Show all images on one page	#006134 Title: Snowmaiden Artist: Dmitriev Sergey Size: 19x14x8.5 Size (inches): 7.5x5.5x3.25 Price : $1950 SOLD!

Sergey Dmitriyev of Kholuy painted this magnificent scene on a box worthy of a museum. Top quality like this is hard to come by. It's amazing how the artist has managed to find place for a large number of different elements on the small, limited surface of the box.
In this composition Dmitriyev has painted the tale of "The Snowmaiden" in a vast panorama. The icon painting style is used as he manipulates spatial and proportional properties to conform to the composition. Within the composition there are four, and possibly five distinctly separate scenes.
"The Snowmaiden" is not merely a tale, it has also become a full fledged opera orchestrated twice by two of Russia's most famous composers. Piotr Tchaikovsky wrote his first and Rimsky-Korsakov followed with his version less than a decade later. Both go along the same plot points and story that was written by the playwright Alexander Ostrovsky. When the opera came to the stage in Moscow's Bolshoi Theater for the first time in 1873, Victor Vasnetsov and Mikhail Vrubel painted many of the stages, drew up the costume designs, and were the creative equivalent of a film crew's cinematographer. Such a combination of genius working under the same project helped make this opera into an instant classic.
In Dmitriyev's composition the main focus falls upon the Snowmaiden. She is about to melt away forever, and Mizgir at her side cannot bear that he is about to lose his true love. Tsar Berendey, standing to their left, is glad to see this happen as winter has not lifted from his kingdom since the Snowmaiden's arrival. Being the most beautiful young woman in Berendey she caught the attention of everyone and here the people have gathered to celebrate the union of Mizgir and the Snowmaiden. To the far left in the scene Lyel is with Mizgir's former fiancee, whom he fell in love with and Mizgir abandoned because of his feelings for the Snowmaiden. Lyel is playing his flute while his new love and her friend listen on. Lyel's herd is also nearby, as he is a shepherd boy above all else.
In the upper left corner and in the bottom right corner of the composition the Snowmaiden's parents (Fairy Spring and Father Frost) are depicted. They were not able to take care of their daughter and had to ask Yarilo the Sun god to let her live on earth. Yarilo decided to let her come into the world of the living, but on the condition that she may never feel the warmth of love in her heart. If that power were to be given to her she would melt away like snow in a new spring sun, forever leaving the world. His power is expressed in the backgrounds and is shown holding a torch, and a bundle of wheat symbolizing fertility.
The artist uses a combination of opposing colors that create a striking play of light in the scene. By arranging the composition in such a way the artist is able to fully develop a diverse background that sets the mood for the action in the foreground. Homes are depicted on rolling hills and trees curve at the horizon of a sky painted completely gold. With the green tones throughout the scene the use of gold brings out the regal nature of the palette. The warm oranges, reds, and yellows that are used also work with the gold, becoming stronger and more intense. Gold is used in other areas of the work, but in very subtle amounts that only contribute to the overall aesthetic of the painting. Each character in the scene (there are 24 in all) clearly shows what role he or she has in the story. At the center Mizgir and the Snowmaiden are at each other's side, which happens to be the climax of the tale. By exaggerating his characters' movements and their body language, Dmitriyev makes a dynamic relationship between each of them and their setting. Every character has his own personality, while even the undefined characters are detailed just as intricately as the key players.
With an abundance of detail Dmitriyev gives the eyes a feast of information to digest. It is hard to conceive the amount of brushstrokes he made, the amount of blending and layering, or the constant re-working of the scene to make it as perfect as man can make art. Flowers can be found in many areas of the composition, many of which seem no larger than a pin-head. A steady hand must exercise great caution and skill each time the brush touches the box's surface. Dmitriyev accomplishes this and the consistency in which he does this is mind-boggling.
In addition, the artist's decoration of the box's exterior is amazing. Ornamentation painted gold with aluminum accents frames the scene and wraps around the sides of the box. Both designs are similar, but the one on the sides is much larger. Both are consistent in their patterns, and the level of intricacy found in both rivals that which is found in the composition. The designs are floral based, which directly relates to the theme of nature in the scene. The rolling design fans out in golden plumes that capture the essence of artistic quality.
The box is made out of paper-mache made. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The box has a hinge above the scene and rests on four square feet. Upon completing the work on this piece Dmitriyev writes Kholui, the title, and signs his name at the bottom of the scene.