Palekh painting: history of origin, distinctive features and technology for making objects using the technique of lacquer miniatures. Encyclopedia of technologies and techniques What is Palekh painting

P aleh has been famous for its icon painters since pre-Petrine times. Palekh icon painting reached its greatest flourishing in the 18th century. early XIX century. The local style developed under the influence of the Moscow, Novgorod, Stroganov and Yaroslavl schools.

Palekh miniature, which arose as a result of social and cultural changes that occurred in Russia after 1917, managed to preserve the centuries-old traditions of icon painting and transfer them to new forms. From icon painting, the Palesians took the materials and method of painting with tempera emulsion paints, compositional techniques, the style of stylization of human figures, architecture and landscape, the skills of linear drawing with paints, created gold, but at the same time they embodied them in new forms and with new subjects of secular content on the themes of modern rural life, history, epics, fairy tales, classical Russian literature.

In 1918, former icon painters created the Palekh artistic decorative artel, which was engaged in painting on wood. The founder of the Palekh style is considered to be I. I. Golikov, who in 1922, having become acquainted with the products of Fedoskino masters, created the first work in the so-called Palekh style.

The Palesians began to master a new material - papier-mâché, which was the basis for lacquer miniatures Fedoskina. Palekh masters transferred to papier-mâché the traditional technology of tempera painting for ancient Russian icons and the conventional stylistics of the image. An expensive semi-finished product - papier-mâché blanks - was initially purchased from the Fedoskino artel, but soon they established their own production.

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. At the end of 1924, Palekh artists united in the Artel ancient painting, and already in 1925 Palekh miniatures were exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris, where they created a real sensation and were used great success. 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.

Already from the first years of the existence of the Artel of Ancient Painting, the question of training specialists arose. In 1928, a vocational school of ancient painting opened in Palekh. In 1935 it was transformed into the Art College, which later became known as Palekh art school named after A.M. Gorky.

The assortment and shapes of objects painted by Palekh masters was quite large: brooches, bead holders, chests, boxes, cigarette cases and snuff boxes, eyeglass cases and powder compacts and much more. The Palekh miniature of the pre-war period has a pronounced ornamental beginning, while it lacks vivid images and developing story line. The most successful and popular compositions of that period were battles, shepherdesses, hunting and folk festivals.

First post-war decades Many masters of Palekh miniatures in their works depicted various battle scenes from both the end of World War II and other great battles that glorified the Russian army.

In the 1950s, lacquer miniatures in Palekh experienced a clear crisis, which was caused by the tendency of many artists towards excessive realism, pretentiousness and monumentality, which displaced from the products the romance and sublime sophistication characteristic of the works of previous years. In the 1960s, poetry and allegory returned to the works of Palekh artists. During this period, Paleshan artists, in search of themes for their works, turned to folklore sources and works of classical literature, as well as to modern songs. At the same time socially significant events, such as, for example, human flight into space, are also reflected in the products of craftsmen.

Having survived the difficult 1990s, the Palesians did not abandon their traditional craft. The Palekh Art School annually graduates young masters who carefully preserve the traditions and features that make Palekh miniature so interesting. Today there are several artels and family businesses that produce traditional lacquer products in Palekh.

Palekh painting, like any other folk art formed in a particular area, has its own distinctive features and traditions. The Palekh style differs from other folk schools of lacquer painting in the following features: writing with egg tempera paints; use of dark backgrounds; gold painting; variety of color transitions; general soft tone of the letter; patterned ward writing; a variety of rainbow lights; miniature (small) multi-stamp letter; variety of composition elements and their picturesqueness; miniature painting; patternedness and ornamental richness of the design; careful detailing of each element; elongation and fragility of human figures; the subtlety of drawing people's body parts.

Palekh is characterized by multilayer tempera painting based on a pattern outlined in white. First, color spots are applied, then miniatures and details are painted, then gold and the so-called space are introduced, when paint is applied to the light parts in several stages, increasing the amount of white in the main tone. Paleshians, as a rule, resort to a complex painting technique - glazing or "floating" painting, which consists of multi-layered writing with transparent strokes, when the lower layers of the painting are visible through the upper ones.

