Show all images on one page	#001811 Title: Carrying the Cross Artist: Golovanov Pavel Size: 26.5x21x8.5 Size (inches): 10.5x8.5x3.5 Price : $850 SOLD!

Pavel Golovanov is definitely taking his art, and Mstera's, into a new direction. His style sets him far apart from his peers with its surreal approach to the icon painting origins of lacquer art. His palettes are softer and more subdued than most, which shows that he has restraint and doesn't need to blind his audience to achieve completion. His choice of themes range from the purely imagined to the realistic and from legendary tales to actual history.
Here the artist has chosen to depict the famous biblical subject of Jesus Christ's resurrection. In the middle of the composition Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead tries to rise from the ground and lift the cross he has been crucified on. All around this central scene the artist depicts the citizens of Galilee and two guards who defended the bodies of crucified Jesus Christ and two criminals. All of them are amazed by this miracle. Some of them pray, the others whisper something in astonishment. Two young women support the Blessed Virgin who stretches her hands to her exhausted son. To express her suffering the artist paints her figure in red tones, while the other people are painted in gray bluish tones. In the upper part of the composition, in the middle the artist paints Jesus Christ drinking from the bowl. This scene symbolizes the fact that Jesus Christ endured great suffering for human sins. In the right and left upper corners we can see the dead bodies of two criminals who were crucified together with Jesus Christ. In the right upper part of the composition there are their crosses: the cross of Jesus Christ is in the middle, while the crosses of criminals are to the left and right from it.
Gray, blue, brown and red tones dominate this scene. Gold is used to paint the big cross depicted in the middle, and to create the light source emanating from Jesus Christ drinking from the bowl. Aluminum paint is used to paint the halo over his head. Gold is also used to detail some plants throughout the composition. In the right bottom corner the artist wrote in red paints the following line from the Bible: "Good Heavens! Have mercy upon them all as they don't know what they do!".
Beautiful gold foliage pattern frames the composition, and decorates the sides of the box. Each of the four sides has its own additional miniature inserted into the gold pattern. The first side shows the bowl that symbolizes human sins. The second one features two outstretched arms and the cross in the middle. This scene symbolizes the readiness of Jesus Christ to help the mankind. The third side depicts two angels carrying the cross Jesus Christ was crucified on, and the fourth one shows the icon of the Saviour not made by hands. According to the legend, a painter decided to create the icon of the Saviour. He couldn't imagine his face, and couldn't dare to paint it. He prayed to God for long time for giving him irradiation, and one day to his great surprise he found the icon of the Saviour that appeared on his canvas by itself.
The box is made out of paper-mache made in Mstera. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The box has a hinge from the left of the composition and rests on four feet. The artist wrote in blue tempera paints his initials and the year of 2005 in the right bottom corner of the composition. On the base of the box he wrote Mstera, the title ("Carrying the Cross"), and his name next to the beautiful gold filigree design.