In modern art, painting on wood with acrylic paints, gouache, oil and aniline dyes is widely used. In history, wood painting is an ancient folk craft. Wood has dominated everyday life for many centuries due to its availability and ease of processing. Before people learned to process metal, all furniture and kitchen utensils, chests, boxes, spinning wheels, not to mention doors, gates, and wooden shutters were made from wood. Along with carpentry and wood carving, special technologies for wood processing and ornamental painting of products developed.
Types of artistic painting
In the middle of the 20th century, types of painting on wood moved from a craft form of art to an artistic one and are also studied in schools of fine arts. Different types of techniques are characterized by their unique and recognizable patterns, which have historically developed in step with the times and the evolution of paints and materials.
Nowadays, it is enough to use special wood paints and purchase wooden products, varnishes and strengthening agents for crafts. Many modern masters not only bring novelty to their work, but also continue the tradition of painting wooden products.
The first lessons for beginning artists consist of learning the principles of drawing of each type. Gorodets wood painting is characterized by floral patterns in bright colors, mainly on a yellow background, but nowadays less attention is paid to the background in this type of painting, since the design looks good on a clean wooden texture.
Elements of the drawing are made in several simple steps, shading with primary colors, shading with darker thin strokes and lightening with white or yellow paint.
Idealized images of birds, animals, in particular black horses, and trees are also used. In ancient times, Gorodets painting also depicted the peasant and merchant life of those times. The pictures below show an example.
Khokhloma painting, which exists in mass production to this day, has become the hallmark of Russia. This is not just painting, but a whole technology for the production of wooden products, the processing of which uses drying oil, clay, aluminum powder and varnish. As a result of multi-stage actions, the products first acquire a silver color, are painted mainly with black and red paints, and sometimes the leaves are painted green. At the end of the work, they are varnished, and the silver color becomes gilded. This painting technology came from icon painters.
Elements of Khokhloma painting are mainly dense vegetation, large flowers, curls, leaves, rowan berries, strawberries, there are decorative birds, roosters and swans, but the main symbol of Khokhloma is the firebird.
Also, this type of painting is divided into two types of techniques - top and background. Horse painting involves applying a pattern to the background, and background painting involves applying contours and applying a black or red background.
The Mezen painting depicts black and red ornaments, more reminiscent of cave rock paintings.
Gzhel painting also cannot be confused with other art, with its blue lush flowers on a white background.
In the modern art of wood painting, master artists use various techniques to create decorative styles and souvenir sets of dishes. Personally painted plates, candy bowls, salad bowls, and cutting boards are presented as gifts.
Preparing the tree
Painting on wood with acrylic paints is a simple task for experienced artists, since the material is expensive, although suitable for working with wood.
To start painting on a wooden surface, you need to take the finished product, which is sold as blanks for decoration, clean it with the finest sandpaper and prime the surface with the appropriate paint, after which you can start painting.
Some drawings require sketching with a simple pencil for beginners, which is in principle permissible. Any stages of applying varnish or paint require complete drying before continuing. At the end of the work, the product is coated with transparent varnish to fix the paint.
Video on the topic of the article
I bring to your attention a small educational program on the types of Russian painting.
Khokhloma. One of the most famous and famous types of surface decoration. This is a type of decorative painting, which is characterized by a black background, on top of which designs in gold, red and green are applied. Most often they depict plants, flowers, fruits and berries. Less commonly depicted are animals, birds, and fish. Khokhloma is mainly used to decorate wooden dishes and furniture.
Gorodets painting. This type of painting is characterized by a yellow or gold background, on top of which bright designs are applied. Mostly scenes from the life of the merchants are displayed. In addition, animals and flowers can be depicted. Gorodets painting was most often used to decorate furniture, for example, chests, as well as spinning wheels.
Gzhel. Also very famous! This type of painting is used to decorate ceramic dishes. Gzhel is always a white background with blue floral patterns and floral patterns.
Fedoskino painting. This type of painting is used mainly to decorate caskets, caskets, and chest lids. It consists of a black background on which portraits of people are depicted. In this case, the drawings are made with reflective paints or in such a technique that the effect of internal glow and depth of the drawing is achieved.