Work on a product begins with the creation of a blank. Cardboard plates are greased with flour paste made from wheat or peklevanny (a mixture of rye and wheat) flour and glued one on top of the other on a table or horizontal board. The number of layers depends on the required thickness of the product and ranges from 3 to 30. The sides of caskets, boxes, cases and other items are made by wrapping strips of cardboard onto round or rectangular blanks (up to 12 layers).

Then the blanks are crimped using a press. The compressed semi-finished products are dried in a dry, dark room for 3–15 days. After drying, the workpiece is soaked in heated linseed oil, in a vat with which it remains for about a day. After this, the blanks are dried for two to three days in a sealed cabinet at a temperature of +100 degrees.

A semi-finished product made in this way becomes as strong as the strongest types of wood, and lends itself well to carpentry and turning: it can be sawed and planed, it can be turned into various shapes on a lathe, and hinges and locks can be inserted into it.

Each blank is made for four products at once. Then they are sawed. Then the workpieces are carefully selected and handed over to carpenters, who process the workpiece with a file, and round products are finished on a lathe. The bottom of the products is made separately, glued into place and adjusted with a plane. Then the workpiece is ground on a sanding wheel and finished with an emery brush.

After carpentry, the products go to the painting preparation workshop, where they are smoothed with sandpaper and primed. The soil consists of river silty clay mixed with soot and ground with boiled oil (linseed oil) on a stone slab with a smooth stone chime. The primer is applied three times with a bristle brush and leveled with a flat board or spatula. After applying each layer of primer, the products are thoroughly dried in the oven, cleaned with sanding blocks and water and dried again. Then all the outer sides are painted with soot dissolved in oil varnish, and the inner parts are painted with cinnabar mixed with carmine dissolved in the same varnish. After this, the black surfaces are coated three to four times with black varnish. At the end of the preparation, the product is coated with light varnish: black surfaces once, and red internal ones - three times. After each operation with varnish, the products are dried well in the oven, and the last time for at least 12 hours. This long process of processing products for painting creates a durable and even tone on all its planes. In this form they go to the artist, who decorates them with his painting.

When the semi-finished products are ready, they are handed over to the artists. Paints in Palekh are diluted traditionally - using egg emulsion. In the old days, and later in lacquer miniatures, artists prepared paints themselves. They were made with egg yolk diluted with table vinegar or bread kvass(less often - beer or rainwater), and they were called “egg” or “yolk”. To do this, carefully separate the yolk from the white, since even an insignificant amount of it will interfere with the artist’s work (the white will hang on the brush and will not allow thin lines to be drawn). Egg They carefully broke it from the blunt end, leveled the hole, and released the protein through it. Then they rolled the yolk into the palm of their hand, washed the shell well and, having broken the film on the yolk, poured it back into the now clean shell, into which more vinegar was poured. Mix everything together well with a round spatula. The liquid prepared in this way is a solvent for dry paints. The egg yolk serves as a binder in it, and the vinegar turns the paint powder into a liquid mass and eats up the excess fat content of the yolk.

The painting of the product is carried out in several stages. First, the drawing is transferred onto it. To do this, the reverse side of the drawing is rubbed with dry chalk powder or whitewash with a finger; then the drawing is superimposed on the surface of the object and carefully translated with a finely sharpened pencil. To prevent the design from shifting or warping during translation, its upper corners can be temporarily glued to the surface of the object with some light glue. When the drawing is removed, a clear imprint remains on the surface of the object. The remaining white powder is brushed off with a quill pen so that the contours of the design remain clean.

The next stage is bleaching preparation, which is done so that the color of the paints on the varnish stays stronger. The artist, working on the composition, thinks about where and what tones to put, and according to this, the whitening preparation is done. The lightest places are prepared with thick white, tones of medium brightness - less thick, and darker ones - with liquid white; very dark places are left without bleaching preparation. It is melted cleanly and softly, without roughness, in strict accordance with the drawing. With properly performed bleaching preparation, the work looks like it is almost finished, done according to the principle of a light silhouette. Serious preparation with white helps to speed up the artist’s work in its further stages.

