In the foreground of Boris Merkulov’s painting, we see an aged man looking keenly at the spectator. He has a tired face, a calm look full of dignity, a high open forehead. From the left, the man’s figure is lit by the fire from the oven discernable at the back.
The blacksmith is wearing a dark shirt and a black apron protecting him at work. The sleeves are turned up. It seems that the artist depicted a man who just decided to take breath for a couple of minutes. The blacksmith’s pose suggests that, after a short break, he will resume his work. His hands are resting on a hammer standing on the anvil.
Boris Merkulov represented not a fictitious character, but a real man who worked at the machine building plant in the city of Uzlovaya in the Tula Region. Some time ago, city machine building plant “Crane” was one of major town-forming enterprises. The plant was famous not only in Russia, but also in other countries.
The need in commissioning a machine building plant was due to active development of coal industry in the Moscow lignite basin. Starting from the 1950s, “Crane” manufactured equipment for mining works, belt conveyors, and other products. In the 90s, the enterprise changed its specialization and started to produce children’s bicycles.
The artist depicted an experienced blacksmith in the middle of the working shift. His whole figure emanates power, tranquility, and self-confidence, his strong hands resting on the hammer handle, his face reflecting flames from a glowing oven.
Boris K. Merkulov who painted the blacksmith was born on November 27, 1939, in the Khrenovoye village of the Voronezh Region. Since 1965, he has been living in Uzlovaya of the Tula Region. Natural artist, he worked as an interior designer at the ‘Plastic’ Factory and ‘Uzlovskugol’ Workers’ Supply Department.
Since 1970, Merkulov has regularly participated in exhibitions of city and regional levels. The artist has mastered not only painting and graphic art, but also creates amazingly beautiful pieces using the techniques of wood carving, sculpture, and metalsmithing.
For almost 20 years, since 1999, Boris Merkulov has been working in the Uzlovsky Museum of Fine Arts and Local History supplementing its collection with his creations. They include portraits of famous local people, images of different corners of Uzlovaya, landscapes and still lifes. The exhibition also features Boris Merkulov’s sculptures. Some of his pieces were handed over to other museums of the Tula Region.
The blacksmith is wearing a dark shirt and a black apron protecting him at work. The sleeves are turned up. It seems that the artist depicted a man who just decided to take breath for a couple of minutes. The blacksmith’s pose suggests that, after a short break, he will resume his work. His hands are resting on a hammer standing on the anvil.
Boris Merkulov represented not a fictitious character, but a real man who worked at the machine building plant in the city of Uzlovaya in the Tula Region. Some time ago, city machine building plant “Crane” was one of major town-forming enterprises. The plant was famous not only in Russia, but also in other countries.
The need in commissioning a machine building plant was due to active development of coal industry in the Moscow lignite basin. Starting from the 1950s, “Crane” manufactured equipment for mining works, belt conveyors, and other products. In the 90s, the enterprise changed its specialization and started to produce children’s bicycles.
The artist depicted an experienced blacksmith in the middle of the working shift. His whole figure emanates power, tranquility, and self-confidence, his strong hands resting on the hammer handle, his face reflecting flames from a glowing oven.
Boris K. Merkulov who painted the blacksmith was born on November 27, 1939, in the Khrenovoye village of the Voronezh Region. Since 1965, he has been living in Uzlovaya of the Tula Region. Natural artist, he worked as an interior designer at the ‘Plastic’ Factory and ‘Uzlovskugol’ Workers’ Supply Department.
Since 1970, Merkulov has regularly participated in exhibitions of city and regional levels. The artist has mastered not only painting and graphic art, but also creates amazingly beautiful pieces using the techniques of wood carving, sculpture, and metalsmithing.
For almost 20 years, since 1999, Boris Merkulov has been working in the Uzlovsky Museum of Fine Arts and Local History supplementing its collection with his creations. They include portraits of famous local people, images of different corners of Uzlovaya, landscapes and still lifes. The exhibition also features Boris Merkulov’s sculptures. Some of his pieces were handed over to other museums of the Tula Region.