Painting of the Northern Dvina. This type of painting is applied mainly to dishes and some pieces of furniture (chests, caskets, etc.). It is a painting of the Northern Dvina with a yellow background on which plants and fairy-tale characters are depicted in orange and red (less often green).
Prikamsk painting. In ancient times, such paintings were used to decorate the walls of houses, doors, and furniture. It is a Prikamsk painting with an orange background with plants and animals depicted on it in red.
Zhostovo painting. Tin trays are painted using this technique. The background is always black, and on top of it are depicted a variety of flowers of various sizes.
Mezen (palaschel) painting. This painting is done only on wood on ladles, boxes, and spinning wheels. Mezen painting is a set of red and black geometric patterns applied on top of unpainted wood.
Palekh. This type of painting always depicts scenes from Russian folk tales. The background is dark. Boxes, plates, nesting dolls, and brooches are painted with palekh.
And finally. I can’t help but admire the versatility of Russian folk art!
The history of which dates back to the 2nd century BC. e., when people learned to make iron, and from it various knives, scrapers, saws and other cutting tools.
However, it was not enough to simply carve a product out of wood; a person wanted the result of his work to look beautiful. This is how ancient wood paintings appeared, primitive and far from artistic, but the birth of art took place. In those distant times, paints already existed; all that remained was to apply them properly.
Artistic painting on wood
The folk crafts that exist today for making household items are based on a variety of techniques. Wooden products are presented in several categories: first of all, dishes and kitchen utensils. The second list includes items that represent fine art. These are painted panels, interior decorations, and various household items. And finally, the third category is vintage-style wooden furniture, painted in a special antique way. Artistic painting on wood as such is used in all three cases. The value of the products is undoubted, since professionals work on them.
Varieties
Wood paintings come in several types and differ in their belonging to a particular region, as well as in style. The drawing can be plot or ornamental.
Types of painting on wood:
- Mezenskaya;
- Polkhovskaya;
- Khokhloma;
- Gorodets;
- Palekh;
- Severodvinskaya;
- Petrikovskaya
The main types of wood painting are listed. Each variety contains “branded” features that give the product additional attractiveness.
Mezen painting
Mezen painting (or as it is also called - palaschelskaya) is the painting of household items: ladles, boxes, spinning wheels, benches and kitchen tables. These artistic traditions appeared in the lower reaches of the Mezen River around 1815.
Mezen painting consists mainly of ornamented images of forest inhabitants: deer and elk, wolverines, foxes and bear cubs. All images are impersonal and bear the stamp of staticity. Friezes composed of repeatedly repeating figures painted in bright colors give the impression of festivity and defiant luxury, since the colorful stripes of ornaments do not fit in with the squalid furnishings of a Russian home. A primitive spinning wheel, painted in the Mezen style and sparkling with colors in a dark corner, only emphasized the desolation of the upper room.
Palekh
Palekh painting is a folk art craft that appeared in pre-Petrine times. At that time, the village of Palekh in the Ivanovo province was famous for its icon painters. This art reached its greatest flowering at the end of the 18th century. The Paleshans, in addition to painting icons, were involved in the restoration of cathedrals and churches, and took part in the design of the chapels of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the Novodevichy Convent.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the trade of Palekh painting flourished; the revolutionary storms of 1905 and 1917 almost destroyed the fine folk art. Since after the 17th year all the churches were abolished by ignorant representatives of the communist authorities, there was nothing to paint, and Poleshan artists created an artel producing artistic products made of wood.
Soon the first work in the palekh style was created in a Moscow workshop. On a wooden box covered with black varnish, Ivan Tsarevich, who emerged from the royal chambers into freedom, meets the Firebird. The whole picture was painted in gold and cinnabar - it was impossible to take your eyes off the drawing.
Currently, Palekh wood painting is a deeply traditional art, with the only difference being that natural wood has been replaced with papier-mâché. Now products with Palekh painting are not only beautiful, but also light.
Khokhloma
An ancient folk craft that developed in the villages of the Nizhny Novgorod province in the 17th century. The center became the village of Khokhloma, where Old Believers, persecuted for their faith, gathered. Among the settlers there were many icon painters who brought with them exquisite painting skills, calligraphic writing and many examples of floral designs.
Local residents living in Khokhloma and nearby villages knew wood turning techniques, but did not know how to draw. So it turned out that the wooden dishes, turned on site, were painted by visiting artists. This is how the art of Khokhloma painting appeared, which turned into one of the most famous artistic crafts in Russia.