Next, the artist begins painting with paints - applying colored spots. For coating, as well as for preparing with white, use a medium-sharp brush. From the prepared paints, tones of different densities are compiled on a palette. One of the techniques of revealing is when all the elements of painting are revealed in a fluid manner, each with its own main tone. This technique reveals human clothing, animal figures and some other elements of painting. With such an opening, the evenness and transparency of the melt is maintained, while the revealed elements do not look like they were painted with pure paint, and each melt plays with a lively tone. When fluffed, it creates the impression of volume of the element. Since paints tend to settle (their light parts settle down, and the dark ones rise to the top of the melt), the larger the paint layer, the more dark particles of paint appear on the surface, and if the artist covers it unevenly with the melt, then the coating appears in dark spots. A well-versed artist knows how to use this property of paints. The opening of the heads and naked parts of the human body - sankir - is compiled according to the type chosen by the artist: it can be light yellow, for a tanned face - brownish, for a pale one - yellow-greenish, etc. The opening and sankir are made at the same time.

The next stage is painting - drawing in a dark tone all the contours and details: the contours of tree trunks and branches, general forms leaves, mountain ledges, wave patterns, contours and folds of human clothing, contours of animals, buildings and their details, as well as all other elements of the composition. For painting, a dark tone is made, in most cases from burnt umber, which is diluted with egg thinner, and then the painting is done with a sharp squirrel brush. The artist does the painting not with the same lines, but with soft, smooth, dark, living lines of different thicknesses and different strengths, thereby revealing the volumes of the images. It is important that the lines of the painting do not look separate from the roofing, but merge with it in the overall tone.

After painting, the shadow and light parts of all elements of the composition are fused with a medium-sharp brush in order to further emphasize the volume. The shadow parts are melted in tones somewhat darker than the cover, and on the light parts in tones somewhat lighter than it, so that the tone of each element looks more sonorous and more picturesque. The result is a play of several different tones, and the overall tone becomes more sonorous.

The subsequent final finishing of clothes, human figures and all landscape objects with paints aims to further enhance the conventional volume of all elements and give them completeness. On some clothes and human figures, gaps are made - most of them in gold, a smaller part in paint. The space with paints is applied on clothes, the most high places the human body (on the shoulders, chest, stomach, knees) or the body of an animal, which emphasizes their shape. The space is often done in three tones, consonant with the covering, painting and shadow fusion. The space has a main spot called the snare, from which there are strokes that emphasize the shape of the body parts. The first tone of the space is wider and slightly lighter than the flare, the second is somewhat lighter and narrower than the first, and the third tone, lighter, is made in one line, which emphasizes the second tone and is called the revitalization of the space. For better sound The spaces are placed in warm tones, with cold tones, and in warm tones in cold ones. All finishing with paints is done softly, does not break out of the tones of the overlay and fusion, organically connects with all the surrounding tones and gives completeness to the entire painting.

Next comes the smelting (registration with liquid paints) of the head. The melting is done in several stages with a medium-sharp brush. During the first melt (ohrenia), convex places on the face, neck, ears, arms, legs are melted in a flesh tone in such a way that it shines through the subsequent melts. After drying, the second melt follows - applying blush, composed of cinnabar, on the cheeks, brow ridges, end of the nose, lips, earlobes, on the bends of the fingers and toes, on the elbows, palms and knees. The third melt is when burnt umber melts the pupils of the eyes, eyebrows, mustaches, and dark hair. The fourth melt - the lining - is made up of ocher and cinnabar and is designed to combine all the previous melts with sankir, so that the light parts of the face and figure are shrouded in a light halftone. The tone of the fifth fusion - the fusion - is compiled according to the tone of the depicted face chosen by the artist. It should be applied so that the previous melts can be seen through it. Finally, the sixth and last step is the overlay of highlights. Next comes the final finishing of the heads and naked parts of the body with the restoration of the drawing - inventory. To do this, take a sharp brush, create a dark brown tone (from burnt umber) and use it to draw all the facial features with thin, lively lines. With these lines the artist reveals a certain image of a person, his psychological condition and character. At the same time, the hair on the head, beard, and mustache is combed in a tone slightly lighter than the applied highlights. The pupils of the eyes and eyelashes are marked with soot.

All that remains is to paint the entire work in gold and silver, but first it is necessary to secure all the work done with varnish. You cannot paint with gold on a loose painting: the paints absorb the gold. An object painted with paints is coated with copal varnish twice. Dry thoroughly after each coating. Before painting with gold, the varnish surface is rubbed with pumice until matte, since gold does not stick to the varnish. Pumice powder is brushed off the wiped surface with a goose feather.

