorative and applied arts of the Arkhangelsk region, in particular Mezen wood painting, are utilitarian objects decorated with special designs. Mezen craftsmen use only two colors for their work - black and red, that is, soot and ocher, fractional schematic drawings of boxes, boxes and chests, friezes in the form of borders from repeating truncated figures of horses and deer. A static, small, frequently repeated pattern evokes sensations of movement. Mezen painting is one of the most ancient. Those drawings that are used by modern artists are hieroglyphic inscriptions that were used by Slavic tribes long before the emergence of the Russian state.

Wood craftsmen, before turning any object from a solid block, treat the wood against cracking and drying out, so their products have a very long service life.

Zhostovo trays

Metal trays painted with flowers - the applied art of Zhostovo near Moscow. Once having an exclusively utilitarian purpose, Zhostovo trays have long served as interior decoration. Bright bouquets of large garden and small wildflowers on a black, green, red, blue or silver background are easily recognizable. Typical Zhostovo bouquets are now decorated with metal boxes containing tea, cookies or sweets.

Enamel

Decorative and applied art such as enamel also refers to metal painting. The most famous products Rostov masters. Transparent fireproof paints are applied to a copper, silver or gold plate and then fired in a kiln. The hot enamel technique, as enamel is also called, is used to make jewelry, dishes, weapon handles and cutlery. When exposed to high temperatures, paints change color, so craftsmen must understand the intricacies of handling them. Most often, floral motifs are used as subjects. The most experienced artists They make miniatures with portraits of people and landscapes.

Majolica

The Moscow Museum of Applied Arts provides an opportunity to see the works of recognized masters of world painting, executed in a manner that is not entirely typical for them. For example, in one of the halls there is a Vrubel majolica - a fireplace “Mikula Selyaninovich and Volga”.

Majolica is a product made of red clay, painted on raw enamel and fired in a special oven at a very high temperature. In the Yaroslavl region, arts and crafts have become widespread and developed due to large quantity deposits of pure clay. Currently, in Yaroslavl schools, children are taught to work with this plastic material. Children's applied art is a second wind for ancient crafts, A New Look on folk traditions. However, this is not only a tribute national traditions. Working with clay develops fine motor skills, expands the angle of vision, and normalizes the psychosomatic state.

Gzhel

Decorative and applied art, in contrast to fine art, presupposes the utilitarian, economic use of objects created by artists. Porcelain teapots, flower and fruit vases, candlesticks, clocks, cutlery handles, plates and cups are all extremely elegant and decorative. Based on Gzhel souvenirs, prints are made on knitted and textile materials. We are used to thinking that Gzhel is a blue pattern on a white background, but initially Gzhel porcelain was multi-colored.

Embroidery

Fabric embroidery is one of the most ancient types of needlework. Initially, it was intended to decorate the clothes of the nobility, as well as fabrics intended for religious rituals. This folk decorative and applied art came to us from the countries of the East. The robes of rich people were embroidered with colored silk, gold and silver threads, pearls, precious stones and coins. The most valuable is embroidery with small stitches, which gives the feeling of a smooth, as if painted design. In Russia, embroidery quickly came into use. New techniques have appeared. In addition to the traditional satin stitch and cross stitch, they began to embroider with hemstitch stitches, that is, laying openwork paths along the voids formed by pulled out threads.

Dymkovo toys for children

In pre-revolutionary Russia, folk craft centers, in addition to utilitarian items, produced hundreds of thousands of children's toys. These were dolls, animals, dishes and furniture for children's fun, and whistles. Decorative and applied art of this direction is still very popular.

Symbol of the Vyatka land - Dymkovo toy- has no analogues in the world. Bright colorful young ladies, gentlemen, peacocks, carousels, goats are immediately recognizable. Not a single toy is repeated. On a snow-white background, patterns in the form of circles, straight lines and wavy lines. All crafts are very harmonious. They emit such powerful positive energy that anyone who picks up a toy can feel it. Maybe there is no need to place Chinese symbols of prosperity in the corners of the apartment in the form of three-legged toads, plastic red fish or money trees, but it is better to decorate the home with products of Russian craftsmen - Kargopol, Tula or Vyatka clay souvenirs, miniature wooden sculptures Nizhny Novgorod craftsmen. It is impossible that they will not attract love, prosperity, health and well-being to the family.

Filimonovskaya toy

In the centers children's creativity In many regions of our country, children are taught to sculpt from clay and paint crafts in the manner of folk crafts of central Russia. The kids really enjoy working with such a convenient and flexible material as clay. They come up with new designs in accordance with ancient traditions. This is how domestic applied art develops and remains in demand not only in tourist centers, but throughout the country.