Wood carvers not only turned dishes and plates, they soon learned to carve spoons and ladles, the classic “brothers”. Usually the ladle was made in the shape of a swan, and a dozen scoops were hung on the sides. The material was linden wood, which by its nature has no fibers and is easily cut in all directions.
Khokhloma painting consists of four primary colors: black, gold, red and green. Black and gold are used as the background, and red and green, together with their shades, make up the actual design. The theme for a drawing in the Khokhloma style is most often rowan berries, strawberries, various flowers and herbal plants. Sometimes the artist uses images of birds, fish and small animals.
Carving and drawing
Russian folk crafts (such as gorodets or khokhloma) are wood products covered with a pattern. First, cabinetmakers make blanks from selected wood, the so-called “linen,” and then artists cover them with a design. Wood carving and painting are inseparable in this case - they complement each other. The most common type of painted blank is the Russian nesting doll. For its production, the turning method of carving is used, when the product is turned, polished and then painted. This souvenir is known all over the world and has been in high demand for many years.
Is it possible to learn wood painting?
Folk arts and crafts belong to the fine arts and require certain preparation, but anyone who has patience and perseverance can master the basic principles of coloring products. There are special techniques called “Wood Painting for Beginners,” which include familiarization with the process and practical work. Initially, the classes are general in nature, and after acquiring skills, you can move on to a specific artistic style, for example, Gorodets. In any case, painting on wood is a fascinating creative process for beginners.
Coloring methods
Natural wood is a material that requires careful pre-processing. The surface for painting must be smooth, without peeling or cracks. The workpiece is first sanded with emery cloth and then coated with a special primer, which fills all microscopic cracks and evens out small irregularities. Larger defects can be eliminated using putty. After pre-treatment, the workpiece must be thoroughly dried.
Wooden folk art products are distinguished by bright, intense colors. The designs usually contrast with the background, black or bright red. For painting products, tempera or artistic gouache paints are used, which have good hiding power. The most lasting results are obtained by acrylic painting on wood, especially if the design is covered with transparent nitro varnish on top. Products after this treatment become resistant to abrasion and do not change their color.
Wood painting (photos of finished products are presented on the page) is a type of fine art that has its roots in the distant past, but lives and flourishes in the present.
Since ancient times, dishes and other household items made from ceramics have been widely known in Rus'. One of the most famous settlements in Rus', whose residents were engaged in the manufacture of ceramic porcelain tableware, is Gzhel (now the city is located in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region). Since the 17th century, and even earlier, Gzhel has been a famous center for the production of porcelain and ceramics. The products of local craftsmen are distributed throughout Russia. It should be noted that in the old days this city was one of the centers of the Old Believers-Priests. The heyday of Gzhel occurred during the activities of the Partnership for the Production of Porcelain and Earthenware Products M.S. Kuznetsov" at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries.
The formation of the Gzhel color palette familiar to us dates back to the beginning of the 19th century. Researchers point out that since the 1820s, an increasing number of Gzhel products were painted white and painted exclusively with blue paint. Nowadays, blue painting is a characteristic feature of Gzhel products. The popularity of such dishes turned out to be so great that similar products began to be created in other areas, but they had a similar blue and white ornament. Many fakes also appeared.
Experts say that only original works that shaped the familiar Gzhel style in the 80s of the 20th century can be called authentic Gzhel products. These are works by such artists as Azarova, Denisov, Neplyuev, Fedorovskaya, Oleynikov, Tsaregorodtsev, Podgornaya, Garanin, Simonov and others. Each of these craftsmen puts a personal signature or stamp of the company where they work on the product. If the master is an employee of the enterprise, then his products are transferred to the production workshop for the purpose of replication.
Zhostovo painting
In the middle of the 18th century, a new type of fishing arose in the Urals, where the Demidov metallurgical plants were located. Local craftsmen began to paint metal trays. It is interesting that such workshops appeared in cities where a considerable part of the population were Old Believers, who still have prayer houses and churches there. These are Nizhny Tagil, Nevyansk and Vyysk, founded in 1722. This is how the so-called Tagil trays appeared. The Demidov industrialists, who oversaw this craft, were very concerned about the quality and artistic value of the products. In order to educate and train professional personnel, they founded a school in 1806. The historical style of Tagil trays was created thanks to this school and its most authoritative teacher - a graduate of the Imperial Academy of Arts V.I. Albychev.
