In the late 18th and early 19th century traveling fairs were popular places to get goods, food, and exotic wares without even having to leave the village that you lived in. Fairs went to Kholuy, Palekh, and Mstera, and were an early exit valve for the icons that were being painted by monks and masters during that period. The largest of the fairs was one staged in Kholuy along the Teza River. Merchants from Nizhniy Novgorod, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and as far as Kiev came to sell what they had and buy what they would sell when coming back to their native cities and towns. Fairs in Palekh were not that much different than in Kholuy and Mstera. Palekh icons were in very high demand at the turn of the last century (not the one we had a few years ago) and the icon painting workshops could not keep up with the demand.
Today open-air markets operate on a regular basis in all of the villages. Palekh, Kholuy, and Mstera are located, as the crow flies, approximately 35 km from one to the other; this is the distance a horse could run in one day, then rest during the night and be fresh to travel another 30 to 35 km in the morning. Peddlers and merchants, modern ones, bring clothing, electronics, tools, footwear, and even books to these relatively small fairs that take place on a weekly basis. You never know what you might find and who might show up. There is one thing for certain: there will be a lot of babushkas up early in the morning to get what they need for the week when the fair comes to Palekh.
During the fairs there would be rides for a few rubles that villagers could take in carriages. Musicians would come to entertain with hats turned upside down, and villagers would peruse the rows of tents, while being able to socialize and have a good time. Up at the top of the composition Palekh's central cathedral (the Transfiguration Cathedral) stands with its green cupola and exquisitely proportioned belltower. Today the cupola on the church and the roof has been painted powder blue, and the entire structure is under restoration.
Egg-tempera paint is the main medium used to paint this composition. The palette is a highly vivid combination of tones ranging from green to brown and red to blue. They all work with each other to give off the rustic, or bucolic feel of Palekh. Palekh looks much today as it did 150 years ago, with the exception of two paved roads, and the artist does a great job in giving the scene a contemporary flair that hearkens back to the olden days. The compositional layout is rendered so that the focus flows into the foreground, which is accomplished through the triangular construction of the central action. Gold and aluminum are used with great intricacy and delicacy to develop the finer elements in the scene. Kornilova paints with excellent detail here, combining a great deal into a small space without losing any clarity.
The box is made out of paper-mache made in Palekh. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the composition; clear lacquer is added in numerous layers that are polished down to a gleaming finish. Gold beading frames the composition, while gold ornamentation with aluminum accents runs around the sides of the box. This decoration is a highly decorative showcase of the artist's precise ability to render extremely difficult designs. The box has a hinge above the composition and rests on four rounded feet. Upon completing the work on this piece the artist writes Palekh, 2002, and signs her name at the bottom of the composition.
Materials: paper-mache, egg-tempera paint, gold, aluminum, and lacquer.
About Artist Kornilova, Nataliya Valeryevna:
Nataliya Valerievna Kornilova was born in 1968 in the town of Korkino in Chelyabinsk region, now she lives in the village of Krasnoe in Palekh region (Ivanovo region).
Nataliya graduated from the Palekh Art School in 1989, where she studied under A.V. Gordeev, A.S. Peskov, T.I. Belousova, and N.M. Smirnov.
Kornilova creates miniatures, using tempera technique of art. The artist prefers natural paints. Themes of Nataliya's art pieces are various and sometimes even extraordinary, it is important for the master they must make an impression upon her. The most essential aspects of her creations are their general mood and accomplishment. Work on a miniature is complete for the autho
...
read about Kornilova, Nataliya Valeryevna
|
Item Specifications:
- Title: "Palekh Open Air Fair 2002"
- Price: $875.00
- This specific item is available as a single work.
We do not expect to carry this item in the foreseeable future!
- Request more information?
|
Related Stories, Legends & Readings:
|
|