Gold leaf is carefully crushed and rubbed with fingers. Gum arabic (transparent acacia resin) is used as a binder. Gold painting is also done with the finest brush. Sometimes silver or aluminum powder is used. Gaps with gold and aluminum are applied on clothes in those places where gaps in color are not applied: in dark tones - in gold, in light tones - in silver. They also make all the ornamental decorations. Gold and silver painting on miniatures is used in three types: “in bristles”, inoculation and ornamental painting.

In order for the gold applied to the product to acquire shine, it must be polished. A wolf tooth was used for this because it has a particularly smooth surface.

After the artist has signed the piece, it is varnished and dried, and then polished on a mechanical wheel covered in plush or velvet. 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.

Palekh painting, sparkling with semi-preciousness, seems to splash on the black surface of boxes, boxes, caskets, forming a colorful pattern covered with the finest golden touches and ornaments on clothes, trees, buildings. In the compositions, reality is intricately combined with fantasy. People, houses, trees, observed in real life, but depicted with special plastic acuity, coexist with fantastic “slides”, “chambers”, “trees”. Subject compositions on the top and side surfaces of objects they are decorated with thin gold ornaments of the most varied, never repeating patterns.

Story

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, churches of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and the Novodevichy Convent.

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. Its founders were I.I. Golikov, I.M. Bakanov, A.V. Kotukhin, V.V. Kotukhin, I.V. Markichev, I.I. Zubkov, A.I. Zubkov. 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. Spontaneity, sincerity and poetry gave charm and warmth to the first works of the Paleshans.

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. 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.

THEM. Bakanov was considered in Palekh the best expert on icon painting traditions. He was impeccable original technology overlaying layers of paint. Thanks to the transmission of the lower layers of paint through the thin, transparent upper layers, the effect of an internal glow of the painting is created, the effect of the flow of one tone into another. Bakanov created many wonderful works that have become classics Palekh art. He turned to song themes (“Stepan Razin”, “On the Pavement Street”) and sang the image of his native Palekh. His best works were written on the themes of Pushkin’s works - “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel”, “From the Threshold of My Hut”, “The Bakhchisarai Fountain”.

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. Artistic thinking I.I. Zubkov's work 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”.

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". 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 others dramatic compositions Vakurova great importance has a black background. The artist leaves large planes backgrounds are not recorded, linking them with intense-sounding color spots.

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. The miniature “You, Vanya, have gone crazy” was written on the theme of an old Russian song. In the center of the composition crying girl escorting 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.

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 using various subjects from papier-mâché: 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 forms visual arts: monumental painting, book graphics, theatrical scenery.

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 teams: cooperative “Association of Artists of Palekh”, JSC “Partnership Palekh”, LLC “Artists of Palekh”, icon painting and iconostasis workshops.

Cigarette case "Battle", 1930
Golikov Ivan Ivanovich 1886 - 1937
Wood, tempera, gold, silver, varnish. 16.2 x 24.7 x 3.2

Box "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel", 1934

Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 19.7 x 26.9 x 4.5

Plate “And throws her overboard...”, 1929
Bakanov Ivan Mikhailovich 1870 - 1936
Porcelain, ceramic paints. 22.7 x 35

Box "Crane and Heron" Box, 1941
Bazhenov Pavel Dmitrievich 1904 - 1941
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 9 x 17 x 4.5

Plate "Flourish, collective farm land", 1955
Kovalev Alexey Viktorovich 1915 - 2000
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. D - 32. h - 2.5

Cover of the casket "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", 1956.
Kotukhina Anna Aleksandrovna born 1915
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 11.5 x 19

Plate "Palekh"
Chikurin Alexander Vasilievich 1875 - 1965
Papier mache. tempera, gold.

Box "Chichikov at Korobochka", 1936
Salabanov Vasily Mikhailovich 1902 - 1941
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 19.6 x 26.7 x 4.4

Box "Chapaev", 1955
Zaitsev Alexander Vasilievich 1918 - 2001
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, aluminum, varnish. 6.2 x 8 x 4

Casket "The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf", 1984
Buldakov Valery Vasilievich born 1951

Casket "Wedding", Casket 1994
Lopatina Nina Pavlovna born 1948
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 9.5 x 14.5 x 9.5

Plate "Song", 1979
Khodov Valentin Mikhailovich 1942 - 1988
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. D - 26, h - 2.5

Box "Faust", 1957
Golikov N.I.
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish.