Painted Tagil trays were sold throughout the country. They began to try to produce similar products in other places. The most successful such attempt was the organization of the production of painted trays in the village of Zhostovo, Moscow province. The trays made there became famous in the first half of the 19th century. Since then, this type of craft has received the name “Zhostovo painting”. To this day, the craft of tray painting has survived only in Nizhny Tagil and Zhostovo. Painting is done mainly on a black background (occasionally on red, blue, green).
The main motives for painting are: flower bouquets, both lush garden and small wildflowers; Ural landscapes or ancient cities. On some antique trays you can see people and fabulous birds. Painted trays are used either for their intended purpose (for a samovar, for serving lunch) or for decoration. According to their shape, trays are divided into round, octagonal, rectangular, and oval.
Palekh miniature
After the October Revolution and the beginning of persecution of religion, Palekh icon painters had to look for a new way to earn money. Thus, many retrained as masters of lacquer miniatures. This type of miniature is made using tempera on papier-mâché. As a rule, boxes, caskets, capsules, brooches, panels, ashtrays, needle cases and more are painted. The painting is done in gold on a black background. The original technology of the last century, which was used by the first Palekh craftsmen in the 1920-30s of the 20th century, has been partially preserved.
The characteristic subjects of Palekh miniatures are borrowed from everyday life, literary works of the classics, fairy tales, epics and songs. Many stories are dedicated to historical events, including revolution and civil war. There is a series of miniatures dedicated to space exploration. Since the beginning of the 21st century, among some masters working in the Palekh manner, there has been a tendency to return to iconographic subjects.
Fedoskino miniature is another type of traditional Russian lacquer miniature painting. Made with oil paints on papier-mâché. Unlike the Palekh miniatures, the techniques of which came from icon painting, the Fedoskino miniature was initially formed as a type of applied art, hence the more “down-to-earth” style of painting.
Fedoskino miniatures originated at the end of the 18th century in the village of Fedoskino, Moscow province. The main motifs of the miniature: “troikas”, “tea parties”, scenes from the life of peasants. The most highly prized were caskets and caskets that were decorated with complex multi-figure compositions - copies of paintings by Russian and Western European artists.
In the 19th century, Fedoskino miniatures served mostly decorative purposes. In the middle of the 20th century, the author's direction began to develop. The plots of the miniatures began to become more complex.
Khokhloma
Nizhny Novgorod decorative Khokhloma painting is known throughout Russia. The fishery originated in the 17th century in the village of Khokhloma. It is located on the territory of the former Semenovsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod province, famous in ancient times for large Old Believer monasteries, such as the Sharpansky and Olenevsky monasteries. It is no coincidence that in the famous novel by Andrei Melnikov (Pechersky) the Old Believers of Semenovsky district are engaged in the manufacture of wooden utensils. We did this in Khokhloma as well. Khokhloma masters nevertheless became known throughout Russia for their unusual, bright paintings. They painted wooden dishes and furniture. The colors mainly used were black, red, gold, and sometimes green.
To achieve the golden color characteristic of Khokhloma, local craftsmen apply silver tin powder to the surface of the product when painting. After this, they are varnished and processed three or four times in the oven, which achieves a unique honey-golden color, which gives the light wooden utensils a massive effect.
Thanks to this technology that creates an unusual color, Khokhloma has become popular all over the world. Plates and spoons made in this style began to be perceived in the 20th century as a symbol of Russian national tableware.
Gorodets painting appeared in the mid-19th century in the area of the ancient city of Gorodets, Nizhny Novgorod province. Through the efforts of the Old Believers, Gorodets became a center of wooden shipbuilding and grain trading with all-Russian fame. Old Believers merchants donated significant sums for the construction of churches, the maintenance of hospitals, orphanages, public education and the improvement of the city.
Gorodets painting is bright and laconic. The main themes of the painting are scenes from fairy tales, figures of horses, birds, flowers, peasant and merchant life. The painting is done with a free stroke with a white and black graphic stroke. Gorodets painting decorated spinning wheels, furniture, shutters, doors, chests, arches, sleighs, and children's toys.
