Lacquer art originated in China several thousand years ago. Asian lacquers were brought to Europe by Dutch merchants in the 16th century. European masters, fascinated by such skillful Chinese items, began to establish their own factories for the production of lacquered objects and came up with their own simplified technology.
In Russia, Asian lacquer painting was known since the 17th century. However, Russian history of miniature painting began when merchant Pyotr Korobov established his own factory: he based the production in the village of Danilkovo near Moscow at the end of the 18th century. Initially, his employees created lacquered visors for the shakos of Russian soldiers (a shako is a cylindrical military cap with a flat top, a visor and a chin strap).
To expand his business, Korobov introduced into their product range fashionable snuffboxes and jewelry boxes. In the 1790s, he hired several specialists from the German factory in Braunschweig founded by Johann Heinrich Stobwasser — the best lacquerware manufacturer in Europe of that time. Russian craftsmen successfully mastered German technology and simultaneously added new types of goods and paintings to their range.
After the death of Pyotr Korobov, the factory passed to his daughter, and then to his son-in-law, Peter Lukutin. The time when he and his son Alexander headed the company was the heyday of the Lukutin lacquer art. Lukutin factory products are still considered a benchmark against which lacquer miniatures can be judged.
The museum collection houses an elegant snuffbox produced at the Lukutin factory in the middle of the 19th century. The works of this period were distinguished by academic thoroughness of painting: a great focus on the correct proportions of the drawing, harmoniously arranged compositions and masterful work with color. Furthermore, the artists of that time were famous for their ability to unite the painting with the shape of the object and its surface.
The masters focused a lot on introducing decorative elements. In the middle of the 19th century, artists painted boxes to simulate ‘ivory’, ‘malachite’, ‘birch bark’. The interior of this snuffbox is painted to simulate ‘tortoiseshell’.
In Russia, Asian lacquer painting was known since the 17th century. However, Russian history of miniature painting began when merchant Pyotr Korobov established his own factory: he based the production in the village of Danilkovo near Moscow at the end of the 18th century. Initially, his employees created lacquered visors for the shakos of Russian soldiers (a shako is a cylindrical military cap with a flat top, a visor and a chin strap).
To expand his business, Korobov introduced into their product range fashionable snuffboxes and jewelry boxes. In the 1790s, he hired several specialists from the German factory in Braunschweig founded by Johann Heinrich Stobwasser — the best lacquerware manufacturer in Europe of that time. Russian craftsmen successfully mastered German technology and simultaneously added new types of goods and paintings to their range.
After the death of Pyotr Korobov, the factory passed to his daughter, and then to his son-in-law, Peter Lukutin. The time when he and his son Alexander headed the company was the heyday of the Lukutin lacquer art. Lukutin factory products are still considered a benchmark against which lacquer miniatures can be judged.
The museum collection houses an elegant snuffbox produced at the Lukutin factory in the middle of the 19th century. The works of this period were distinguished by academic thoroughness of painting: a great focus on the correct proportions of the drawing, harmoniously arranged compositions and masterful work with color. Furthermore, the artists of that time were famous for their ability to unite the painting with the shape of the object and its surface.
The masters focused a lot on introducing decorative elements. In the middle of the 19th century, artists painted boxes to simulate ‘ivory’, ‘malachite’, ‘birch bark’. The interior of this snuffbox is painted to simulate ‘tortoiseshell’.
To create this effect, artists contrast brown shades against a light-yellow ground: brown stains are gently introduced into the ground to imitate the pattern of a tortoiseshell. Such imitation gained popularity as items made of tortoiseshell were very expensive.
European influence on Russian lacquers remained significant until the 1830s and 1840s, but in the middle of the 19th century it began to gradually decline. Artists began to depict popular folk stories which were beloved by the Russian public: harnessed troikas (carriages drawn by three horses), tea drinking scenes, historical events. Russian craftsmen learned from the experience of other countries and creatively interpreted it, adding a national character to their products.
European influence on Russian lacquers remained significant until the 1830s and 1840s, but in the middle of the 19th century it began to gradually decline. Artists began to depict popular folk stories which were beloved by the Russian public: harnessed troikas (carriages drawn by three horses), tea drinking scenes, historical events. Russian craftsmen learned from the experience of other countries and creatively interpreted it, adding a national character to their products.
