Kholuy arts and crafts jewelry. Kholuy painting

History of Kholuy miniatures

Initially, the masters of the village. Kholui painted icons. These were mostly inexpensive works intended for rural population. Work was also carried out for the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Miniatures began to be created in the village only after October revolution. Consequently, this fishery can be considered the youngest of all similar ones. Eg, Palekh miniature arose much earlier - in the 17th century. The first Kholuy works were not made on boxes or caskets. At the suggestion of A.V. Bakushinsky, in order to save money, it was decided to draw miniatures simply on sheets of cardboard. As a result, the images began to resemble ordinary works easel painting. Therefore, gradually the Kholuy masters finally switched to decorative design household items made of papier-mâché. Artistic artel lacquer painting was created in 1934.

Recognition of the Kholuy miniature did not come immediately. However, artel artists such as K. Kosterin, S. Mokin, D. Dobrynin, V. Puzanov-Molev made every effort to develop their own unique style. The colossal work they carried out yielded positive results. In 1937, the Kholuy miniature received a bronze medal at the World Exhibition in Paris. She exhibited at famous world exhibitions in subsequent years.

After the Great Patriotic War The plots and themes of Kholuy miniatures become much more diverse. At this time, the features of a new, absolutely original and unique direction of Russian lacquer craft, different from the works of Palekh, Fedoskin and Mstera, began to appear. Kholuy miniatures are widely exported abroad - to the USA, Canada, Italy, Spain, England and other countries.

Today, this type of lacquer craft has undergone significant changes. Over the years of the existence of Kholuy miniatures, the artists of the workshop have completely overcome some of the shortcomings and limitations of the images. Modern Kholuy miniature bears clearly visible personality traits and has a unique appearance. Nowadays, Kholuy Miniature LLC operates on the territory of the village of Kholui. Decorative products from this workshop can also be purchased on the Internet.

Distinctive features of Kholuy miniatures

The works of the Kholui masters differ from the lacquer miniatures of Palekh and Mstera, first of all, color scheme. When creating images, brown-orange and bluish-green tones are mostly used. The Kholuy miniature is not as detailed as the Palekh miniature. Gold paint it is used much sparingly. In addition, there are significant differences in the choice of topics themselves. Realistic scenes are often used. To the main distinctive features lacquer products from the village of Kholui can also be classified as:

Presence of ornament;
. mixing of temporary subjects. A similar technique was typical for Old Russian icon painting. The themes of Kholuy miniatures are often narrative in nature;
. decorative expressiveness of plots;
. use of epic and historical themes.

The range of subjects is unusually wide. In addition to epic and historical, fabulous and literary topics. You can often see on Kholuy items picturesque landscapes. The interest in the image is also noteworthy architectural objects. The city landscapes with detailed buildings of St. Petersburg, Suzdal, Kizhi and other Russian cities are incredibly beautiful. At the same time, dense images of architecture alternate with openwork greenery. Against a black background, all this looks incredibly impressive.

Landscape is often introduced into the most different topics images. In style it is somewhat reminiscent of Mstera. The difference is in greater graphics. The Kholuy miniature is not cluttered big amount small parts. On boxes, caskets and caskets decorated at the beginning of the last century, you can often see themes of the Civil and Patriotic War, revolutionary events 1917. Also in the 20th century, Kholui masters sometimes gave preference to actual subjects from the then Soviet life. For example, some items are decorated with images on the theme of space exploration.

Exhibits of Kholuy lacquer miniatures are presented in many major museums in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ivanovo, etc. An exhibition is also open in the village itself. The Kholui Village Museum was founded in 1959 on the initiative of a group of artists - A. V. Kryukov, K. V. Kosterin, B. V. Tikhonov and others.

Since ancient times, icon painting has been a hereditary activity here. The convenient location of the village provided close connections with many cities in the Moscow region, which has always contributed to high sales.

These were mostly popular icons that did not require any special production. However, there were also things done at a high artistic level.

With coming Soviet power, iconography became irrelevant. It was forbidden to paint icons and the craft began to fade away.

This art would have been lost if not for chance. The artists of Palekh came up with the idea of ​​painting boxes and snuff boxes. This initiative was supported by Maxim Gorky. Then the idea spread to other lacquer miniature centers.

Development

In 1934, an artistic artel was created in Kholuy, engaged in painting varnish products. Thanks to such enthusiastic masters as S. Mokin, K. Kosterin, V. Puzanov-Molev and D. Dobrynin, the authority of lacquer miniatures grew steadily.

