It was Ivan Shishkin's landscape art and Konstantin Savitsky's bears that combined on one canvas to produce one of Russia's most beloved paintings. "Morning in the Pine Forest" (property of Moscow's State Tretyakov Gallery) was completed 9 years before Shishkin passed away sitting at his easel. The precise depiction of nature's raw beauty and the striking interpretation of the Russian woods is awe inspiring. No one really knows why Shishkin allowed his friend Savitsky to add the bears, but it is hard to imagine the painting without them.
As the cubs play under their mother's supervision, she keeps a watchful eye for papa bears that might be in the area. Hopefully nothing gets in between the path of the mother bear and her cub, because her maternal instincts will kick in and defend her cubs even if they are not in danger. The bear has always been a national symbol for Russia. The bear exudes ultimate strength, and is the apex predator in the forest. During developmental stages in a bear's life they are curious and playful, which they are taught out of so that later in life when the cubs have to part with their mother they can survive. The bear is widely loved by people, and some say it has facial characteristics similar to humans (just like dogs). Capturing a moment such as this, in a setting unmatched even in the imagination, will always produce the type of emotion one gets when viewing art at its finest. However, seeing this in person would be rather dangerous and thankfully artists like Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky have blessed us by getting us up close and personal with nature.
Yuriy Karapaev of Fedoskino is the artist who painted this box. He makes a beautiful rendition of the original, and by using supplementary medium like mother-of-pearl and aluminum paint he is able to add his personal signature to a painting adored by so many all over the world. He has excelled at painting landscapes and over the years has influenced many others to do the same. His unique style and interpretation of nature allows him to be noticed in the lacquer art world as a true master. Today he paints very little and he only produces a handful of works per year, making this piece dated in 2002 that much more special.
Oil-based paint is the main medium used to paint this composition. The palette closely resembles the original, but Karapaev decides to bring out more blues and lighter greens in this scene. His excellent brushwork is found throughout the composition as he tries to render the details with the same precision as in the original. In some of the paints he uses to paint the lower half of the painting he adds aluminum paint, which seemingly electrifies the paint. It adds a light source from within the scene that glows even in softly lit conditions. By inlaying a large piece of mother-of-pearl into the sky he is able to match the glow of the paint with a tender white light that shows the colors of the rainbow. The shell is inlayed with precision in mind and the multiple layers of clear lacquer over the inlay gives the scene depth.
The box is made out of paper-mache made in the village of Fedoskino. The piece is quite large and to fully appreciate it, the box must be held up close. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box; clear lacquer is added in layers and polished down to give the box its resplendent glow. Two lines of gold wrap around the sides of the box and the artist decides to let the composition fade off at the edges of the lid. The box has a hinge above the scene and rests on a flat bottom. Upon completing the work on this piece the artist writes Fedoskino, 2002, and signs his name in the lower left hand corner of the box.
Materials: paper-mache, oil-based paint, mother-of-pearl, aluminum, gold, and lacquer.
About Artist Karapaev, Yuriy Vasiliyevich:
Karapaev Yuriy Vasiliyvich
Lacquer miniature artist, honored artist of the Soviet Union.
He has become a member of Union of artists of USSR in 1967.
Karapaev has participated in many exhibits around Russia and abroad.
Studied at the Fedoskino Art School (1950-1954) under guidance of such brilliant painters as I.F. Vetrov, D.N. Dedunik.
His works are exhibited in central museums of Russia.
Russian lacquerware expert Malakhov N. refers to "Карапаев" on page 163 of Malakhov N., 1990, "FEDOSKINO", Izobrazitelnoye Isskusstvo Publishers, Moscow, ISBN 5-85200-183
Reference: page 302 of Suprun L. Ya., 1987, "LACQUER MINIATURE OF FEDOSKINO", LEGPROMBITIZDAT, M
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read about Karapaev, Yuriy Vasiliyevich
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Item Specifications:
- Title: "Morning in the Pine Forest 2002"
- Price: $2200.00
- Status: SOLD
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