The history of which dates back to the 2nd century BC. e., when people learned to make iron, and from it various knives, scrapers, saws and other cutting tools.
However, it was not enough to simply carve a product out of wood; a person wanted the result of his work to look beautiful. This is how ancient wood paintings appeared, primitive and far from artistic, but the birth of art took place. In those distant times, paints already existed; all that remained was to apply them properly.
Artistic painting on wood
The folk crafts that exist today for making household items are based on a variety of techniques. Wooden products are presented in several categories: first of all, dishes and kitchen utensils. The second list includes items that represent fine art. These are painted panels, interior decorations, and various household items. And finally, the third category is vintage-style wooden furniture, painted in a special antique way. Artistic painting on wood as such is used in all three cases. The value of the products is undoubted, since professionals work on them.
Varieties
Wood paintings come in several types and differ in their belonging to a particular region, as well as in style. The drawing can be plot or ornamental.
Types of painting on wood:
- Mezenskaya;
- Polkhovskaya;
- Khokhloma;
- Gorodets;
- Palekh;
- Severodvinskaya;
- Petrikovskaya
The main types of wood painting are listed. Each variety contains “branded” features that give the product additional attractiveness.
Mezen painting
Mezen painting (or as it is also called - palaschelskaya) is the painting of household items: ladles, boxes, spinning wheels, benches and kitchen tables. These artistic traditions appeared in the lower reaches of the Mezen River around 1815.
Mezen painting consists mainly of ornamented images of forest inhabitants: deer and elk, wolverines, foxes and bear cubs. All images are impersonal and bear the stamp of staticity. Friezes composed of repeatedly repeating figures painted in bright colors give the impression of festivity and defiant luxury, since the colorful stripes of ornaments do not fit in with the squalid furnishings of a Russian home. A primitive spinning wheel, painted in the Mezen style and sparkling with colors in a dark corner, only emphasized the desolation of the upper room.
Palekh
Palekh painting is a folk art craft that appeared in pre-Petrine times. At that time, the village of Palekh in the Ivanovo province was famous for its icon painters. This art reached its greatest flowering at the end of the 18th century. The Paleshans, in addition to painting icons, were involved in the restoration of cathedrals and churches, and took part in the design of the chapels of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the Novodevichy Convent.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the trade of Palekh painting flourished; the revolutionary storms of 1905 and 1917 almost destroyed the fine folk art. Since after the 17th year all the churches were abolished by ignorant representatives of the communist authorities, there was nothing to paint, and Poleshan artists created an artel producing artistic products made of wood.
Soon the first work in the palekh style was created in a Moscow workshop. On a wooden box coated with black varnish, Tsarevich Ivan, who emerged from the royal chambers into freedom, meets the Firebird. The whole picture was painted in gold and cinnabar - it was impossible to take your eyes off the drawing.
Currently, Palekh wood painting is a deeply traditional art, with the only difference being that natural wood has been replaced with papier-mâché. Now products with Palekh painting are not only beautiful, but also light.
Khokhloma
An ancient folk craft that developed in the villages of the Nizhny Novgorod province in the 17th century. The center became the village of Khokhloma, where Old Believers, persecuted for their faith, gathered. Among the settlers there were many icon painters who brought with them exquisite painting skills, calligraphic writing and many examples of floral patterns.
Local residents living in Khokhloma and nearby villages knew wood turning techniques, but did not know how to draw. So it turned out that the wooden dishes, turned on site, were painted by visiting artists. This is how the art of Khokhloma painting appeared, which turned into one of the most famous artistic crafts in Russia.
Wood carvers not only turned dishes and plates, they soon learned to carve spoons and ladles, the classic “brothers”. Usually the ladle was made in the shape of a swan, and a dozen scoops were hung on the sides. The material was linden wood, which by its nature has no fibers and is easily cut in all directions.
Khokhloma painting consists of four primary colors: black, gold, red and green. Black and gold are used as the background, and red and green, together with their shades, make up the actual design. The theme for a drawing in the Khokhloma style is most often rowan berries, strawberries, various flowers and herbal plants. Sometimes the artist uses images of birds, fish and small animals.
