The playful energy of the bear acts upon the natural stage. A thick hideaway that holds their family within a comforting zone of gigantic pine tree shadows. Fallen limbs as their native gymnasium. A mother watches as a mother does. She is both disciplinarian and comforter. Areas such as this are not as numerous as they once were. However, their special beauty cannot be forgotten...
There is a mood painted here. An honest to goodness setting that is a proud slice of Fedoskino artistry. The color scheme. The entrancing detail. The superiorly designed third dimension. All created through the talented brushstrokes of one Yuriy Karapaev. A master that knows how to get the most out of his style.
It was Ivan Shishkin's landscape art and Konstantin Savitsky's bears that combined on one canvas, producing one of Russia's most beloved paintings. "Morning In The Pine Forest" (property of Moscow's State Tretyakov Gallery) was completed nine years before Shishkin passed away sitting at his easel. The precise depiction of nature's profound beauty and the stunning interpretation of the Russian woods is poetic inspiration. 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 any and all potential for danger. Hopefully, nothing will get in the way of the mother bear and her cub, because her maternal instincts will kick in and defend her cubs even if they are not in harm's way. The bear has always been a national symbol for Russia. The bear exudes the ultimate strength and is at the apex of the predatory scale 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.
Oil-based paint is the primary medium used to paint this composition. The palette closely resembles the original, but Karapaev decided to bring out more blues and lighter greens in this scene. His appreciation for detail is found throughout the composition as he tries to render an exactness with his work and the original. In some of the paints applied the artist has added aluminum paint. This has created a mystical light source emanating from within the shadowy background.
By inlaying a large piece of mother-of-pearl into the sky, the artist 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. This is especially true within the branches and pine needles.
The box is constructed out of paper-mache made in the village of Fedoskino. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the box while a lively red lacquer completes the interior of the box. A hinge has been fastened to the top of the composition. The base of the box is decorated with one thin stripe of gold and a much wider band of gold resting just below. This decoration runs all the way around all four sides of the base.
Upon completion of the piece the artist writes their name along the bottom of the composition.
Materials: Oil-based paint, paper-mache, aluminum paint, mother-of-pearl, gold paint 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 2001"
- Price: $1450.00
- Status: SOLD
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