Plate "Rider on a White Horse", 1984
Ermolaev Boris Mikhailovich 1934 - 2001
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. D - 23.5, h - 2.5

Box "Russian linen", 1974
Kukulieva Kaleria Vasilievna born in 1937
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 19.7 x 26 x 8

Box "Nastya" 1993 - 1994
Shanitsyna Ekaterina Fedorovna born in 1947
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 9.5 x 12 x 3

Box "Merchant Kalashnikov", 1972
Morokin Vyacheslav Fedorovich born in 1945

Box "Winter" 1993
Ivanova A.N.

Box "Chelubey's fight with Peresvet", 1945
Chalunin Pavel Fedorovich 1918 - 1980
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 18 x 23 x 7

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

Cigarette case "Guidon", 1999
Lyubimov Gleb Vasilievich born 1945
Papier-mâché, tempera, gold, varnish. 12.5 x 10 x 2.5

One of the most beautiful views folk arts and crafts is a Russian lacquer miniature, modern centers which are located in Palekh, Fedoskino, Mstera and Kholuy.

The oldest center of this art is the village of Palekh, Ivanovo region, artists from which for centuries not only painted icons, but also painted walls in Orthodox churches and restored ancient churches and cathedrals. Palekh miniature, which arose as a result of social and cultural changes that occurred in Russia after October revolution 1917, managed to preserve the centuries-old traditions of icon painting and transfer them to new forms and fill them with other content that was in demand by society.

History of Russian varnishes

In Russia, lacquer painting has existed for more than two centuries. Its beginning is considered to be the end of the 18th century, when the Moscow merchant Korobov founded a factory for the production of lacquered visors intended for Russian army hats. Lacquer miniatures appeared somewhat later, when the custom of snuffing tobacco became fashionable at the Russian imperial court. Korobov managed to quickly organize the production of miniature lacquer boxes- snuffbox. Over time, such things began to be used to decorate rooms. Accordingly, the requirements for them decoration became taller. Subsequently, the works of Russian masters began to differ noticeably from Western samples both in the technique of execution and in the subjects that had a pronounced meaning. Thus, in Russian lacquer miniatures, heroes and scenes from folk epics and legends of classical and ancient Russian literature, showing Russian traditions and life, reproducing the beauty of the surrounding nature.

Centers of Russian lacquer miniatures

IN modern Russia there are four centers where preserved ancient traditions Russian art of miniature lacquer painting: Fedoskino, Palekh, Kholui and Mstera. Before the revolution of 1917, all villages, except Fedoskino, were known in Russia as large centers of icon painting, in which not only icons were created, but also restoration and wall painting masters were trained. Each of these centers created icons in a single Orthodox traditions, but at the same time had its own characteristic differences. The masters from Kholui, as far as possible in icon painting, were close to Russian traditional realism, the residents of Mstera followed the traditions of the Old Believer communities of different Russian regions, and the Palekh artists created the most canonical Orthodox icons.

How icon painting began in Palekh

In the 16th century, the Palekh residents, under the influence of the earlier icon painting centers in Shuya and Kholui, began to try their hand at painting icons. There were few attempts, and they couldn’t be called particularly successful.

In the middle of the 17th century, the fame of Palekh icon painters reached Moscow, and masters began to be invited to perform works at the royal court. If in the 17th century icons were painted in almost every large village, then in the 18th century there were three main centers of icon painting: Kholui, Mstera and Palekh. The Paleshans, unlike the residents of the more industrialized Mstera and Kholuy, until the beginning of the 19th century, combined traditional agriculture with painting icons in their free time from working in the fields. Carefully drawn and traditional icons were created slowly and were expensive.

The beginning of the 19th century is considered the heyday of Palekh icon painting. Icons created in Palekh were sold not only in the capital and major Russian cities, but also abroad.

TO mid-19th century, the first workshops were organized in Palekh, owned by Safonov, Korin, Nanykin and Udalov. By the beginning of the 20th century, the production of icons became mass-produced, cheaper and of lower quality. The appearance of cheap printed images led to the decline of icon painting and the liquidation of a number of well-known workshops. At the beginning of the twentieth century, in Kholuy, Palekh and Mstera, to preserve traditions, the Committee for the Trusteeship of Russian Icon Painting created educational workshops that existed until 1917.