That's what he says V.S. Voronov about Gorodets painting:
The Nizhny Novgorod style presents us with the purest version of genuine pictorial art, which has overcome the framework of graphic captivity and is based exclusively on the elements of painting.
Mezen painting
Mezen painting on wood (palaschel painting) is a special type of painting of household utensils, in particular spinning wheels, ladles, boxes, bratins, which developed towards the end of the 19th century in the lower reaches of the Mezen River. Since ancient times, these places, like the entire seaside region, were inhabited by Old Believers. And from December 1664 to February 1666, Archpriest Avvakum was in exile in Mezen itself. The oldest surviving spinning wheel with Mezen painting dates back to 1815.
Artistic motifs of Mezen painting can be found in handwritten books of the 18th century, which were made in Pomerania. The main colors of Mezen painting are black and red. The main motifs of geometric patterns are discs, rhombuses, crosses. The painted object was covered with drying oil, which protected the paint from being erased and gave the product a golden color.
At the end of the 19th century, Mezen painting was concentrated in the village of Palashchelye, where entire families of craftsmen worked: the Aksenovs, Novikovs, Fedotovs, Kuzmins, Shishovs. In the mid-1960s. Mezen painting was revived by the descendants of the old Palashchel masters: F.M. Fedotov in the village of Palashchelye and S.F. and I.S. Fatyanovs in the village of Selishche. The exhibition of Mezen spinning wheels in 2018 became the first event in the newly opened museum named after. Gilyarovsky, in Stoleshnikov Lane in Moscow.
Vologda lace is a Russian craft that originated in the Vologda region in the 16th century. The lace is woven using bobbins (wooden sticks). As a separate craft with its own characteristic features, Vologda lace was known already in the 17th-18th centuries. However, until the 19th century, lace making was a home craft, primarily practiced by private craftswomen. With the increasing popularity of Vologda lace, the production of products was put on stream. In the 19th century, lace factories appeared in the vicinity of Vologda.
All main images in interlocking Vologda lace are made with dense, continuous braid of the same width. For the production of Vologda lace, a cushion cushion, juniper or birch bobbins, pins, and splinters are used. A typical material for Vologda lace is linen.
The subjects of Vologda lace are very different - from floral ornaments to figured compositions. In Vologda lace you can find Christian and ancient folk symbols.
Yelets lace is no less famous. It is plaited using bobbins. This type of lace originated at the beginning of the 19th century in the city of Yelets.
The lace is distinguished by the soft contrast of a small pattern (floral and geometric) and a thin openwork background.
It is believed that Yelets lace is lighter and more elegant than Vologda lace.
Mtsensk lace is a type of Russian lace that is woven using bobbins.
Mtsensk lace appeared in the city of Mtsensk, Oryol region, in the 18th century. This became possible thanks to the local landowner Protasova, who gathered craftswomen from different parts of Russia and founded a manufactory - the largest lace production in Russia at that time.
A distinctive feature is the use of geometric motifs. Compared to Vologda lace, the pattern in it is less dense and rich, as experts write - more “airy”.
At the beginning of the 18th century, craftswomen engaged in making lace appeared in the Vyatka province. However, lace production acquired an industrial scale only in the second half of the 19th century. This craft is carried out by peasant craftswomen. In 1893, in the settlement of Kukarka, Yaransky district, Vyatka province, a zemstvo school of lacemakers was organized. The shapes of the products are varied and sometimes unusual: these are vests, braids of scarves, collars, napkins with patterns in the form of butterflies, lush flowers, and whimsical loops.
The most interesting products made from Vyatka lace were created in Soviet times. These achievements are associated with the name of the famous lace artist, laureate of the State Prize of Russia named after Repin Anfisa Fedorovna Blinova. Her works are in the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Russian Art Fund, and the Moscow Research Institute of the Art Industry.
During the economic crisis of the 90s of the 20th century, the lace factory located in the city of Sovetsk (former settlement of Kukarka) was closed. Only quite recently, in 2012, the Kukarskoe Lace production cooperative-artel was created in the city, little by little reviving the traditions of the ancient craft.
Orenburg downy scarf is a knitted scarf made from the unique down of Orenburg goats, applied to a special base (cotton, silk or other material).