Carving and drawing
Russian folk crafts (such as gorodets or khokhloma) are wood products covered with a pattern. First, cabinetmakers make blanks from selected wood, the so-called “linen,” and then artists cover them with a design. Wood carving and painting are inseparable in this case - they complement each other. The most common type of painted blank is the Russian nesting doll. For its production, the turning method of carving is used, when the product is turned, polished and then painted. This souvenir is known all over the world and has been in high demand for many years.
Is it possible to learn wood painting?
Folk arts and crafts belong to the fine arts and require certain preparation, but anyone with patience and perseverance can master the basic principles of coloring products. There are special techniques called “Wood Painting for Beginners,” which include familiarization with the process and practical work. Initially, the classes are general in nature, and after acquiring skills, you can move on to a specific artistic style, for example, Gorodets. In any case, painting on wood is a fascinating creative process for beginners.
Coloring methods
Natural wood is a material that requires careful pre-processing. The surface for painting must be smooth, without peeling or cracks. The workpiece is first sanded with emery cloth and then coated with a special primer, which fills all microscopic cracks and evens out small irregularities. Larger defects can be eliminated using putty. After pre-treatment, the workpiece must be thoroughly dried.
Wooden folk art products are distinguished by bright, intense colors. The designs usually contrast with the background, black or bright red. For painting products, tempera or artistic gouache paints are used, which have good hiding power. The most lasting results are obtained by acrylic painting on wood, especially if the design is covered with transparent nitro varnish on top. Products after this treatment become resistant to abrasion and do not change their color.
Wood painting (photos of finished products are presented on the page) is a type of fine art that has its roots in the distant past, but lives and flourishes in the present.
Khokhloma -
Painting on wood, in which rowan and strawberries, flowers and branches, and sometimes birds, fish and animals are applied in bright colors against a black lacquer background. The name of the style comes from the Nizhny Novgorod district of the same name. The main items on which Khokhloma is applied: dishes, furniture, figurines, matryoshka dolls.
Gorodets painting -
Painting on wood, in which genre scenes from the life of the Russian merchants, as well as animals and flowers are depicted in rich colors on a golden background. The name of the style comes from the city of Gorodets in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The main objects on which Gorodets painting is applied are: chests, spinning wheels, children's furniture.
Painting on ceramics, in which floral patterns of different shades of blue with curls are painted on a white background. The name of the style comes from the “Gzhel Bush” region; it is formed by 27 villages in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region. The main objects on which Gzhel is applied are: dishes, vases, figurines, teapots, cutting boards, nesting dolls.
Fedoskino painting -
Wood painting, in which portraits of people are depicted on a black lacquer background. In this case, a reflective material is applied to the base - metal powder, gold leaf, gold leaf, mother-of-pearl, which gives the work the effect of glow and depth. The name of the style comes from the village of Fedoskino near Moscow. The main items on which Fedoskino painting is applied are: caskets, caskets, boxes, album covers, eyeglass cases, wallets, Easter eggs.
Painting of the Northern Dvina -
Wood painting, in which fairy-tale characters and plants are painted in red and orange colors on a yellow background. The name of the style comes from the Northern Dvina River, which flows in the Komi Republic, Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions. The main items on which painting is applied are: dishes, chests, caskets, headrests.
Prikamsk painting -
Wood painting, in which images of plants and animals are drawn with red paints on an orange background. The name of the style comes from the territory adjacent to the Kama River in the Perm region. The main objects on which painting is applied are furniture, doors and walls of the house.
Zhostovo painting -
Painting of metal trays, in which simple compositions of large and small flowers are depicted on a black background. The name of the style comes from the village of Zhostovo, Moscow region. The main items on which painting is applied: various trays.
Mezen (Palaschel) painting -
Painting on wood, in which the unpainted background is covered with an archaic fractional pattern - stars, crosses, dashes. They are painted in two colors: black - “soot” and red - “earth paint”. Traditional elements of Mezen painting are solar disks, rhombuses, crosses. The name of the style comes from the Mezen River, which flows in the Arkhangelsk region and the Komi Republic. The main items on which painting is applied are: spinning wheels, ladles, storage boxes, bratins*.
Wood painting in which themes from Russian folk tales or historical events are depicted against a dark background. The name of the style comes from the village of Palekh in the Ivanovo region. The main objects on which painting is applied are: boxes, salt shakers, plates, nesting dolls, panels, brooches.
*Bratina is a kind of ladle from which in pre-Petrine times they drank wine during feasts.
