The girl pictured here is the daughter of a merchant. The merchants became a separate class in Russia during the 18th and especially the 19th century. They were not of noble birth, but many had much more monetary wealth than those of the nobility. This radiant beauty painted here wears a kokoshnik, or traditional headdress. These kokoshniks were very ornamental, and originally were worn only by married women. The girl is also wearing traditional Russian formal wear, namely a dushegreya, which is the sleeveless dress. Both practical and decorative, the traditional costume is very unique to Russian culture, and many fine examples of kokoshniks and dushegreyas are displayed in museums throughout Russia.
Since the merchants, even with there wealth, were not considered equals of the nobles the reforms that Peter the Great set forth during his reign did not apply to them. This is why this girl, who was most likely originally painted during the mid-19th century, has very classic attire on, even for that time. Her family's wealth is evident by the fact that her portrait is being painted. Some nobles were not able to afford this luxury of having their likeness reproduced on canvas. Many of these portraits by well-known artists in 19th century Russia have survived to today, such as Ivan Argunov's "Portrait of a Peasant Woman in Russian Costume", Nikolai Alexeev's "A Young Girl in Russian Costume", and Konstantin Makovsky's "Boyarina" and "Boyarina bearing a tray". These paintings are all on display in art museums in Russia, such as the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Simple in its design but exquisite in its implementation, this miniature portrait of a Russian girl is incredible! Vladimir Yemelyanov has combined brilliant skill with oil paints in shading, coloring, texturing, and a gift for realism, with delicate decoration. This piece is truly a work of art, from top to bottom! The girl's rosy cheeks and bright eyes show a youthful beauty and innocence. Her long braid is draped in front of her as she sits and has her portrait painted. The shading and coloration looks so natural, that the skill and keen eye of the artist is only apparent upon close inspection of the piece. There is a light glow on the wall behind the girl from the unseen light source, but otherwise the background is a soft brown color.
Instead of using black lacquer to paint the box's exterior the artist chooses a much more difficult method of decorating his work. The brown outside is painted with a design that is very similar to the famous tortoise shell pattern. It is produced by applying very thin oil paints on the surface of the box in a series of applications that could sometimes take a month to complete for the desired effect. The artist also paints gold designs for decoration, one that accents the corners of the lid and another that wraps around the sides of the box. The lid is hinged from the left side of the composition, and the box sits flat. The elegant painting is signed and dated by the artist.
Materials: paper-mache, black and red lacquer, oil paints, gold.
About Artist Yemelyanov, Vladimir Nikolaevich:
Vladimir Nikolaevich Emelyanov was born in 1956 in the town of Dolgoprudny, Moscow region, and resides there now. In 1979 he graduated from the Fedoskino Art School. His teachers were V.D. Antonov, V.P. Frolov, and S.S. Chistov. Emelyanov's graduation thesis work was called "Union of Earth and Water".
The artist has many awards and diplomas. At present Vladimir Nikolaevich works at the Fedoskino Factory of Miniature Art. The master paints in the traditional Fedoskino style and works with oils. He prefers to work mostly with delicate, warm tones. His favorite themes to depict are copies of Russian and foreign painters, portraits, genre scenes and fairy tales.
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Item Specifications:
- Title: "Lady with Kokoshnik 2000"
- Price: $1400.00
- Status: SOLD
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