The lacquer box “Dubrovsky”, based on the eponymous novel by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, is one of the true masterpieces painted by the Mstyora miniature artist Nikolai Prokopievich Klykov (1871–1944).
The miniature depicts the climactic scene when robbers attack the wedding procession. Someone stops the horses, clinging to the harness, while the others drag the coachman and the postilion to the ground. One of the “robbers”, Dubrovsky, is depicted from the back. He opens the carriage with Masha in a wedding dress and her husband, Prince Vereisky. The figures are painted from different angles, with complex head poses; the dynamic scene conveys the dramatic momentum of the situation. Although the scene looks realistic, it is nonspecific and generalized as a typical lacquer miniature.
The pictorial space is arranged in three levels. The first one is a narrow strip of land with hillocks and grass. The second one is the scene of the attack, taking place against a background of a wonderful landscape, reminiscent of a stage set.
The miniature is suffused with the soft light of a warm summer day. Yellowish pink clouds and the transparent turquoise sky behind the forest enhance the feeling of a natural light-air environment, conveyed by the techniques of miniature painting: bleach preparation, transitions, glazing, and highlights. The miniature does not “decorate” the object — it has its own artistic value and does not interfere with the perception of the box as a whole. This effect is enhanced by the ornamental band, painted with gold leaf on the sides of the lid, as well as the inscription “Dubrovsky” together with “N.P. Klykov” and “Mstyora. 1940” at the bottom.
Mstyora is a well-known icon-painting and modern craft center in the Vladimir region. The Mstyora icon painting principles were used in miniature painting. After the 1917 revolution, this enabled the artists to make a quick switch to working with tempera paints on papier-mâché. Unlike their Palekh counterparts, the artisans in Mstyora painted on whitewash instead of a black background — this brought a subtlety of hues. Another direction — the ornamental one — also became prominent among the craftsmen. Yurin was the first artist to master the craft and teach the next generation of miniature painters.
The miniature depicts the climactic scene when robbers attack the wedding procession. Someone stops the horses, clinging to the harness, while the others drag the coachman and the postilion to the ground. One of the “robbers”, Dubrovsky, is depicted from the back. He opens the carriage with Masha in a wedding dress and her husband, Prince Vereisky. The figures are painted from different angles, with complex head poses; the dynamic scene conveys the dramatic momentum of the situation. Although the scene looks realistic, it is nonspecific and generalized as a typical lacquer miniature.
The pictorial space is arranged in three levels. The first one is a narrow strip of land with hillocks and grass. The second one is the scene of the attack, taking place against a background of a wonderful landscape, reminiscent of a stage set.
The miniature is suffused with the soft light of a warm summer day. Yellowish pink clouds and the transparent turquoise sky behind the forest enhance the feeling of a natural light-air environment, conveyed by the techniques of miniature painting: bleach preparation, transitions, glazing, and highlights. The miniature does not “decorate” the object — it has its own artistic value and does not interfere with the perception of the box as a whole. This effect is enhanced by the ornamental band, painted with gold leaf on the sides of the lid, as well as the inscription “Dubrovsky” together with “N.P. Klykov” and “Mstyora. 1940” at the bottom.
Mstyora is a well-known icon-painting and modern craft center in the Vladimir region. The Mstyora icon painting principles were used in miniature painting. After the 1917 revolution, this enabled the artists to make a quick switch to working with tempera paints on papier-mâché. Unlike their Palekh counterparts, the artisans in Mstyora painted on whitewash instead of a black background — this brought a subtlety of hues. Another direction — the ornamental one — also became prominent among the craftsmen. Yurin was the first artist to master the craft and teach the next generation of miniature painters.