Wood painting is considered one of the oldest types of creativity and drawing. This method of decoration was widespread in Rus'; wooden boards were painted, panels, trays and boxes were decorated with paints. To learn how to decorate wooden objects yourself, you just need to learn the basic painting techniques.
This type of decorative and applied art has been passed down from generation to generation. Adults and children painted original patterns based on folk motifs, which were later framed. Decorating by painting various interior items was considered popular. In this form, this art has survived to this day, when furniture, dishes, toys, and musical instruments are decorated with decorative painting on wood.
Craftsmen use coloring compounds for various purposes as materials for their work. You can paint on wood with gouache, acrylic, watercolor and even oil. Making your own beautiful painted board for cutting food is not difficult even for a child: the whole process consists of selecting a design, transferring it to the surface, and gradually decorating it. It is important to achieve the right combination of colors so that the boards look harmonious.
There are three types of painting techniques:
- Khokhloma - characterized by a black background, as well as yellow and red colors, where fancy flowers are depicted.
- – the main motifs are drawings dedicated to urban scenes, epics and flower arrangements.
- - a type of painting on wood, the main subjects of which are ornaments and horses.
To learn how to paint on wood, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic techniques, which you can learn about in the following sections.
How to paint a kitchen board with acrylic paints?
The most convenient material for getting acquainted with folk art and mastering technology is acrylic paints. They are thick enough and can be mixed to achieve a spectacular image. After painting a wooden board with such paints, it is not necessary to varnish the surface, because acrylic creates a durable protective film.
To work you will need:
- kitchen cutting board with a smooth surface;
- specified paints of the required colors;
- tassels;
- stencils for painting.
Choose high-quality artistic acrylic paints that have sufficient thickness - this is how the drawing will be rich.
The surface of the board must be flat; if there are protrusions on it, it is recommended to use sandpaper and sand the surface of the wood. After this, the masters recommend saturating the base with white acrylic so that subsequent sketches will lie flat on the board. While the workpiece is drying, you need to transfer the design onto wood, you can find out how to do this in the last section of this material.
The peculiarity of the products obtained after painting is that they have a bright and rich color. You need to start painting the board with large elements of the design, gradually moving on to smaller details. To highlight individual details of the image, paint them with a thin brush in black or white.
After painting on wood with acrylic paints, the product must be thoroughly dried. The next step will be varnishing the board if the product is intended to be used for its intended purpose. If the finished result will serve only a decorative function, then there is no need to varnish the board - painting with acrylic paints will stick to the wood on its own.
In the video: painting a cutting board with acrylic paints.
Painting wood with watercolors and its features
The technology of painting wooden bases with watercolors involves quickly applying paint to the surface. Some argue that watercolor is completely unsuitable for such coatings, because excessive wetting of the wood leads to its damage. You can correct the situation and learn how to properly paint on wood with watercolors - you just need to choose the right technique.
For beginners, painting with watercolors should not be a complicated procedure; you can practice on wooden blanks in the form of nesting dolls. After transferring the drawing, you need to brush it once with a wet brush over the area of the workpiece that needs to be painted. This is done for better paint adhesion. Step by step, large areas are first painted, and then colors are added to the details.
The use of watercolor on wood has a number of features:
- the ability to create light and airy images, equipping them with shadows and color transitions;
- lack of relief of the stroke, which cannot be said about painting wooden bases with acrylic or oil paints;
- a face painted on wood in watercolor most accurately conveys the shades truthfully;
- the ability to mix watercolors with other types of paints for painting on wood.
The finished product can be coated with clear varnish. Watercolors are also used to decorate backgrounds on panels, because this paint is a pigment diluted with water, which is most optimal for large areas.
Gouache for painting as an alternative
A cutting board for the kitchen is one of the practical items of regular use. To make this accessory pleasing to the eye every day, it is recommended to paint it; this can be done with gouache paints on wood. This coloring material is similar to acrylic, but is slightly inferior in saturation.
Painting on wood with gouache consists of the following stages:
- Sanding the board. If the surface of the product was not smooth enough, it must be polished with sandpaper.
- Structure protection. If the board does not have a varnish coating, it must be treated with stain.
- Priming. For this, acrylic of any suitable color is used. The wooden board should be carefully coated with paint without gaps. This will make coloring easier and faster.