In 1937, at the World Exhibition, bronze medals were awarded to the masters. Prominent representatives lacquer miniatures are Valentin Fomin, Boris Tikhonravov, Nikolai Baburin, Boris Kiselev, Nikolai Denisov, Pavel Ivakin, and other artists, whose works are widely represented in the Kholuy Lacquer Miniature Museum.

IN post-war years in the art of the Kholuy masters, originality and individual style began to emerge more and more clearly, visibly different from the art of masters from other places (such as Fedoskino, Palekh and Mstera).

In our time

Now, along with miniatures, decorative lacquer panels are being created. Along with the traditional black background, rich red, green and cherry colors are increasingly being used.

A wide variety of subjects are written: historical, folklore, literary, as well as modern, including still life and landscape. The art of icon painting is also being revived.

Lacquer products from Kholui are in demand in countries such as England, USA, Italy, Spain, and Canada.

Basic traditional techniques

• All products are made entirely by hand
• Artistic and ornamental compositions are used to decorate products
• The painting uses the traditions of icon painting with tempera paints diluted on egg emulsion
• Methods of decoration based on gold leaf and created gold
• the ancient method of applying paints using melts is used, maintaining a certain sequence: priming, painting and varnish protection

Along with the epics and fairy tales masters depict compositions reflecting modern life.

Products

Currently in the village. The Kholuy art factory of lacquer miniatures operates in Kholuy. The company produces boxes for various purposes, utensils - candlesticks, decorative panels, business card holders and more. Art is being revived

Photo gallery

Helpful information

Initial difference

The fundamental difference between Kholuy miniatures and other similar productions was laid down from the very beginning: on the advice of art critic A.V. Bakushinsky, who was involved in the development of folk crafts, in order to save money, craftsmen were trained to work not on objects planned for painting, but on sheets of cardboard painted in black color and varnished. The main difference between Kholuy painting is the use of bluish-green and brown-orange tones. The Kholuy miniatures are not only more realistic compared to the miniatures of Palekh and Mstera, but also more decorative than those from Fedoskino.

The most ancient icon painters

Scientists believe that perhaps the first icon painters were the monks of the Kholuy Trinity Monastery, which belonged to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. A document has been preserved in which Archimandrite Athanasius gives instructions “to recruit ten children from 12 to 15 years old in Kholuy to study painting with Hieromonk Pavel.” Thanks to this evidence, the Kholuy icon painting school can be considered the oldest among the rest - Palekh and Mstera.

Image of a person

Another significant difference between the art of lackey is great attention to the image of a person. Whether it's the Snow Maiden or Prophetic Oleg- the figures are always monumental, they are not lost in the background. The images are expressive and well written. You can feel the character of the characters.

Icon painting style of Kholui

The Kholuys, unlike the Msterets and Paleshans, easily deviated from the strict canons of icon painting and introduced features into the images popular popular print. And yet, in the cursive Kholuy icons, to a greater extent than in the Mstera and Palekh icons, the deepest folk traditions Vladimir-Suzdal letters of the 14th century, which is expressed in laconicism and imagery figurative language, in the emphasized monumentality of the composition.

“The villagers, who do not understand the reverence for the books of divine scripture, paint holy icons without any reasoning or fear.”

From the royal decree of 1667

Distinguish from fakes

• True factory products are based only on papier-mâché molds.
• All products have a brand mark on the bottom side, which is covered with a layer of varnish.
• The product is accompanied by a certificate in two languages, which indicates the name of the artist, size and name of the product.
• On the product, along the lower edge, there is a signature indicating the title and name of the author.
• If the product is not the author’s, next to the name must be added “isp” - the artist. This means that this is a copy from the author's sample.

Care and storage

• Products decorated with lacquer painting, manufactured in factory conditions, have a durable layer of protective varnish.
• It is advisable to wipe the outside of the varnish surface of the box with a dry piece of flannel, felt or plush.
• Dampness, direct sunlight, and location near heating radiators are harmful to the box.
• It is undesirable to use damp cloths, as they leave streaks on the varnish surface.
• If necessary, you can wipe the surface with a polished furniture cleaner.

In one of the previous articles, we talked about the famous folk craft that originated and still lives in the village of Palekh, Ivanovo region - Palekh lacquer miniatures. But not everyone knows that 39 kilometers from the village there is another one, called Kholuy, where for several decades all kinds of souvenirs and products, known as Kholuy miniatures, have been created. Despite the fact that both techniques are similar in execution, each of them has its own uniqueness.

