Show all images on one page	#001526 Title: Demyan's fish soup Artist: Vorontsova N. Size: 7.5x6x4 Price : $145 SOLD!

It is a splendid sample of traditional Fedoskino lacquer miniature. The subject is based on the well-known fable "Demyan's fish soup" written by the famous Russian writer I.A.Krylov (you can find this fable on our web site). The fable tells about ostentatious amicability of the peasant Demyan. He wanted to display his kindness, hospitality and friendliness, feeding his friend Foka with tasty and fragrant fish soup. Foka was full; he had already eaten four plates of soup, but Demyan forced and entreated him to eat another one. Foka couldn't bear it and ran away.
The composition depicts Demyan, imploring his friend to eat fish soup. The expression on the Foka's faces shows that he is replete and can't eat anymore. Demyan's wife dressed in blue sarafan is serving food. On the chair we can see the empty plates. The artist could give his characters individual features, masterfully conveying such emotions as embarrassment, satiation, pride and self-admiration. The composition is nicely balanced, and the viewer's eye moves easily from one figure to the next. There is a good sense of the way the fabric on the tablecloth and the characters' clothes drapes, and the artist suggests details such as embroidery on their shirts and grain of the wooden planks in the background.
The painter has an excellent sense of color. The composition is painted in bright, vivid and rich colors: red, pink, brown, blue and yellow. Dark colors are applied to outline the forms and silhouettes; the shapes are enhanced by highlights put on folds of the clothing and other details. The miniature is notable for clear composition, subtle graphic technique and rich coloring.
The box is constructed from paper-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the box while red lacquer completes the interior of the work. The sides of the box are decorated with elegant gold patterns. The box isn't hinged and rests on a flat bottom. The Fedoskino "troika" insignia can be found on the interior of the lid. The box is signed with the artist's name, village and year (1989).