In her hair the moon is born,
On her brow the star of morn:
On she walks in splendor vested,
Like a peacock fanned and crested,
This depiction of the Princess Swan, from Alexander Pushkin's fairytale "Tsar Saltan", is very striking. The princess is quite seriously painted, as her face is expressionless. The moon is in her hair as she gazes quietly into her beloved Gvidon's eyes. She commands magic, power, and grace, but were it not for the heroics of Prince Gvidon she would have perished at the hands of an evil sorcerer.
Almost as soon as Gvidon and his mother emerged from the barrel they were exiled into and cast into the sea, a kingdom appears before their eyes. The next thing they know a swan is being attacked by a hawk. To protect the delicate bird Gvidon shoots an arrow killing the hawk, thus saving what turns out to be the Princess Swan. This is a great turn of events for Gvidon and his mother, who had been in the barrel long enough that Gvidon had grown into a man. When Gvidon saved the Princess Swan she revealed her humanly self to him and the two instantly fell in love.
Egg-tempera paint is the main medium used to paint this composition. The palette is very characteristic of Palekh work, which is bright, bold, and easily distinguishes the action in the scene. Talented Palekh artist Alexander Kornilov creates a very dynamic scene within a very small space. Gold and aluminum paints are used to complete the detailing process. Aluminum paint is used in the swirling waters of the sea, while gold is used to depict the characters' clothing, the clouds and the detail in the landscape. Everything has a beautiful, lustrous shine to it.
The box is constructed out of paper-mache made in the village of Palekh. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. Minute gold filigree frames the scene on the lid, while a larger design wraps around the sides of the box, which features golden vines and silver flowers. Both patterns have very intricate designs and are very precise for their size and complexity. The unique shape of the box also makes this piece an eye-catcher. There is no hinge, and the box rests upon a flat bottom. Upon completing the work on this piece the artist writes Palekh, 1998, and signs his name at the bottom of the composition.
Materials: paper-mache, egg-tempera paint, gold paint, aluminum paint, and lacquer.
About Artist Kornilov, Alexander Albertovich:
Alexander Albertovich Kornilov
Born in 1958 in the village of Palekh in Ivanovo region, where he currently lives with his family.
In 1983 Alexander graduated from the Palekh Art School, his teachers were such prominent masters as A.V. Borunov, B.M. Nemtinov, A.V. Gordeev, and A.S. Peskov.
Alexander Albertovich paints in the traditions of Palekh School (Stroganov style), using tempera paints. Kornilov has created the following author works: "Pushkin's Tales" (1999), "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" (1997), "Meeting of Tsar Saltan" (1996), and "Ruslan and Ludmila" (1995).
The master prefers to paint on subjects of fairy-tales, bylinas, and folklore. Harmonized composition and bright e
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read about Kornilov, Alexander Albertovich
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Item Specifications:
- Title: "Prince Gvidon and Princess Swan 1998"
- Weight: 2.6 oz 74 g
- Price: $300.00
- Status: SOLD
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