After the October Revolution, until 1923, most craftsmen in Palekh were left without work. Some went to the city in search of work, some tried to make toys, dishes or weave bast shoes. Before 1923, several attempts were made to employ former icon painters in painting caskets, children's toys, etc. However, things did not work out, since the need to produce large volumes at low prices, and the very nature of the products led to the production of low-quality products.

The date when the Palekh lacquer miniature was created, in the form in which we know it, should be considered the end of 1922, the beginning of 1923. Exactly then theater artist Ivan Ivanovich Golikov created the composition “Adam in Paradise” on black papier-mâché blanks. This work interested the management of the Handicraft Museum (today the Museum of Folk Art), which began to supply the artist with materials and pay for his work. Subsequently, I.V. Markichev, A.V. Kotukhin and I.P. Vakurov joined the process. The works created by these masters were presented in 1923 at the All-Russian Art and Industrial Exhibition in Moscow and were awarded a 1st degree diploma. In 1924, the artists' works were presented at an exhibition in Venice, and in 1925 - in Paris, where they created a real sensation and enjoyed great success. All this led to the fact that on December 5, 1924 in Palekh V.V. and A.V. Kotukhin, A.I. and I.I. Zubkov, I.V. Markichev, I.M. Bakanov and I.I. Golikov created the Artel of Ancient Painting.

The newborn Palekh miniature faced a number of problems: first of all, a new material was needed - papier-mâché, the technology of which was not known to the Palekh artists; in addition, it was necessary to move from painting a flat canvas of an icon to the design of things and objects with volume and shape.

And the assortment and shapes of objects painted by Palekh masters was quite large: brooches, bead holders, chests, boxes, cigarette cases and snuff boxes, eyeglass cases and powder compacts and much more. The Palekh miniature of that time has a strongly expressed ornamental beginning, but it lacks vivid images and a developing storyline. The most successful and popular compositions of that time were battles, shepherdesses, hunting, parties and troikas.

We can safely say that it was in the 20s of the twentieth century that lacquer miniatures in Palekh were formed under the influence of both the ancient Russian icon painting tradition and the entire world art.

Post-war years

In the first peaceful decades, many masters of Palekh miniatures depicted various battle scenes in their works, both from the recently ended World War II and other great battles that glorified the Russian army. In the fifties, according to many art historians, lacquer miniatures in Palekh were experiencing a clear crisis, which was caused by the tendency of many artists towards excessive realism, which displaced from their works the romance and sublime sophistication characteristic of the works of previous years. The Palekh miniature, the photo of which is presented below, clearly shows the influence of Soviet ideology of that time on artists.

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

The sixties are characterized by the fact that monumentality and excessive naturalism are disappearing, and sublimity and romantic haze are returning to Palekh, lacquer miniatures are once again becoming poetic and allegorical. During this period, Paleshan artists turned not only to folklore sources, but also to works of classical literature, as well as modern songs. At the same time, socially significant events, such as, for example, human flight into space, are also reflected in the works of masters.

The seventies and eighties of the 20th century became the heyday of Palekh painting. Palekh artists are invited to develop scenery for various concert programs and decorative design for children's and cultural institutions.

Modernity

Having survived the difficult 90s, the Palesians did not abandon their traditional craft. The Palekh Art School annually graduates young masters who carefully preserve the traditions and features that make Palekh miniature so interesting. Today there are several artels and family businesses that produce traditional lacquer products in Palekh.

Distinctive features

Palekh painting, like any other folk art formed in a particular area, has its own distinctive features and traditions. As already mentioned, icon painting has glorified Palekh for centuries. Lacquer miniatures have adopted many features from icon painting, such as, for example, the construction of a composition and careful elaboration of every detail. We can say that Palekh miniature grew out of the centuries-old traditions of icon painting.

The Palekh style differs from other folk schools of lacquer painting in the following features:

• drawing integral compositions and plots;
• miniature painting;
• patternedness and ornamental richness of the design;
• careful detailing of each element;
• elongation and fragility of human figures;
• the subtlety of drawing parts of people's bodies;
• various color transitions;
• use of dark backgrounds;
• using egg tempera;
• gold painting.

But in order for the artist to begin creating a miniature, it is necessary first of all to create a product from papier-mâché that will be painted.

How is papier-mâché made?