Today we will tell you about the features of the Kholuy craft, its history, and, of course, show you some wonderful samples!

Origins

Like the Palekh technique, Kholuy painting has its origins in icon painting. U memories in chronicles about talented icon painters in the village can be found already in early XVII century. The local icon painting style had a number of specific and unique features that distinguished the icons of the Kholuy masters. Some researchers agree that it’s all about the picturesque area surrounding the village, which greatly contributed to the awakening creativity from residents.

Initially, as elsewhere, icons were painted exclusively by monks. Over time, they begin to teach ordinary villagers their art, and for enough short term Kholui is turning into one of the leading icon painting centers. Opens art school, icon painting workshops begin work. Kholuy icons are not only sent to largest temples and cathedrals of the country, but even participate in world exhibitions. But the revolution of 1917 fell not only on Palekh artists, but also on their neighbors: religion was banned, and icons were no longer needed.

Talented craftsmen were left without their life's work. At first they had to write so-called “rugs” - that is, reproductions of various famous paintings for sale. It’s easy to imagine the torment he is experiencing creative person, with his ideas and inspiration, forced to resort to such work. As a result, several masters united and even formed an artel to work together in search of their unique path. This is how Kholuy painting was born.

Development

The growing popularity of the craft began in the 60s, when the Kholuy factory of artistic lacquer miniatures was founded. Already in 1961, products began to appear on international market: First an order was received from London, then from the USA, Germany, Belgium, France and Italy. Such success contributed to the rapid development of art, and also increased the prestige of traditional Russian artistic crafts in general.

The company's craftsmen begin to produce not only miniatures, but also colorful lacquer panels, and production runs reach more than 700 pieces. Today the factory is still operating in full force, and for more than 80 years the technique of performance has not undergone any changes - traditions are protected very carefully.

Features of the fishery

Classical plots are fantasies on the theme of Russian folklore (fairy-tale and epic motifs), the history of the country, and literary works.The technique is characterized by a harmonious combination of realistic forms and increased color decorativeness, which makes the products colorful and attractive.Like the Palekh masterpieces, the Kholuy miniature is painted with tempera paints (which came from iconographic tradition). Often the design is decorated with gold leaf.

Kholui is the youngest craft of lacquer painting on papier-mâché. The miniature of Kholui, along with the miniature of Palekh, Mstera and Fedoskin, is one of the most developed and popular types decorative arts. In 1934, an artistic artel was created in Kholuy, engaged in painting varnish products. However, Kholui found his artistic language much later than Palekh and Mstera. This historically determined lag in the craft contributed to the emergence of a clear underestimation of the young Kholuy art both on the part of masters of related crafts and on the part of individual specialists. Until the 50s of the twentieth century, people used to look at Kholui as a new, completely unformed variety of lacquer painting. It was believed that Kholui did not have his own artistic personality, that his miniatures were imitative art, artistically inferior. Now it has become quite obvious to most that Kholuy’s miniature is not only a unique art that has great prospects for development, but also innovative art.

Like the Palekh and Mstera miniatures on papier-mâché items, the art of modern Kholuy originates from local icon painting. Her characteristic features there was a relatively realistic interpretation of images, picturesque manners and multi-colored colors.

Kholui's miniature has a lot common features with miniatures of other related crafts and, above all, with the art of Palekh and Mstera. At the same time Kholuy miniature It has a number of features that distinguish it as an independent art form of decorative varnish painting.

The themes of the works of Kholuy masters differ little from the themes of miniatures of other centers in lacquer painting. Kholuy's masters work on approximately the same range of subjects, tested in varnishes from the point of view of their compliance with the possibilities of decorative solutions in miniature on papier-mâché. However, in its creative activity lackeys pay more attention historical topics, rather than fairy-tale and epic, which is explained by the inclination of Kholuy’s masters to concretely real reproduction of the phenomena of reality. Among the works written on contemporary themes of the 30s of the 20th century, works devoted to the work and life of the people of the collective farm village predominate. Fairy tale and literary themes in Kholuy are represented much more narrowly than in Palekh and Mstera. From miniatures written on literary themes, most of it is devoted to the works of Pushkin, Lermontov and Gogol, as well as the Russian epic "The Tale of Igor's Campaign". Decorative landscape is developing as an independent genre in Kholui.

