This box painted by Dmitriev of Kholuy depicts a scene from the fairy tale, "The Snowmaiden." This is the part of the tale when Father Frost and Faire Spring take their only daughter to the doorstep of an old married couple who was not able to have children. The old couple do not know that the Snowmaiden is the daughter of the rulers of Winter and Spring, they are just happy that they have a child to take care of and call their own.
Egg-tempera paint is the primary medium used to paint this composition. The artist's color choice for this piece is vibrant blues and greens that fit well within the parameters of the natural theme of the story. By placing the male subjects on the outer points of the composition and the female subjects in the inner, with the Snowmaiden being the center, the artist creates balance and structure in the painting. The artist paints this piece in the icon painting style that gives no regard to spatial and temporal structures that we are all familiar with. For example, all of the characters in the scene are standing in close proximity to one another. However in the story Father Frost and Faire Spring are actually at a distance watching the couple greet their daughter for the first time.
For decoration the artist applies gold and aluminum scrollwork and beading to the box. The scene is framed by gold scrollwork that is delicately applied and complements the cool colors in the scene very well. On the side of the box, starting from the top, aluminum beading, gold and aluminum scrollwork, and gold scrollwork wrap around the box. The large scrollwork design in the center on the side is very detailed, intricate, and consistent in its design all the way around the box.
The box is made out of high-grade paper-mache. The exterior of the box is painted with black lacquer and the interior is painted with red lacquer. The box does not have a hinge and rests on a lip that runs on the outer edge of the bottom of the box. On the roof of the lid the artist writes the title, that this is an artist original, his name, Kholuy, 2000, and her signature in gold paint. Upon completion of this piece he also writes the same information, minus the artist original declaration, in gold paint below the composition on the lid.
Materials: paper-mache, egg-tempera paint, black and red lacquer, gold paint, and aluminum paint.
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3/4 view of Snowmaiden box.
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