This fishery originated in the Orenburg province in the 18th century. The products are very thin, like cobwebs, but they usually have a complex pattern and are used as decoration. The thinness of a product is often determined by two parameters: whether the product fits through a ring and whether it fits in a goose egg.
In the mid-19th century, down scarves were presented at exhibitions in European countries, where they received international recognition. Repeated attempts have been made, including abroad, to open production of such fluff for the needs of light industry. However, they were not successful. It turned out that to obtain such fine and warm fluff from goats, rather harsh climatic conditions and a certain diet are necessary, the combination of which is possible only in the territory of the Orenburg region.
In the middle of the 19th century, in the city of Pavlovsky Posad, woolen scarves with a so-called printed pattern, which was applied to the fabric using forms with a relief pattern, began to be produced. Pavloposad shawls are traditionally black or red products with a voluminous floral pattern.
In the 70s In the 19th century, the palette of scarves familiar to us was formed, and the range of scarves with naturalistic floral motifs expanded. Craftswomen prefer images of garden flowers, primarily roses and dahlias.
Until the 1970s, the design was applied to the fabric using wooden carved forms: the outline of the design - with boards - “manners”, the design itself - with “flowers”. The creation of the scarf required up to 400 overlays. Since the 1970s, dye has been applied to fabric using silk and nylon mesh templates. This allows you to increase the number of colors, the elegance of the design and improves the quality of production.
Krestetsky stitching (or Krestetsky embroidery) is a folk craft that has developed since the 1860s in the Krestetsky district of the Novgorod province, inhabited since ancient times by Old Believers.
Krestetskaya stitch is the most labor-intensive and complex stitch embroidery technique.
Embroidery was done on linen fabric, and the threads, warps and weft were cut and pulled out of the fabric, forming gaps like a mesh. This fabric was used to create a variety of patterns and embroideries. Krestetsk embroidery was used to decorate items of clothing, curtains, and towels.
Kasli casting - artistic products (sculpture, lattices, architectural elements, etc.) made of cast iron and bronze, produced at an iron foundry in the city of Kasli.
This plant was founded in 1749 by the Old Believer merchant Yakov Korobkov, who arrived here with his family from Tula. He was guided by the decree of Peter I, which read:
It deigns to each and every one, the freedom is given, no matter what rank and dignity, in all places, both on one’s own and on foreign lands, to search for, melt, cook, clean all kinds of metals and minerals.
Sculpture “Russia” N.A. Laveretsky, Kasli casting, 1896 The majority of the plant’s workers were also Old Believers who arrived from different places in the Ural land, where persecution of the old faith was not so noticeable.
The traditions of Kasli casting - graphic clarity of the silhouette, a combination of carefully finished details and generalized planes with an energetic play of highlights - developed in the 19th century. During this period, the plant's owners recruited new talented sculptors, artists, chasers and moulders. Kasli casting products received the Grand Prix award at the prestigious Paris World Exhibition of Applied Arts in 1900.
Shemogodskaya slotted birch bark, which originates in the Vologda region, has become especially popular. Birch bark, despite its apparent fragility, is a fairly strong and durable material. Vologda craftsmen make a variety of baskets, dishes, accessories, jewelry and even shoes and clothes.
The peculiarity of these products is that natural plant patterns, leaves and berries, flowers and stems, animals and people are intertwined with the traditional pattern. Traditional patterns of Shemogodskaya slotted birch bark are engraved on birch bark sheets with a blunt awl and cut with a sharp knife, removing the background. Sometimes colored paper or another layer of birch bark is placed under the openwork; the carving is complemented by embossing. In the 19th century, these products were nicknamed “ birch bark lace».
In Soviet times, products made from Shemogodskaya slotted birch bark were considered a symbol of the Russian forest and were in demand among foreigners. At the same time, a birch bark carving workshop was organized at the Shemogodsky furniture plant (Vologda region). And these days, not a single Russian fair is complete without birch bark dishes.
This Russian craft originated among professional Nizhny Novgorod woodcarvers. Craftsmen use tubular bone from cattle as the main raw material - “ shank" and a horn. Also, rarer and more valuable types of mammoth and walrus bones are used to make expensive types of products.
Varnavin bone carving is used mainly in the manufacture of women's jewelry (hairpins, combs, hairpins, combs, brooches, pendants, beads, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings, rings, rings), caskets, caskets, fountain pens, decorative dishes and other souvenirs.