In Kholuy, as in other centers of lacquer miniatures, there is a great inclination of masters towards narrative, entertaining stories. Thus, along with single-subject miniatures written on the lids of boxes, multi-subject, or multi-stamp miniatures are common, in which, through a conventionally single landscape, various moments dedicated to any one topic are combined, for example, various subjects from one literary work or several works, Peruvian one author (“Boyarin Orsha”, “Lermontov and his works”), as well as mutually complementary compositions made on the surface of multi-sided boxes and caskets. The technique of a sequential story (from mark to mark or from facet to facet) allows masters, in the presence of limited expressiveness of the faces and hands of the depicted characters, to reveal more fully and deeply favorite topic. In addition, a multi-plot, or multi-brand, composition keeps artists from violating the scales and principles of solution that are acceptable in miniatures when painting large surfaces.

The space in Kholuy miniature is built in stages and tiers (“Prophetic Oleg”, “Lermontov”). Objects in Kholuy miniatures are located not one after another, but one above the other. The power of color backgrounds in miniature it is much more intense than in painting, due to which objects located behind come closer to objects in the foreground. Violation of the rules of perspective is caused by the need to preserve the surface of a thing and thereby achieve the integrity of the entire work of art.

Relative specificity and clarity artistic language speaking in forms and colors that approximate reality is one of distinctive features Kholuy miniature painting.

The desire of Kholuy masters to concretize what is depicted can be observed both in the drawing and in the coloring of their miniatures. Bringing the drawing closer to real proportions and outlines, and the coloring to the natural coloring of objects, the masters at the same time maintain the necessary degree of decorative convention, which imparts poetic elation to their creations.

The color scheme of the Kholuy miniatures is built in one of two keys - warm, with a predominance of sandy-orange tone, and cold blue-green, enlivened by contrasts of additional tones. Gold and silver are used only when depicting shiny metal objects or patterns. The ornament in Kholui is restrained and strict, subject to realistic principles of writing.

Soviet era dictated her demands for art. It was necessary to meet the requirements of “socialist realism”. Working on modern theme, the Kholuy master had to not only select and summarize the material of reality that he needed to create artistic image, but also find again most means of artistic expression, since many of the traditional decorative and conventional techniques of Kholuy miniatures cannot be used here with the same freedom and completeness as when solving fairy tale images.

The foundations of Kholuy miniature were laid by three the oldest masters fishing - S.A. Mokin, K.V. Kosterin and V.D. Puzanov, who played a huge role in the formation of Kholuy’s style. Having many common features in their work, they at the same time were very different in their individual artistic style.

IN Soviet time The range of topics is expanding. Reflected in miniatures folk tale, a beautiful local landscape not only as a background, but also as independent genre. Kholuy artists pay much more attention than before to depicting figures in movement, which becomes more varied and convincing, which is very important in miniature, which many states of mind conveys a person not through his facial expression, but through the movement of figures and rhythm in the landscape or setting around him. The place and time of action are specified, the characters are individualized. More and more higher value in plot-dramatic miniatures a landscape plays significant role in creating a particular mood that matches the content of the miniature. More and more new motifs are being introduced that have not yet been depicted in Kholuy miniatures (various trees, plants, architecture, etc.). Get richer compositional techniques and color, although in some cases artists still fail to achieve true harmony in both. The masters of the younger generation are developing bright, individual manners.

Making a Kholuy box is a long and labor-intensive process, the secrets of which have been preserved since the inception of this art craft and are known only to Kholuy craftsmen. On initial stage To create a unique Kholuy lacquer miniature from high-quality wood cardboard, multilayer tubes are pressed, the shape and size of which are very diverse. These tubes are called coils. They are soaked in hot linseed oil and then dried in special ovens until the oil hardens. The Kholuy master makes a blank of a future lacquer miniature from such a material - a semi-finished product on which primer is to be applied. Prime the boxes with the mixture linseed oil, soot and clay. The dried soil is sanded and the box is painted with red and black varnish, after which it falls into the hands of an artist who knows the secrets of creating a unique lacquer miniature of Kholuy. The recipe for making paints used in Kholui to create lacquer miniatures has come down from time immemorial. Masters used these colors ancient Rus', creating his famous iconography. Mineral powder is ground together with egg yolk, water and vinegar. Properly prepared paints are one of the components of an artist’s successful work when creating a lacquer miniature. The ornament is made with specially prepared gold leaf with the addition of cherry resin, which gives the Kholuy lacquer miniature originality and uniqueness. To add shine to lacquer miniatures, gold is polished with a wolf's tooth. The painted box is covered with several layers of varnish. The varnish coating is leveled on special cloth wheels. The final stage creating lacquer miniatures - polishing. The varnish is polished until the smallest scratches disappear. High-quality polishing emphasizes the artistic merits of a lacquer miniature, revealing its brightness and depth.