- Drawing. After translating the image or drawing it yourself, you need to start painting on the board. For beginners, it is better to choose simple patterns or floral motifs. Before painting the tree with gouache, you can add a little PVA glue to the jar for better adhesion.
- Varnishing. After finishing the process, it is recommended to open the product with varnish. You can use any composition that you have at home, but odorless acrylic varnish is considered the most suitable.
The master class presented in the photo below is designed for people who do not have the skills to paint kitchen boards. Painting on wood brings pleasure, and the resulting result delights everyone around you.
It is necessary to apply varnish to the finished product in several layers, but after the previous layer has completely dried. The kitchen is a place where moisture is constantly exposed, so this stage is considered mandatory.
Methods for transferring a drawing onto a base
Some fans of painting on wood only with experience begin to draw pictures on wood on their own. Beginners cannot do this, so the question arises, what are the ways to transfer a picture onto a wooden base? You can find out more about them below:
- Carbon copy. This method is considered the simplest - it requires regular dark or (in the case of a black base) white carbon paper. The printed sheet is placed on a carbon copy, under which a wooden blank is placed. Using a pen, the drawing is completely outlined. As a result, an image is formed on the workpiece that can be painted. The resulting painted product is neat.
- Tracing paper. To make the painting have beautiful borders, you can use tracing paper. To do this, it is applied to the prepared drawing and traced along its contours. Next, the sheet is turned over and rubbed generously with graphite. After this, tracing paper is placed on the tree and the image is traced with a sharp object. Using this method it is possible to draw even the most complex patterns.
- Soap. The method is similar to the previous one, but it is good when the templates for painting are transferred to a black surface. It is necessary to repeat the same operations, only rub the tracing paper not with graphite, but with soap.
To hone your skills, experts recommend using different wood painting techniques. It’s also a good idea to paint on a former wooden base for a tray, on a box or other things. The resulting products can be given as a gift or used to decorate your home.
Master classes on painting wood (2 videos)
Various options and ideas (30 photos)
See the list... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian Dictionaries, 1999. painting plan, list; inventory, list, schedule, enamel, signature, batik, register, painting, fresco, painting, Khokhloma... Dictionary of synonyms
PAINTING, paintings, women. 1. Inventory, a written list of something (cancer). Painting of items deposited for storage. List of government revenues and expenses. 2. only units. Action under Ch. write in 1 and 3 digits. paint. Start painting the ceiling... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
PAINTING, and, women. 1. see write down. 2. A written list of what n. R. property. R. expenses. 3. Painting on walls, ceilings, household items. Artistic r. Old Russian paintings. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
Etc. see paint. Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary. V.I. Dahl. 1863 1866 … Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
painting- PAINTING, and, g. What l. actions related to a knife, awl, or other bladed weapon; stabbing, use of a knife, etc... Dictionary of Russian argot
painting- (list, list) of what (obsolete what). The official reads the address and calendar with great pleasure... he is extremely amused by the printed list of names (Gogol). Painting books, dowries (Academic Dictionary 1847) ... Control Dictionary
Wall painting is a type of monumental painting. Body painting is one of the areas of body art... Wikipedia
painting- noun Fast. ex: vernacular; inanimate; abstract (in this meaning); and. r.; 3 cl. LZ Action on the verb to paint/paint. Word-formation analysis, Morphemic analysis: To enlarge, click on the picture Nepost. ex.: units number; Them. n. Basis... ... Morphemic-word-formation dictionary
painting- Look at the signature, signature and visa... Dictionary of difficulties of the Russian language
I 1. process of action according to ch. describe II 1. 2. The result of such an action; covering any surface of walls, ceilings, etc. drawing or any compositions. 3. Subject images and ornaments created by means of decorative... ... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova
Books
- Painting on canvas "Lily Bunny" (20 x 20 cm) (57513) , . Painting on canvas "Lily Bunny". Size: 20 x 20 cm. Painting on canvas is a very exciting activity. Painting a bright canvas will undoubtedly bring pleasure, and cute characters will teach you to see...
- Silk painting for beginners, Concha Morgades. Silk painting is a fascinating art in which the combination of material and colors used helps to achieve an extraordinary effect. With a little practice, you will quickly master...
