Ivan Golikov created the ‘Deer Hunt’ miniature in 1935. He painted it on an oval tray. The form of the object set the composition’s rhythm: all movement is directed inwards towards the centre — the agitated hunters, the rushing horses, and the furious hounds. The deer is graciously making his last stand, desperately trying to dash away in vain. The floral ornament is the background for the entire scene — leaves and branches call to mind the images of the forests where the beast is hunted.
The artist did an excellent job portraying human emotions — thrill and passion. These emotions are here represented not with facial expressions, but with expressive poses and gestures — it is traditional for the Palekh icon painting.
The color palette plays an important role in the “Deer Hunt.” The artist did not aim to recreate natural colors as they are seen in the wild. The colorful figures of hunters and animals become a decorative ornament of sorts on the tray’s surface.
Ivan Golikov commented on the birth of his miniatures: ‘I threw paints all over my items. In a word, I made use of the field flowers, and based my work on them. At a glance, I thought I painted a bouquet — but a closer look revealed a fight scene or a celebration.’
Ivan Golikov was born in 1886 and passed away in 1937. He was one of the forefathers of the Palekh lacquer miniature. He painted real-life plots while adhering to the traditions of the iconography. It was this original artist who defined a whole new art direction: transforming the ordinary world, and imbuing earthly things with divine beauty.
The vast heritage of Golikov’s miniatures is a kind of an encyclopedia of life. He had an eye for recognizing the wide spectrum of emotions that a person could feel. He had a special passion for plots like the “Deer Hunt”. In Palekh, he was known as the master of three things: horse, battle, and troika.
Trays were not often used as painting objects in Palekh. The people of Palekh traditionally painted on papier-mâché items. But Ivan Golikov was an all-around innovator, finding new objects to paint. He painted on the smooth rocks from the sea, on glass, on wood, and even on metal, as we see here. His choice of tray for painting is reminiscent of the initial connection between Palekh miniatures and the works of Fedoskino masters.
The artist did an excellent job portraying human emotions — thrill and passion. These emotions are here represented not with facial expressions, but with expressive poses and gestures — it is traditional for the Palekh icon painting.
The color palette plays an important role in the “Deer Hunt.” The artist did not aim to recreate natural colors as they are seen in the wild. The colorful figures of hunters and animals become a decorative ornament of sorts on the tray’s surface.
Ivan Golikov commented on the birth of his miniatures: ‘I threw paints all over my items. In a word, I made use of the field flowers, and based my work on them. At a glance, I thought I painted a bouquet — but a closer look revealed a fight scene or a celebration.’
Ivan Golikov was born in 1886 and passed away in 1937. He was one of the forefathers of the Palekh lacquer miniature. He painted real-life plots while adhering to the traditions of the iconography. It was this original artist who defined a whole new art direction: transforming the ordinary world, and imbuing earthly things with divine beauty.
The vast heritage of Golikov’s miniatures is a kind of an encyclopedia of life. He had an eye for recognizing the wide spectrum of emotions that a person could feel. He had a special passion for plots like the “Deer Hunt”. In Palekh, he was known as the master of three things: horse, battle, and troika.
Trays were not often used as painting objects in Palekh. The people of Palekh traditionally painted on papier-mâché items. But Ivan Golikov was an all-around innovator, finding new objects to paint. He painted on the smooth rocks from the sea, on glass, on wood, and even on metal, as we see here. His choice of tray for painting is reminiscent of the initial connection between Palekh miniatures and the works of Fedoskino masters.