The village of Kholui, the birthplace of the famous lacquer miniatures and icon painting, is one of ancient settlements, located 360 km. from Moscow, currently a village in the Yuzhsky district of the Ivanovo region on the Teza River.

Kholuy in Rus' was the name for fishing dams (nets) woven from willow trees, with the help of which they blocked the river diagonally and not across its entire width. There is a version that the settlement of the Suzdal people who fled from the Mongol-Tatars, where the “kholuis on the Tez” were built, was named Kholui.

Also S.V. Maksimov reported that the name of the village means the bank of a river, to which the current brings sand, various garbage and whole trees, and that in this meaning the word “lakie” was preserved in the North, while in the village itself its meaning was forgotten.

The first mention of Kholuy as a settlement in Suzdal district dates back to XVI century. In 1546, the first historical records about Kholuy appeared: “...they have new salts on Kholuy, in the Ryapolovsky Starodub, brewhouses and pipes and courtyards” - mentioned in the charter of Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich. From this time on, local art was born traditional icon painting, which flourished in the 17th century. Local icon painting was distinguished by the introduction of everyday scenes into the subjects of icons; Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in one of his decrees prohibited this non-canonical nature. Since the 1930s, icon painting has been replaced by lacquer miniatures. (Wikipedia)

WITH early XVIII V. The art of icon painting and lacquer miniatures in Kholui is developing quite quickly. Kholuy icon painting and lacquer miniatures are supplied to the northern provinces of Russia: Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Olonets, St. Petersburg and the capital itself. Kholuy also receives orders for famous icon painting and lacquer miniatures from abroad: Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia.

"Firebird" (Krotov V.A.)

Making a Kholuy box is a long and labor-intensive process, the secrets of which have been preserved since the inception of this art craft and are known only to Kholuy craftsmen.

"Lel" (Baburin N.I.)

At the initial stage of creating a unique Kholuy lacquer miniature, multilayer tubes are pressed from high-quality wood cardboard, the shape and size of which are very diverse. These tubes are called coils. They are soaked in hot linseed oil and then dried in special ovens until the oil hardens.

"Feather of the Firebird" (Baburin N.I.)

The Kholuy master makes a blank of a future lacquer miniature from such a material - a semi-finished product on which primer is to be applied.

"Silver Hoof" (Kamorin A.A.)

The boxes are primed with a mixture of linseed oil, soot and clay.

"Savior Almighty" (Kharchev V.F.)

The dried soil is sanded and the box is painted with red and black varnish, after which it falls into the hands of an artist who knows the secrets of creating a unique lacquer miniature of Kholuy.

"Firebird"

The recipe for making paints used in Kholui to create lacquer miniatures has come down from time immemorial. The masters of ancient Rus' worked with such paints when creating their famous icon painting. Mineral powder is ground together with egg yolk, water and vinegar. Properly prepared paints are one of the components of an artist’s successful work when creating a lacquer miniature.

"Three girls (brooch)" (Starikov N.V.)

The Kholuy artist works with the finest squirrel brushes.


"Crane" (Kharchev V.F.)

The ornament is made with specially prepared gold leaf with the addition of cherry resin, which gives the Kholuy lacquer miniature originality and uniqueness.

"Kiribeevich"

To add shine to lacquer miniatures, gold is polished with a wolf's tooth.


"Sivka-burka"

The painted box is covered with several layers of varnish. The varnish coating is leveled on special cloth wheels.

"M o r o z k o"

The final stage of creating a lacquer miniature is polishing. The varnish is polished until the smallest scratches disappear. High-quality polishing emphasizes the artistic merits of a lacquer miniature, revealing its brightness and depth.

"M o r o z k o"

"Snow Maiden"

"Nikita Kozhemyaka"

"According to the fairy tale The Little Humpbacked Horse"

"By pike command"

"Gift from the Hostess" copper mountain"

"Ruslan's farewell to Ratmir"


"Ruslan and the living head"

"Sadko-guslyar"