Mstera artists today are not known for their interpretations of well-known canvas paintings--which is what makes this piece so special! It was painted in the 1950s by N. Antonovsky, and is an egg-tempera interpretation of The Bird Catchers by Vasiliy Perov. The original hangs on display in the Tretyakov Gallery (1870). Antonovsky is a relative of the Mstera great Fiodor Antonovsky (1890-1949), a co-founder of the "Old Russian Painting Artel" and member of the Proletarian Art Artel.
Vasily Perov (1834-1882) studied intermittently from 1846 to 1849 at the Art School of Alexander Stupin, a classicist painter whose School was the first of its type in provincial Russia, and during the 1850s at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture under Sergey Zaryanko. The work of Pavel Fedotov, pictorial satire in the press and genre scenes by the Old Dutch masters and William Hogarth were the greatest formative influences on Perov. His early works combine detailed brushwork with anecdotal narrative and aim at criticizing social behavior. Within his paintings is a conflict between feelings of love and hatred, and between an intimate knowledge of the daily life of the people and an alienating irony. Perov?s success as a genre painter reached its peak in the latter half of the 1860s. His compositions become more laconic and expressive; overcoming an undisciplined use of color, he achieved an impressive unity with an austere greyish-brown palette. His other works include the Portrait of Dostoevsky, Village Burial, and Troika (that shows three young apprentices pulling a sled).
Behind the trees the two bird catchers quietly wait as the master uses his whistle. We can see that they are concentrating very hard and are anxious to come home with a prize. With their equipment scattered next to them the old man is ready to pull the rope at the exact moment when the pigeon walks into the trap. Once that happens the young boy, the master's apprentice, will go out and retrieve the bird to take back home.
The miniature is painted in earth tones with brown, ochre, and green colors that dominate the palette. The old man's clothing is painted with bright blue colors contrasting the warm setting of the forest. The white and red of the young man's apparel also provides a nice color variation in the scene.
Despite the medium of egg-tempera, which can be less manageable than oil paints, Antonovsky has created a very lifelike composition. The expressions and shading of the characters faces are well executed. The artist paints with a fine brush successfully matching various color combinations. His brush strokes create individuality in the characters, the clothing and the picturesque landscape. Gradual transitions of colors, succession of dark and light sections of the painted surface and splendid technique of painting make the image look realistic.
For decoration the artist has painted silver filigree around the sides of the box. The box has a hinge located above the composition and rests on a flat bottom. Antonovsky has signed the piece. The box is in overall good condition, but it does show its age. The bottom is scratched and scuffed from being moved around on the various flat surfaces it has graced. The clear lacquer has evaporated or 'sunk in', and the texture of the painting can be felt. There is also a small chip in the lower section of the old man's coat. However, this is a rare piece due to its composition, and definitely a collectible.
Materials: paper-mache, black and red lacquer, egg-tempera paints, aluminum.
Item Specifications:
- Title: "The Bird Catcher 1950"
- Price: $525.00
- Status: SOLD
|
Related Stories, Legends & Readings:
|
|
