Pioneer ties were the ultimate status symbol for kids living in the Soviet Union. The ties were simple triangles of red cloth made out of some sort of nylon material that was forever wrinkling. They soon took on deeper levels of association. Being a Pioneer was the second step up the ladder to becoming a member of the Communist Party. Children in grades 1-4 were called "Octobrists" (October refers to the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia). By 5th grade when most students were about 10 years old, the brightest and best were invited to become "Pioneers." Eventually, everyone in the class would sport the red ties, but this was the first taste of hierarchy in a society touting egalitarianism. Between grades 8-10, everybody became Komsomols. Finally, after high-school some were invited to enter the privileged world of the Communist Party.
This is a group of young, impressionable kids watching an actual Communist talk to them around a campfire. He tells them tales of Lenin and Papa Stalin. They eagerly listen and feel like they are a part of the movement that seemed so popular during that period of the 1900's. This piece was painted in 1956, which was during a peak in communism in Russia. Palekh artists painted these scenes to fill out an order made by the local communist offices of that region. When they filled the orders they were left alone and allowed to paint practically anything they wanted. That fact makes this piece a historical artifact that does not come around quite often.
Yevlampia Butorina (later Svetozarova), daughter of Dmitry Butorin, of Palekh painted this piece in 1956. This was a time in Palekh when creativity reached a great high from which artists did not come down from. Their works showed this, even in the sometimes drab communist themed boxes. Butorina shows that her work is as fabulous as any artist, and she worked many years to get out of her father's large shadow.
Egg-tempera paint is the main medium used to paint this composition. There is a dual palette working in this scene. The first is the earth toned group of browns and greens that depict the surroundings of the campfire. Then there is much lighter and warmer palette used to depict the children, their guardian figure, and the fire. Intricately detailed leaves, ground, and trees make the setting come to life. Within the setting the artist makes each character unique in his or her way. The artist arranges them in a series of triangles, which makes the way they are standing in relation to the speaker very aesthetic. Gold paint is used extensively, but not overly, to fill in details in the composition. Aluminum paint is used as well, and both it and the gold lend a delicate amount of light to the scene. It also helps to bring out the true beauty of the artist's palette.
The box is made out of paper-mache made in Palekh. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The clear lacquer that once covered the exterior has all but evaporated, which shows the contours of the box and the painting. For being so old this box is in good condition, but has its imperfections. On the lid there is a chip, all the way through the painting, on the speaker's left shoulder. The feet of the box are barely scuffed and there are barely any scratches anywhere on the box. One interesting feature of this box is that the hinge is located under the composition, as opposed to above it. This means that it opens from the opposite end, which may have been a way the artist was telling the government that their system was backwards. Beautiful gold and aluminum ornamentation frames the composition and wraps around the sides of the box. Upon completing the work the artist writes the Palekh, 1956, and signs her name at the bottom of the composition.
Materials: paper-mache, egg-tempera paint, gold, aluminum, and lacquer.
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About Artist Butorina, Yevlampia Dmitrievna:
Born Yevlampia Butorina, this lacquer miniature artist later married and took on the last name of Svetozarova. Yevlampia is the daughter of famous Palekh artist Dmitriy Butorin.
Butorina-Svetozarova graduated from the Palekh Art School in 1951. She studied under her father, as well as F.A. Kaurtsev. Her works are now held in the State Museum of Palekh Art, the Art Foundation of Russia, and others.
Bratchikova Ye. K., 1996, "MINIATURISTS OF PALEKH. NAME REFERENCE", RUSSLIT, Moscow, 5-7739-0001-7, 5-86508-035-0
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read about Butorina, Yevlampia Dmitrievna
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Item Specifications:
- Title: "Camping With the Pioneers 1956"
- Weight: 1 lb 5.4 oz 606 g
- Price: $2600.00
- This specific item is available as a single work.
We do not expect to carry this item in the foreseeable future!
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