Show all images on one page	#001882 Title: The Carriage stood near the Church Artist: Medvedeva Antonina Size: 15.5x11x4 Size (inches): 6x4.25x1.75 Price : $275 SOLD!

Antonina Medvedeva from the village of Mstera is best known for her unique style of painting. Here she has chosen to depict a fragment from the Russian folk song called "The Carriage stood near the Church". It is a sad song that describes the sumptuous wedding ceremony. The bride is dressed in the beautiful white dress, and she must be happy because her future husband is a rich man. But the bride looks miserable, as she doesn't love him. In ancient Russia such cases were very frequent. Parents of a girl (if it was a rich family), or her owners (if she was a serf) chose a husband for her.
The shades of green and red dominate this bright scene. Gold paint is used to detail the cupolas of the church, its arches and the carriage. There is a delicacy and softness in the technique used to paint this scene that one cannot define.
Beautiful ornamentation painted in gold, aluminum and emerald tempera paints frame the composition on the lid. The sides of the box are decorated with elegant aluminum patterns.
The box is constructed out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The lid isn't hinged, and the box rests on a small platform. Medvedeva signed, and titled her work.