It is made from cardboard, which is pre-cut into strips, smeared with paste made from wheat flour, and overlapped on a wooden form (blank). After the desired thickness has been obtained, the blank along with the cardboard is fixed in a special press. Under pressure they turn into tubes of various shapes and sizes. The glues pressed in this way are dried at room temperature for about two weeks. Then the dried blanks are dipped in warm linseed oil for impregnation for a day, after which they are dried for four days in a special oven, the temperature in which is maintained at 120 0 C. At the next stage, the blank is primed and sanded. After sanding, several layers of black varnish are applied to its outer surface, and oil varnish with cinnabar is applied to the inner surface. At the end of the process, the entire surface is varnished with several layers of light varnish. After applying each layer, the workpiece is dried at a certain temperature in an oven. Only after all these manipulations will the artist be able to begin painting.

Techniques and techniques

As already noted, one of distinctive features lacquer miniatures of Palekh painting are characterized by writing with egg tempera paints.

To prevent paints from rolling off a smooth varnish surface, it is specially treated with pumice. The outline of the future drawing is applied to the product with a sharp pencil, and underpainting is done. It is on this that the master will apply many transparent and thin layers of painting. There are five main stages in creating an image:

1. Opening - outlining the main silhouettes and contours.

2. Registration - clarification of contours and shades of color.

3. Float - applying liquid glaze paint with thick strokes.

4. Glare - a notch made with created gold.

5. Framing the painting with a gold pattern.

After this, the ornament made in gold is polished with a cone-shaped agate or a wolf’s tooth, and then the entire product is covered with 6-7 layers of varnish. After each application, the work is dried, polished on a special polishing wheel, and then finished by hand polishing. The varnish surface, polished to a mirror finish, gives the image additional depth and makes the colors “sound” more richly and softly.

Black boxes with fairy tales- products from the village of Palekh, located in the Ivanovo region. Exactly Palekh boxes(caskets, brooches), along with Zhostovo trays and Khokhloma, go abroad as a souvenir in the luggage of a foreign tourist. However, in the village of Palekh there is something to see besides the production of boxes: there are 19 objects that you can visit, including: the Museum of Icons, the House-Museum of I.I. Golikov, Museum of Palekh Art, Holy Cross Church, completely painted by Palekh masters.

Palekh is one of the centers of Russian folk crafts, located 350 km from Moscow and 60 km from Ivanovo. The population of Palekh is only 4,800 people (as of 2017). A visit to Palekh can be combined with sightseeing in the Ivanovo region, the city of Ivanovo, Ples, Kineshma.

Palekh is the “main competitor” of Fedoskino near Moscow, since they also paint papier-mâché boxes here. During next vacation I managed to visit the village of Palekh on an excursion, which I will tell readers of the site about.

At the beginning of the excursion, we were disembarked from the bus next to a poster showing that in Palekh there are at least 19 objects worthy of tourist attention: But in our program, unfortunately, there was only time for a cursory examination of four of them.

What to see in Palekh

• Museum of Palekh Art (Palekh, Bakanova St., 50)
• Holy Cross Church (Palekh, Bazarny lane, 1)
• Museum of Icons (Palekh village, Lenin St., 6)
• Museum of Lacquer Miniatures,
• House-Museum of the artist N. Golikov (Palekh, Lenin St., 2)
• House-museum sculpture of N. Dydykin (Palekh, Lenin St., 25a)
• House-Museum of N. Zinoviev
• House-Museum of P. Korin (Palekh, Demyan Bednogo St., 19)
• Museum of Icons in Palekh

Museum of Icons in Palekh

Our acquaintance with Palekh began with the Museum of Icons. It was a real discovery for me that before the revolution Palekh was one of the centers of icon painting and had nothing to do with the manufacture of boxes. Local icon painters have developed their own original and recognizable style with their own professional secrets.

The museum collection is rich and includes not only Palekh icons, but also those brought over many years from other ancient cities of Russia. There's even wooden sculptures from Old Believer churches.

Unfortunately, I configured the settings incorrectly and most of the pictures turned out poorly. After all, as it turned out, in Palekh icon the most important thing is the color scheme.

House-Museum of I.I. Golikov in Palekh

Next we proceeded to the house-museum of I.I. Golikova. This is the person who, in the socio-economic conditions that changed after 1917, was able to “reorient” artists to the new kind activities. The changing internal political system threatened to destroy Palekh art. I.I. Golikov and a group of like-minded people founded a decorative and artistic artel. Of course, I had to part with icon painting, but famous style was able to “get accustomed” to decorative items. In particular, in the house-museum there is a copy of the book “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” which was illustrated by I.I. Golikov.

