Русский изразец - И. И. Сергеенко

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Russian workshops and schools, was a reaction to mass production of large factories. The many items, different styles, which were spreading through the country, impelled artists to turn to the traditions of folk art, to national originality.

The Abramtsevo workshop was set up near Moscow, in the estate of the rich industrialist S. I. Mamontov who was a connoisseur of Russian art. In the 1870 - 1890's this estate became a centre of Russian culture where interest in native history and art was encouraged in every way. The pottery workshop was headed by Pyotr Vaulin, a well-known craftsman. Outstanding Russian painters and sculptors including V. Vasnetsov, V. Serov, A. Matveyev, K. Korovin, S. Chekhonin and A. Golovin participated in the work. M. Vrubel was particularly interested in ceramics. The workshop specialized in making panels for interior and exterior decoration, majolica sculptures. It produced tiles for facing stoves and fire-places. In making these tiles the Abramtsevo craftsmen used patterns of seventeenth and eighteenth century tiles. Since the late nineteenth century was characterized by widespread attempts to combine the principles of old Russian and of contemporary art, here, too, new themes and motifs were introduced into traditional forms and ornaments.

The Museum displays two fire-places made in the Abramtsevo workshop. One of them presents a flat surface faced with tiles of identical size and adorned with relief climber plants in pale, subdued colours. The second one reminds us of a complicated architectural composition, three and a half metres high. It is notable for its symmetry and bright colours. The composition of rhythmically repeated images seems to be broken by the unusual form, colour and fantastic ornament of the tiles. This makes the whole composition very dynamic. The excellent qualities of Abramtsevo majolica, both artistic and technical, attracted everyone's attention and put the workshop in line with the best Russian ceramic factories. Tiled stoves have vanished - modern heating systems have made them unnecessary, but the art of Russian tiles remains vital and enchanting to us. Absorbing all that was best in the contributions of foreign masters, drawing on what was near and dear to it, the art of Russian tile-making at all times remained deeply original, thanks to the artistic traditions and tastes, technical skills and achievements of folk craftsmen.

Notes:

Glaze - translucent vitreous coating, preserving natural colour of a tile.

Tsenina - seventeenth century term for enamel-coated pottery.

Enamel - opaque vitreous composition providing coloured coating to the tile, also smoothing its surface.

Author - I. I. Sergeyenko

На 1 полосе обложки:

Изразец печной расписной. Конец XVIII века

На 4 полосе обложки:

Керамическое панно из дома Кузнецова в Москве. Конец XIX века

On the front cover:

Painted stove tile. The late eighteenth century

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