Artistic painting as a type of decorative and applied art continues the traditions of folk art. This is not just a certain visual series, its essence is much greater, because it seems to float outside of time, uniting the work of dozens of generations of masters. It is organically connected with the Motherland - at the place of its origin in the community of peasants (cattle breeders, farmers, hunters).
Art historians' views on artistic painting
Artistic painting is applied to products made from easily obtained traditional natural “democratic” materials: natural fabrics, wood, clay, leather, stone, bone.
Until the 17th century, its sprouts existed within the confines of individual subsistence peasant farms. Skills were passed on by masters along the family line, from generation to generation. Specific artistic techniques were honed to allow for optimal presentation of products. The most expressive and meaningful methods of applying the ornament were chosen. Painting in architecture decorated the ceiling, walls, vaults, beams and pillars, and in everyday life - dishes and objects of labor.
In the period from the 17th to the 18th centuries, artistic painting in Russia was already being transformed into a craft that created goods for the market. It is not individual masters who are beginning to engage in it, but individual localities and villages. In the 19th century, an artel organization of the art of painting took place. For example, the masters of Fedoskino miniatures organized themselves in this way after the ruin of private owners in 1903 and preserved their art. In 1876, Professor A.A. Isaev began systematizing various types of painting. in the two-volume monograph “Fires of the Moscow Province”.
In the 20-30s of Soviet power, the emphasis was placed on the creation of cooperative fishing artels in places where centers of folk art had historically developed, developing original types of painting. For example, Khokhloma painting in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
The strategy for the development of painting, like other types of decorative and applied art, was conceptualized and outlined by the scientist and teacher Vasily Sergeevich Voronov in the monograph “On Peasant Art.”
Currently, artistic painting enterprises are actively developing types of painting in order to meet demand both in the Russian market and abroad. Painted products, while maintaining their everyday function, are increasingly acquiring features of aesthetic and artistic value. For their production, modern machines and special equipment are used for roughing and preparatory work. The main creative work, like several centuries ago, is done manually by master artists.
Painting as art
It is impossible not to note that national painting changes the very image of the product. It becomes more expressive at the level of color scheme, rhythm of lines and proportionality. Industrial “de-souled” goods become warm and alive through the efforts of artists. The latter is achieved by applying ornaments and elements of fine art (graphics and painting). Various types of painting create a special positive emotional background, in tune with the locality of the fishing industry.
Formally speaking, artistic painting is performed by applying paints to a specific surface with a brush. An important point should be noted: unlike painting, which models an integral space, painting is always fragmentary.
Specialist designers often talk about the phenomenon of Russian painting: it universally harmonizes with almost any style: minimalism, modern, country. The techniques created by ancient masters were honed by many generations of craftsmen in certain areas, creating a special stylistic expressiveness. Fortunately, in Russia of the 21st century, various types of painting have been preserved and are developing: Gzhel, Khokhloma, Boretskaya, Gorodets, Mezenskaya, Onega, Permogorskaya, Pizhemskaya, Polkhovsko-Paidanskaya, Puchuzhskaya, Rakulskaya. Let's consider the features of these original styles.
The emergence of Khokhloma
The ability to paint wood in golden color without using, in fact, gold was transferred to Khokhloma masters from schismatic icon painters, who discovered this know-how back in the 12th century in the secret wilderness of the forests of the Volga region. By the way, they were familiar with the crafts that provide painting: turning and the art of ancient ornament. Perhaps they were also familiar with ancient types of painting,
Khokhloma, a large trading village in the Nizhny Novgorod region of the Volga region, attracted skilled craftsmen like a magnet.
This, in modern terms, regional fair for a group of villages along the banks of the Uzola River worked not only for the Russian domestic market. Wealthy merchants bought large quantities of popular goods on it and transported them for export. Thus, the Khokhloma market was “under the radar” of both the domestic and foreign markets, which means that quality competition prevailed over price competition. A real incentive was created: the skill of a skilled person brought him tangible wealth.
According to research by specialists, in the period from the 12th to the 17th centuries, the Khokhloma style evolved, into which ancient Nizhny Novgorod types of wood painting were integrated.
In the period from the 17th to the 18th centuries, the Khokhloma style mainly took shape. In our time, its foci are:
Factory "Khokhloma Artist", which employs craftsmen from the villages of the Koverninsky district (Semino and others). Their paintings are dominated by wild flowers and wild berries;
Association "Khokhloma Painting", Semenov. Masters of association traditionally develop the theme of fantastic flowers.