The house, which became a museum, was built by the artist himself in 1928 for his family. The conditions of his life and work are recreated here; things that belonged to him are displayed. And also here are presented documents and photographs illustrating the process of creating a new direction of Palekh art and a stand has been set up that clearly shows the process of creating a Palekh box.

I only took one photo inside the house. Surprisingly, even if you come with a group, you have to pay 150 rubles for photography. They didn’t tell us about this at the Icon Museum. But at the Museum of Palekh Art, which we went to after I.I. Golikov’s house, they even reprimanded me when they saw that I was taking a lot of pictures. True, I didn’t pay anything, but I stopped taking photographs.

The Museum of Palekh Art already exhibits those objects that were made Soviet masters, and modern works. And it's not just the boxes. There is furniture, wall hangings, stationery and jewelry. There is a showcase with porcelain products. At one time they tried to use Palekh painting to decorate plates and other porcelain objects, but it did not work.

The themes for painting products were epics, Russian folk tales and Pushkin's tales, as well as everyday life Soviet people, although I would call the plots more propaganda than everyday. I couldn’t photograph one wonderful work called “The Pioneers’ Trial of Baba Yaga.”

I liked the box dedicated to the victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Unfortunately, most of the exhibits are not in very good condition: the varnish covering the miniatures is badly cracked. The fact is that Palekh did not have its own varnish. He wasn't needed here. They applied to Fedoskino for a prescription, but they refused to provide it. Several years passed before Palekh created its own signature varnish for products.

How to distinguish real products from Palekh from fakes at the household level

• Fake Palekh boxes have filled all souvenir shops and markets, so how can you distinguish real products from Palekh from fakes? The museum told us some secrets:
• Most often, products from Palekh are black on the outside (green and blue are very rare), but always red on the inside;
• High quality polishing of both external and internal surfaces. There should be no scratches, stains or blisters;
• The lids of the boxes (caskets and caskets) are tightly fitted to the base - the box;
• Special marks: in the lower left corner look for the signature “palekh” in gold, in the lower right - the author’s surname;
• On the bottom of the box UNDER THE VARNISH we are looking for the Palekh brand name. On fakes this sign is usually glued on top;
• Pay attention to the packaging: ready product upon purchase, it must be packaged in a hard box, which inside must be sealed with cotton wool to protect the varnish and the image;

Palekh products are expensive. The box cannot cost 100 rubles, since it is handmade, almost like jewelry.

Holy Cross Church

The last object of our excursion was to be the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, completely painted by Palekh masters. At one time it was declared a museum and this saved it from destruction. But at six o'clock in the evening the temple was closed and we did not get into it.

Palekh boxes are still considered a good gift. Production is not dying, despite the fact that the products are quite expensive, and there are many cheap Chinese counterfeits around. There is also a school that trains new masters of lacquer miniatures. By the way, the school of icon painting is also being revived.

We were not given time for souvenirs. Personally, I wasn’t going to buy anything, because I knew the price of the products in advance. But, just looking into the shop, I saw an object that proved that Palekh is not only boxes and that the craftsmen are trying to keep up with the times.

How to get to the village of Palekh from Moscow

By car. The most convenient and fastest way to get to Palekh is by car, because the distance from Moscow to Palekh is only 400 km (M7 highway through Vladimir and Ivanovo, then P152 through Shuya). Expensive will take approximately 6 hours.

By bus. From the Shchelkovsky station in Moscow there is a bus to the Yuzha station. The journey takes about 7 hours. There are also buses with transfers in the city of Ivanovo - these buses leave from the Novogireevo station.

By train. The nearest railway station from Palekh is 75 km away (Shuya) - this method will be convenient for those who will travel from St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod, so it will not be possible to get to Palekh by train.

From Moscow you will have to take a train to Ivanovo (7 hours of travel) - train - Moscow - Kineshma, and then from Ivanovo take a bus to Palekh.

Buses run from Ivanovo to Palekh quite often - once every half hour, the journey time takes 1 hour 30 minutes.

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.

The 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.

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 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 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 the creative individuality of the author.

The original and subtle art of lacquer miniatures of Palekh incorporated as its basis the principles of ancient Russian painting and folk art.

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 with 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.

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).

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.