The peculiarity of such products is their absolute uniqueness and individuality. Each item is made by hand, without any patterns or stamps.
Abramtsevo-Kudrinskaya carving is an artistic craft of wood carving that was formed at the end of the 19th century in the vicinity of the Abramtsevo estate near Moscow.
This technique was used to make ladles, dishes, vases and boxes, as well as any home decor and household items. The peculiarity of these products is the predominance of various curls, rosettes, twigs, tinting and polishing of the wood.
The heyday of this fishery occurred in the Soviet period - 20-40s. Workers from the Kudrin artel “Vozrozhdenie” even received orders from the Tretyakov Gallery. Historical and modern products made in the style of Abramtsevo-Kudrin carving were presented at the international exhibition in Paris in 1937. After the collapse of the USSR, the Kudrin carving factory was closed. Today the fishery is preserved thanks to the work of private craftsmen.
The history of Gusev crystal began in 1756, when the Oryol merchant Akim Maltsov founded the first glass factory on the banks of the Gus River in the dense forests of Meshchera.
The first mentions of the Gussky volost date back to the 17th century. When a ban was imposed on the construction of glass factories in the Moscow region due to excessive deforestation, the first crystal factory was built in the village of Gus on the river of the same name, the craftsmen for which were specially brought from Mozhaisk. Thus began the history of not just production, but an entire folk craft that continues to flourish to this day.
Now the plant is primarily famous for its art glass. Gusev's artists, taking into account the characteristics of the material, give it highly artistic expressiveness, skillfully using color, shape, and decoration.
Filigree
Filigree (or filigree) is a jewelry craft that uses an openwork or soldered pattern of thin gold, silver, etc. on a metal background. wire. Elements of a filigree pattern can be very diverse: rope, lace, weaving, herringbone, track, satin stitch. The individual filigree elements are joined into a single whole by soldering. Filigree is often combined with grains - small metal balls that are soldered into pre-prepared cells (recesses). The grain creates a spectacular texture and play of light and shade, thanks to which the products acquire a particularly elegant, sophisticated look. The materials for filigree products are alloys of gold, silver and platinum, as well as copper, brass, cupronickel, and nickel silver. Jewelry made using the filigree technique is oxidized and silvered. Filigree is often combined with enamel (including enamel), engraving, and embossing.
Filigree items were produced in royal or monastic workshops. In the 18th century, large filigree items were made; along with stones, crystal and mother-of-pearl were widely used. At the same time, small silver items became widespread: vases, salt shakers, and boxes. Since the 19th century, filigree products have already been produced by factories in large quantities. This includes expensive dishes, church utensils and much more.
The centers of scanner work today are:
- The village of Kazakovo, Vachsky district, Nizhny Novgorod region, where the artistic products enterprise is located, which produces unique jewelry products using the ancient technique of artistic metal processing - filigree.
- The village of Krasnoe-on-Volga, Kostroma Region, is home to the Krasnoselskoye School of Artistic Metalworking, the main task of which is to preserve the traditional Krasnoselskoye jewelry craft - filigree, enamel, embossing and more.
- The city of Pavlovo, Nizhny Novgorod region, where the technical school of Russian folk arts and crafts is located.
Enamel
Enamel is the production of works of art using glassy powder and enamel on a metal backing. The glass coating is durable and does not fade over time; enamel products are particularly bright and pure in color. The enamel acquires the desired color after firing with the help of additives that use metal salts. For example, adding gold gives glass a ruby color, cobalt gives it a blue color, and copper gives it a green color.
Vologda (Usolskaya) enamel - traditional painting on white enamel. The fishery originated in the 17th century in Solvychegodsk. Later they began to engage in similar enamel in Vologda. Initially, the main motif was plant compositions painted on a copper base: floral patterns, birds, animals, including mythological ones. However, at the beginning of the 18th century, single-color enamel (white, blue and green) became popular. Only in the 1970s of the 20th century did the revival of “Usolskaya” multicolor enamel by Vologda artists begin. Production continues today.
There is also Rostov enamel - a Russian folk art craft that has existed since the 18th century in the city of Rostov the Great, Yaroslavl region. Miniature images are made on enamel with transparent fireproof paints, which were invented in 1632 by the French jeweler Jean Toutin.
