Show all images on one page	#002616 Title: Baba Yaga Artist: Otryaskin Alexey Size: 17.5x13.5x6.5 Size (inches): 6.5x5.25x2.5 Price : $950 SOLD!

On this box Alexey Otryaskin from the village of Fedoskino again depicts Baba Yaga that is his favorite fairy-tale character.
Baba Yaga is the most famous figure in Russian fairy tales and is an archetype in literature that represents evil. However, in some stories Baba Yaga helps people to overcome obstacles. Like in "Marya Morevna", when she lent Tsar Ivan the horse that was able to outrun Koschei the Deathless' steed. She will forever be remembered in the following lines of Pushkin's famous tale "Ruslan and Ludmila":

On chicken feet a hut is set
With neither door not window showing...
See Baba Yaga's mortar glide
All by itself, with her astride

Baba-Yaga depicted here is a main character of the Russian folk fairy-tale "Geese and Swans" as in the left upper corner we can see the white swans kidnapping the little boy Ivanushka. They carry him to Baba-Yaga, and only his sister can help him.
The level of depth and color is so intense that one simply cannot stop staring at this composition. The palette includes various shades of green and brown suitable for depiction of the forest setting. The action within the scene is so animated that one almost expects the images to start moving. By keeping the action very close up, the viewer gets the most intimate possible portrayal of the subjects. By doing this the artist must provide tremendous detailing, which he achieves in amazing fashion. The shadows, blending of paints, and razor sharp lines that are consistent throughout the composition, are made to work together by this artist who creates a fun and original painting.
A deep blue above the trees shows the moonlit sky, which is illuminated by a mother-of-pearl moon. Mother-of-pearl inlays also appear in the hut's legs, in the window, and in the Baba Yaga's dress. Gold and aluminum are used to enhance the colors' quality, as well highlighting the bulk of the details. The gold and aluminum are found all over the landscape, in the trees, bushes, animals and ground. This illumination coming from within the scene makes the scene glow and permanently affixes the eyes to its dynamic beauty. Gold metal leaf is also used here to decorate the foliage of the trees and bushes.
The box is made out of paper-mache. Brown lacquer mixed with gold dust covers the exterior, and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. Intricate gold ornamentation can be found wrapping around the sides of the box. The box has a hinge to its left and rests on a flat bottom. It is signed with the artist's name and the title ("Baba-Yaga").