Khokhloma technology
The monastic skill of the “fine brush” found application in the richest floral designs. The quality of the products played a big role. The art of Khokhloma presupposed the masters' adherence to a certain technology. It is characteristic that it has not changed to this day. Let us list its stages in order:
Turning a wooden piece of tableware (“linen”) on a lathe;
Priming the workpieces with a liquid solution of specially prepared clay (“shaft”). Nowadays, artificial primers are used for this purpose;
Tinning with tin or silver. Nowadays they use aluminum for this;
Artistic painting on wood and drying the product in an oven;
Varnishing and hot drying.
Intensive heat treatment of products determined the color scheme preferred by ancient Russian painters: a combination of gold and red cinnabar with black. Those. the temperature of Khokhloma stoves did not affect the brightness and contrast of such paints.
Methods of painting Khokhloma
Ancient types of wood painting, integrating into Khokhloma, determined its two systems: “background” and “mountain” writing. The name of the system itself contains a method for applying the main silhouette outlines.
The “top” system involves applying a colored silhouette outline directly onto a golden background. The background one forms a golden “contour” directly from the background, by “sketching” the space surrounding the “golden curls” with black and red colors by the master.
Each of the systems uses the same types of Khokhloma painting. There are only four of them: “curl”, “under the berry” (or “under the leaf”); “under the gingerbread”; "under the background."
“Kudrina” suggests a “grass” pattern painted with a very thin brush. It somewhat resembles sedge, however, curled with intricate harmonious dynamic rings. According to experts, this is the most ancient ornament.
“Under the berry” - painted with a thicker brush. In addition to the “herbal base”, leaves and berries already appear here. The plant form is stylized and combined. On the same “stem” you can see both chamomile and strawberry leaves.
“Gingerbread” painting involves playing with a certain geometric shape (most often a rhombus). The figure is enlivened by “bushes” on the sides and illuminated by the sun in the middle.
With the “under the background” method, the plant outline is sequentially drawn, after which the remaining free background is painted over, mostly black.
Thanks to the uniqueness of each master’s brush, Khokhloma is unique and inimitable. The types of painting we discussed above alternate on it, pleasing the eye with the harmony of golden, red and black colors.
Gzhel. Finding clay for porcelain
Gzhel as an art of artistic painting was born on the territory of the modern Ramensky district of the Moscow region. In the old days, these places were called Gzhel volost, and the villages of Bokhteevo, Volodino, Gzhel, Kuzyaevo, Novokharitonovo, Turygino were located in this area.
Until the 17th century, local peasants produced relatively primitive glazed pottery from clay. The situation changed thanks to the industrial development of local clays suitable for the production of porcelain. The starting point was the order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich to discover “clays suitable” for the production of apothecary vessels - in 1663.
The experiment was a success; in 1710, the pharmacy order began to use local raw materials. Pharmacists praised the quality of the clays, and the moment came when industrialists became interested in them. They were interested in raw materials suitable for the production of porcelain. By decree of the tsar, a commission was created in 1844, which included the owner of a porcelain factory in Moscow, Afanasy Grebenshchikov, and the engineer of the Porcelinovo manufactory, Dmitry Ivanovich Vinogradov, who received a mining engineering education at the University of Marburg. We spent five years searching for the right clay. In 1849, after eight months of research, clay was extracted from which first-class porcelain was produced. M.V. Lomonosov himself, a fellow student of Vinogradov, spoke highly of their quality.
Gzhel. Production development
Industrialist Grebenshchikov began using the found raw materials at his Moscow plant. However, the smart people from the village of Gzhel and the villages surrounding it, by the way, as we mentioned, already had pottery skills, also realized the benefits of using higher quality clays.
Things went briskly, since excellent consultants lived in the villages - production workers from A. Grebenshchikov's plant. In the period from 1750 to 1820, artisans produced majolica - oblong jugs, plates, mugs, and dishes. Ornamental painting was done with green, yellow, blue and eggplant paint on a white background. The image included a bird in the center, and around it were trees, bushes, and houses. (i.e. demonstrated primitive types of tableware painting). The dishes were in demand. Quality competition has arisen. The leaders were former pottery factories, producing high-quality semi-faience identical to “foreign” dishes.
