Show all images on one page	#001732 Title: Winter Holidays Artist: Shirokov Anatoliy Size: 24x18x5 Size (inches): 9.5x7x2 Price : $850 SOLD!

Anatoliy Shirokov of Mstera is the artist who painted this colorful box. Here the artist has chosen to depict one of the ancient Russian feasts, which is called "Maslenitsa" or "Pancake-week". This feast is arranged to send off the cold winter and welcome the beginning of warm spring. It usually takes place the week before the Lenten fast. In ancient times Maslenitsa included different magic and religious rites that afterwards transformed into traditional folk customs, such as burning of a man of straw that embodies the winter, baking of sacrificial bread - pancakes, dressing masquerades, various games, driving in a sledge at high speed and many others. Some of these customs are depicted in this scene. In the middle of the composition the lads and girls sing songs merrily preparing to burn the man of straw. In the left bottom corner the market-woman offers everybody to taste her pancakes. In the right upper corner the villagers have arranged completions, one of them climbs up the high pole trying to fetch the boots attached to the top of it. From the left of this scene the peasant enjoys riding troika. Everybody is happy, merry and drunken a little bit.
At the top of the composition the artist wrote the following: "Oh, Generous Maslenitsa! You sing songs, play different games, cook pancakes!"
The palette for this composition is chosen due to the winter setting. Shirokov has perfectly combined shades of blue and yellow to create a stunning atmosphere of a sunny winter day. Gold and aluminum paints have been used as highlighting only sparingly. Instead gold is used primarily to depict the various sources of light in the scene.
Shirokov paints with smooth and soft strokes creating the definite and life-like images of the happy peasants, the beautiful horses, the majestic cathedrals and the surrounded landscape. Every minute detail is very important for the painter. This wonderful painting created by Shirokov rouses kind emotions and exudes positive energy.
The composition is outlined with gold paint, and then framed by a detailed floral design painted in gold and aluminum paints and highlighted with green and red tempera paints. This same pattern is repeated on the sides of the box.
The box is constructed from paper-mache made in the village of Mstera. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the piece while red lacquer completes the interior of the box. A hinge has been fastened along the top of the composition and the box rests on four legs. The work is signed and titled by the author.