Mobile exhibitions of Filimonov toys are very popular in France. They travel around the country throughout the year and are accompanied by master classes. Whistle toys are purchased by museums in Japan, Germany and other countries. This craft, which has a permanent residence in the Tula region, is about 1000 years old. Primitively made, but painted with pink and green colors, they look very cheerful. Simplified form explained by the fact that toys have cavities inside with holes going out. If you blow into them, alternately covering different holes, you will get a simple melody.

Pavlovo shawls

Cozy, feminine and very bright shawls from Pavlovo Posad weavers became known throughout the world thanks to the amazing collection of fashionable clothes by Russian fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev. He used traditional fabrics and patterns to make women's dresses, men's shirts, other clothing and even shoes. The Pavlovo Posad scarf is an accessory that can be passed down from generation to generation, like jewelry. The durability and wear resistance of scarves is well known. They are made from high quality fine wool. The designs do not fade in the sun, do not fade from washing and do not shrink. The fringe on scarves is made by specially trained craftsmen - all the cells of the openwork mesh are tied in knots at the same distance from each other. The design represents flowers on a red, blue, white, black, green background.

Vologda lace

World-famous Vologda lace is woven using birch or juniper bobbins from cotton or linen threads. In this way, measuring tape, bedspreads, shawls and even dresses are made. Vologda lace is a narrow strip, which is the main line of the pattern. The voids are filled with nets and bugs. The traditional color is white.

Applied art does not stand still. Development and change occur constantly. It must be said that by the beginning of the last century, under the influence of developing industry, industrial manufactories equipped with high-speed electric machines appeared, and the concept of mass production arose. Folk arts began to decline. Only in the middle of the last century were traditional Russian crafts restored. IN art centers, such as Tula, Vladimir, Gus-Khrustalny, Arkhangelsk, Rostov, Zagorsk, etc., vocational schools were built and opened, qualified teachers were trained and new young masters were trained.

Modern types of needlework and creativity

People travel, get acquainted with the cultures of other peoples, and learn crafts. From time to time new types of decorative and applied arts appear. For our country, scrapbooking, origami, quilling and others have become such new products.

At one time, concrete walls and fences became the most colorful different drawings and inscriptions made in a highly artistic manner. Graffiti, or spray art, is modern reading old looking rock art. You can laugh as much as you like at teenage hobbies, which, of course, includes graffiti, but look at photographs on the Internet or walk around your own city, and you will discover truly highly artistic works.

Scrapbooking

The design of notebooks, books and albums that exist in a single copy is called scrapbooking. In general, this activity is not entirely new. Albums designed to preserve the history of a family, city or individual for posterity have been created before. The modern vision of this art is the creation of art books with illustrations by the authors, as well as the use of computers with various graphic, music, photo and other editors.

Quilling and origami

Quilling, translated into Russian as “paper rolling,” is used to create panels, to design postcards, photo frames, etc. The technique involves rolling thin strips of paper and gluing them to a base. The smaller the fragment, the more elegant and decorative the craft.

Origami, like quilling, is work with paper. Only origami is work with square sheets of paper from which all sorts of shapes are formed.

As a rule, all crafts related to papermaking have Chinese roots. Asian arts and crafts were originally a pastime for the nobility. The poor did not create beautiful things. Their destiny is agriculture, cattle breeding and all kinds of dirty work. Europeans, having adopted the basics of the technique, which historically represented very small and delicate work with rice paper, transferred the art to conditions convenient to them.

Chinese products are distinguished by an abundance of very small details that look monolithic and very elegant. Only very experienced craftsmen can do such work. In addition, thin paper ribbons can be twisted into a tight and even coil only with the help of special tools. European lovers of handicrafts have somewhat modified and simplified the ancient Chinese craft. Paper, curled in spirals of different sizes and densities, has become a popular decoration for cardboard boxes, vases for dried flowers, frames and panels.

Speaking about decorative and applied arts, it would be unfair to ignore such crafts as silk painting, or batik, printing, or embossing, that is, metal painting, carpet weaving, beading, macrame, knitting. Some things become a thing of the past, while others become so fashionable and popular that even industrial enterprises start producing equipment for this type of creativity.

Preserving ancient crafts and demonstrating the best examples in museums is a good deed that will always serve as a source of inspiration for people of creative professions and will help everyone else to join in the beauty.

Man has always tried to embellish his life, introducing elements of aesthetics and creativity into it. Craftsmen, creating household items - dishes, clothes, furniture, decorated them with ornaments, patterns, carvings, and inlaid them with precious stones, turning them into real works of art.

Decorative art, in fact, existed in prehistoric times, when people decorated their homes with rock paintings, but it was highlighted in academic literature only in the 50s of the 19th century.

Meaning of the term

The Latin word decorare translates as “to adorn.” It is this that is the root of the concept “decorative”, that is, “decorated”. Therefore, the term “decorative art” literally means “the ability to decorate.”