The skill has been honed over 80 years, and since 1820, almost all Gzhel craftsmen have been producing semi-faience. This is the heyday of Gzhel art. The products of the masters can also be seen in the Hermitage. This tableware began to be considered the best and most elegant in Russia. Characteristic painted Gzhel teapots, bowls, and plates filled the houses of merchants and nobles, and taverns. The types of painting are being improved. Gzhel is bought all over the country, from Arkhangelsk to Astrakhan, and exported to Central Asia and the Middle East. Products are produced by approximately thirty factories. The following manufacturers are engaged in the production of Gzhel: Barmins, Guslins, Gusyatnikovs, Kiselevs, Terekhovs, Sazonovs.
Unfortunately, starting from 1860, Gzhel painting began to decline. Folk art, born of the competition of hundreds of small producers and dozens of medium-sized ones, is being squeezed out by the pragmatism of large monopolies. Among the monopolists, M. S. Kuznetsov stood out, with his five factories and annual output of 2.1 million rubles. The production capacity of all the others was 14% of Kuznetsov's. As a matter of fact, it was the manufacturer Kuznetsov who “crushed” creativity. Competition has gone, motivation has decreased, quality has decreased, and decline has set in.
How artists paint Gzhel
Gzhel is unique in that each master, using classical types of artistic painting, creates his own individual technique.
This is a subtle art. The principal role belongs to the experience of the master, which is manifested in the way the brush moves. At the same time, on the snowy whiteness of the porcelain, a harmonious color change is obtained from intense blue to blurry blue. All this is painted with one single paint - cobalt. The pattern is applied to the surface “the first time,” quickly.
Why is the artist's skill important? Initially, the real colors of the drawing are not visible (a feature of cobalt). Everything depicted seems to be one color, and only when the Gzhel is fired in the kiln will the design appear in full.
What is the composition of Gzhel? The central role in it is usually played by a decorated flower. To the sides of it there is a harmoniously meandering “herbal” plot, enriched with leaves and berries. It happens that animalistic scenes or those related to everyday life (for example, at home) are woven into this drawing.
How do you actually get a drawing like this? Types of artistic painting for “painted the first time” Gzhel actually come down to methods of applying a stroke. There are only four of them: a shaded brush stroke, painting with one brush, a sitchik pattern, as well as complementary images.
The network shaded brushstroke is characterized by a wide color range due to the varying intensity of cobalt application through a special turn of the brush by the artist.
Painting with one brush is characterized by the fact that each subsequent stroke is different in tone from the previous one. At the same time, the intensity of the strokes gradually decreases, they “lighten”.
The sitchik pattern is the thinnest. It is drawn with only one end of the brush.
The types of painting pictures used by Gzhel are not characterized by photographic replication of natural motifs, but are reinterpreted and presented in an unexpected configuration. The reinterpreted blue leaves and petals of blue tulips, asters, carnations, and roses depicted by the artist follow the contours of birds or animals. Sometimes they outline stylized everyday objects or objects (for example, peasant huts).
Complementary images of the “grass” type - tendrils, spirals, shading elements, various strokes, geometric fragments - give the image completeness and create the necessary accents.
The emergence of Polkhov-Maidan painting
Russian folk painting is diverse. Its types in all their diversity, perhaps, can be described in a specialized monograph, but not in an article. Therefore, our task is more modest. We have already named the most “promoted” types of painting: Khokhloma and Gzhel. However, there are others, they are all original and there are quite a lot of them. Let's name a few: Boretskaya, Gorodetskaya, Mezenskaya, Onezhskaya, Permogorskaya, Pizhemskaya, Polkhovsko-Maidanskaya, Puchuzhskaya, Rakulskaya, etc. Without being able to talk in detail about all of them in this article, we will present a description of the only one of them - Polkhov-Maidan.
This painting originated at the beginning of the 20th century in the Voznesensky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Here in the villages of Polkhovsky Maidan and in the village of Voznesenskoye at the end of the 18th century there was a turning trade of the monks of the Sarov Monastery. Peasants also learned the craft of turning, becoming skilled craftsmen in the manufacture of wooden utensils. The craftsmen also made, as they called it, “tararushki”, i.e. items for fun: whistles, mushrooms, nesting dolls, Easter eggs, children’s toys.
