The doll “Visiting the Queen” by Anna Ivanovna Zueva was inspired by a poem of the same name by Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak and was featured in the exhibition “Angels of Joy” at the Irbit State Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibition showcased works donated to the museum by doll artists from the Perm Art Doll Gallery and the “Angels of Joy” Gallery.
Crafted entirely by hand without the use of ready-made molds, this one-of-a-kind piece was created according to the artist’s individual vision. Materials such as papier-mâché, textiles, plastic, and acrylic paints were carefully combined to bring the doll to life. Zueva’s vivid creativity transforms the doll into a unique and original artistic piece. Unlike many other genres of contemporary art, doll art allows greater freedom in form and materials — and this doll has been widely celebrated by both professional doll artists and the general public.
The doll on display is a remarkable three-dimensional character, rich in finely crafted details. The Queen sits upon a tall cherry-wood throne in Gothic style. Her face and hands are rendered in a striking, luminous white, harmonizing with her pristine white gown. Its hem is adorned with elegant, stylized gold embroidery. A high, starched ruff collar — crafted in the 17th-century Spanish fashion — accentuates the aristocratic slenderness of the Queen.
The heroine’s features are delicate: thin, tightly pressed lips, an elegant long nose, and a stern gaze imbued with an enigmatic spiritual sadness. This austerity is tenderly softened by a small cherry-colored kitten curled in the Queen’s lap. The cat, fast asleep, rests its head trustingly on the monarch’s hand. The Queen’s slender legs, faintly visible beneath the dress’s hem, lend the figure a fragile, almost childlike vulnerability.
Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that this is not merely a stern ruler, but a lonely soul in quiet need of warmth and affection — just like any of us. Through this doll, the artist expands upon Marshak’s simple quatrain, transforming the whimsical tale of a cat at court into a poignant meditation on solitude, empathy, and the universal longing for connection.