Malachite products
Malachite is a green mineral with rich hues that can be easily processed. The stone can be from light green to black-green, and the first craft dates back more than 10 thousand years. Dense varieties of malachite with good color and beautiful patterns are highly valued; since the end of the 18th century they have been used for cladding flat surfaces. Since the beginning of the 19th century, malachite has been used to create three-dimensional works - vases, bowls, dishes.
Malachite became widely known outside Russia thanks to orders from the World Exhibition in London in 1851, prepared by. Thanks to the Demidovs, since the 1830s, malachite began to be used as a material for architectural decoration: the first malachite hall was created by order of P.N. Demidov by architect O. Montferrand in a mansion in St. Petersburg on the street. B. Morskaya, 43. Luxurious interior works with malachite were performed in St. Isaac's Cathedral. Malachite is also used to make jewelry. The technique of cladding with malachite is called “ Russian mosaic" It is based on the principle that was used by European craftsmen to reduce the cost of lapis lazuli products back in the 17th century: thinly sawed stone plates cover the surface of an object made of metal or cheap stone. This creates the illusion of a monolith carving.
The tales of the Russian writer Pavel Petrovich Bazhov, who began his career as a teacher in a school in the remote Ural village of Shaidurikha, inhabited by Old Believers, are dedicated to the malachite trade. From them the writer adopted many interesting stories and legends related to life in the Urals and the folklore customs of the local population.
Khokhloma -
Painting on wood, in which rowan and strawberries, flowers and branches, and sometimes birds, fish and animals are applied in bright colors against a black lacquer background. The name of the style comes from the Nizhny Novgorod district of the same name. The main items on which Khokhloma is applied: dishes, furniture, figurines, matryoshka dolls.
Gorodets painting -
Wood painting, in which genre scenes from the life of the Russian merchants, as well as animals and flowers are depicted in rich colors on a golden background. The name of the style comes from the city of Gorodets in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The main objects on which Gorodets painting is applied are: chests, spinning wheels, children's furniture.
Painting on ceramics, in which floral patterns of different shades of blue with curls are painted on a white background. The name of the style comes from the “Gzhel Bush” region; it is formed by 27 villages in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region. The main objects on which Gzhel is applied are: dishes, vases, figurines, teapots, cutting boards, nesting dolls.
Fedoskino painting -
Wood painting, in which portraits of people are depicted on a black lacquer background. In this case, a reflective material is applied to the base - metal powder, gold leaf, gold leaf, mother-of-pearl, which gives the work the effect of glow and depth. The name of the style comes from the village of Fedoskino near Moscow. The main items on which Fedoskino painting is applied are: caskets, caskets, boxes, album covers, eyeglass cases, wallets, Easter eggs.
Painting of the Northern Dvina -
Wood painting, in which fairy-tale characters and plants are painted in red and orange colors on a yellow background. The name of the style comes from the Northern Dvina River, which flows in the Komi Republic, Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions. The main items on which painting is applied are: dishes, chests, caskets, headrests.
Prikamsk painting -
Wood painting, in which images of plants and animals are drawn with red paints on an orange background. The name of the style comes from the territory adjacent to the Kama River in the Perm region. The main objects on which painting is applied are furniture, doors and walls of the house.
Zhostovo painting -
Painting of metal trays, in which simple compositions of large and small flowers are depicted on a black background. The name of the style comes from the village of Zhostovo, Moscow region. The main items on which painting is applied: various trays.
Mezen (Palaschel) painting -
Painting on wood, in which the unpainted background is covered with an archaic fractional pattern - stars, crosses, dashes. They are painted in two colors: black - “soot” and red - “earth paint”. Traditional elements of Mezen painting are solar disks, rhombuses, crosses. The name of the style comes from the Mezen River, which flows in the Arkhangelsk region and the Komi Republic. The main items on which painting is applied are: spinning wheels, ladles, storage boxes, bratins*.
Wood painting in which themes from Russian folk tales or historical events are depicted against a dark background. The name of the style comes from the village of Palekh in the Ivanovo region. The main objects on which painting is applied are: boxes, salt shakers, plates, nesting dolls, panels, brooches.
*Bratina is a type of ladle from which in pre-Petrine times they drank wine during feasts.