It is divided into the following component types of art:

• monumental - decoration, painting, mosaics, stained glass, carvings of buildings and structures;
• applied - applies to everything, including dishes, furniture, clothing, textiles;
• design - a creative approach to the design of holidays, exhibitions and shop windows.

The main feature by which decorative is distinguished from elegant is its practicality, the ability to be used in everyday life, and not just aesthetic content.

For example, a painting is an object fine art, and a candlestick decorated with carvings or a painted ceramic plate is applied.

Classification

Branches of this art form are classified according to:

• Materials used in the work process. It can be metal, stone, wood, glass, ceramics, textiles.
• Execution technique. A variety of techniques are used - carving, inlay, casting, printing, embossing, embroidery, batik, painting, wickerwork, macrame and others.
• Functions - an item could be used in different ways, for example, as furniture, dishes or a toy.

As can be seen from the classification, this concept has a very wide coverage. Closely related to artistry, architecture, design. Objects of decorative and applied art shape the material world surrounding a person, making it more beautiful and richer in aesthetic and figurative terms.

Emergence

Throughout the centuries, artisans have tried to decorate the fruits of their labor. They were skilled craftsmen, had excellent taste, and improved their skills from generation to generation, carefully guarding secrets within the family. Their cups, banners, tapestries, clothes, cutlery and other household items, as well as stained glass windows and frescoes, were distinguished by their high artistry.

Why did the definition of “decorative art” appear in the middle of the 19th century? This is due to when, during the rapid growth of machine production, the production of goods from the hands of artisans moved to factories and factories. Products have become standardized, non-unique and often unattractive. Its main task was only rough functionality. In such conditions, applied craft literally meant the production of a single product with high artistic value. Craftsmen applied their skills to create exclusive decorated household items, which, during the industrial boom, began to be in special demand among the wealthy sections of society. This is how the term “decorative and applied arts” was born.

History of development

The age of decorative art is equal to the age of humanity. The first found art objects date back to the Paleolithic era and represent cave drawings, jewelry, ritual figurines, bone or stone household items. Considering the primitiveness of the tools, decorative art in ancient society was very simple and crude.

Further improvement of the means of labor leads to the fact that objects that serve practical purposes and at the same time decorate everyday life become more and more elegant and sophisticated. Craftsmen invest their talent, taste, and emotional mood into everyday objects.

Folk decorative art is permeated with elements of spiritual culture, traditions and views of the nation, and the character of the era. In its development, it covers vast temporal and spatial layers; the material of many generations is truly immense, so it is impossible to line up all its genres and types in one historical line. The stages of development are conventionally divided into the most significant periods, within which the most striking masterpieces of decorative and applied art stand out.

Ancient world

The decorative art of Egypt is one of the most significant pages in the history of applied art. Egyptian craftsmen brought to perfection such artistic crafts as bone and wood carving, metal processing, jewelry making, making colored glass and faience, and the finest patterned fabrics. Leather, weaving, and pottery crafts were at their best. Egyptian artists created wonderful monuments of art that the whole world admires today.

No less significant in the history of applied art were the achievements of ancient Eastern masters (Sumer, Babylon, Assyria, Syria, Phenicia, Palestine, Urartu). The decorative art of these states was especially clearly expressed in such crafts as ivory carving, gold and silver chasing, inlay with precious and semi-precious stones, and artistic forging. Distinctive feature The products of these peoples were characterized by simplicity of form, love of decoration for small and detailed details and an abundance of bright colors. Reached a very high level

The products of ancient artisans are decorated with images of plants and animals, mythical creatures and heroes of legends. The work used metal, including precious metal, faience, ivory, glass, stone, and wood. Cretan jewelers have achieved the highest skill.

The decorative art of the countries of the East - Iran, India - is imbued with deep lyricism, sophistication of images combined with classical clarity and purity of style. Centuries later, fabrics evoke admiration - muslin, brocade and silk, carpets, gold and silver items, embossing and engravings, painted glazed ceramics. The luster and border tiles used to decorate secular and religious buildings are amazing. Artistic calligraphy became a unique technique.

The decorative art of China is distinguished by its unique originality and exclusive techniques, which had a serious influence on the works of masters from Japan, Korea, and Mongolia.

The art of Europe was formed under the influence of the decorative and applied arts of Byzantium, which absorbed the spirit of the ancient world.

Identity of Rus'

Folk decorative items were influenced by Scythian culture. Art forms achieved great visual power and expressiveness. The Slavs used glass, rock crystal, carnelian, and amber. Jewelry making and metalworking, bone carving, ceramics, and decorative painting of temples developed.

A special place is occupied by pysankar-making, wood carving, embroidery and weaving. The Slavs reached great heights in these types of art, creating sophisticated, exquisite products.

National ornaments and patterns became the basis of decorative art.