The impetus for the creation of painting was the acquisition of a burning apparatus by the peasant Polin Pavel Nikitich, and since 1926 the awakened creativity of the peasants led them to painting products with oil paints, and since 1933 they were replaced by aniline paints.
After the creativity of the Polkhovites was adopted by the Zagorsk, Merinovo, and Semenovtsy people, new types of painting of nesting dolls were created (we will touch on this topic later).
Technology of the Polkhov-Maidan style of painting
First, the surface of the wooden product was sanded and primed with starch paste. Then the outline of the drawing was drawn in ink, after which the painting was done. For this, paints of four colors were used: red, yellow, green and blue. Then the “pointing” was carried out, a characteristic artistic stage of the Polkhov-Maidan style, which consisted of outlining the outline of the drawing in black. Let us add that this type of painting involves a technique such as overlaying colors.
This type of art also uses a special technique of contourless painting.
We mentioned this type of painting for a reason. It flourished in the USSR until the 90s inclusive. Five thousand people worked at the Voznesensk factory. Of these, 40% are artists who carry out painting, the rest are turners. They approached work creatively, and there was a creative laboratory at the factory. Products were exported to the USA and European countries. Today, the traditions laid down by the factory are being developed by entrepreneurs.
Her Majesty Matryoshka
Russian painting did not always develop evolutionarily. Its views sometimes arose unexpectedly - not from “the depths of centuries.” They were generated by the insight of one creative Russian master. This is what happened with the nesting doll. It is not a native Russian invention.
The matryoshka appeared in Rus' in the 19th century in Sergiev Posad. In 1898, the wife of the artist Sergei Vasilyevich Malyutin brought from Japan a figurine of the old man Fukuruma, which contained four more figures (by the way, according to Japanese legend, the first such figurine was made by a Russian monk). Sergei Vasilievich rethought her idea “in Russian”. A brilliant idea arose - to model a typical Russian family. The name Matryona was then popular in Rus'. In addition, as Milyutin believed, it echoed the ancient Roman name for the mother of the family.
Sergei Vasilievich made a drawing of a figurine with eight attachments. The woman was followed by her daughter with a black rooster, then by her son, then by a girl again, the eighth figure was a baby. Their shapes were carved from wood by turner V.P. Zvezdochkin. Sergei Vasilievich himself painted the figure.
Production of nesting dolls. Types of painting
The worldwide popularity of the nesting doll and its recognition by the world dates back to 1900, when it “went out into the world” - to the World Exhibition in Paris.
Could folk art pass by the nesting doll? Already in 1899, the entire Sergiev Posad was producing new charming dolls: girls and women, ruddy, in caftans and aprons or in scarves and sundresses, with baskets, pets, birds, flowers. The Zagorsky style (as you know, Sergiev Posad was renamed Zagorsk) was distinguished by its picturesqueness and attention to small details.
Since 1922, matryoshka dolls also began to be produced in the village of Merinov in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The local turner A.F. Mayorov, having bought a Sergievskaya matryoshka doll, turned “his own”. His daughter painted the figures. The Merinians quickly mastered the production of these complex figurines. The Merinovskaya nesting doll is emphatically bright, although with less detail than the Zagorsk one.
The third “deposit of nesting dolls” was the village of Polkhovsky Maidan, famous for its turners and painting. The Polkhovskaya nesting doll has its own characteristic features:
A face painted fleetingly, in small strokes;
The place of the outlines of the scarf and the lines of the sundress (skirt), from the back 2/3 of the matryoshka is painted scarlet (red) or green. The color of the scarf contrasts with it. A spruce rose flower is painted in the area of the matryoshka’s forehead. The apron is marked - from the neck to the ground. The apron painting is grouped “along an oval”. In the middle there is a branch with an open rose, leaves, and berries. The composition is complemented by daisies and forget-me-nots.
The most difficult to make is considered the nesting doll from Vyatka, which local craftsmen inlay with straw.
Conclusion
Russian artistic painting as a type of decorative and applied art is based on a deep folk tradition, on people’s awareness of what the Motherland is, what a family is. It is connected with the centuries-old life of our ancestors, so painted products carry a charge of warmth, humanity, and a creative attitude to life. They really decorate the life of a modern person, they replace “impersonality” and introduce elements of decorating the living space.
Artistic painting also adds some accents to our lives, reminding us of continuity, the Motherland, and the universal human duty of every person to make life around us more beautiful.
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