Show all images on one page	#002467 Title: Sleeping Beauty Artist: Fomichov Lev Alexandrovich Size: 24x18x4.5 Size (inches): 9.5x7x1.75 Price : $1350 SOLD!

Lev Fomichov of Mstera is the artist who painted this magnificent piece. He is one of the founders of the modern Mstera lacquer miniature painting style. His works are always recognizable and unique.
The painting is based on the popular story of "The Sleeping Beauty." This story was originally put to pen by French writer Charles Perrault in 1696. The little long-awaited Princess was born in the kingdom. Her parents organized a sumptuous feast and invited seven young fairies. In those times fairies had a marvelous custom to endow their goddaughters with merits and virtues. When the feast was about to begin, the aged fairy appeared whom no one had thought to invite because people supposed her to be dead or bewitched. She declared that the princess would prick her hand with a spindle, and die of it. The King, the Queen, and all the guests were very afraid of this terrible gift. But at this moment one of the young fairies said: "Take comfort, your Majesties, your daughter won't not die. The princess will indeed prick her hand with a spindle. But instead of dying she will merely fall into a profound slumber that will last a hundred years. At the end of that time a king's son will come to awaken her." The prophecy came true. But not only the princess but the whole kingdom fell into a deep sleep.
The palette is a very interesting blend of blue, olive, brown, green and red tones; there is an interesting fact that the paints the artist has used here are all homemade by Fomichov himself from natural materials like stones or plants.
The structure of the composition is complex; it consists of a number of various chambers, arches and balconies; it includes about forty-five human figures.
The composition is thinly outlined in gold. Fomichov has then demonstrated his master hand and painted a unique and expert gold pattern around the composition. Beautiful gold floral ornamentation accented with blue and red tempera paints wraps around the box's sides.
The box is constructed out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The box has a hinge above the composition and rests on four legs. The artist wrote Mstera, 2006, the title, and his name at the bottom of the composition in gold paints.