Show all images on one page	#006898 Title: Ruslan and Ludmila Artist: Bogdanov Vladimir Size: 9.5x8x7.5 Size (inches): 3.75x3x3 Price : $780 SOLD!

This attractive five-sided Palekh casket is a creation of Vladimir Bogdanov (born 1956). This talented artist is a participant of various exhibitions since 1985. His works are kept in the Art Fund of Russian Federation.
The box depicts several scenes from the Pushkin's fairy-tale "Ruslan and Ludmila". The hero of the tale, Ruslan, is represented on every side, a bold figure on a proud war horse. On the top he is standing outside the walls of the wizard Chernomor's impressive palace. Inside, his kidnapped fiancee, Ludmila, is held prisoner. Chernomor himself is flying over the palace, his very long beard is fluttering around him. The wizard hastens to see who is making the horn call outside his gates. The left hand side shows another scene from the tale. It shows the epic battle between Ruslan and the Giant Head. Ruslan must defeat the Head in order to retrieve the blade. With that blade Ruslan must cut the magic out from within the beard of Chernomor. In the lower left hand portion of the composition, there is the scene that shows Ruslan listening to the wise and equally mysterious Finn. The Finn will grant Ruslan the knowledge he needs in order to defeat the magic of Chernomor.
The artist fills the scene with lots of action and detail. The palette is quite diverse and he uses yellows, oranges, reds and cream tones to define the characters and the architecture, while dark greens and blues are used for the depiction of a surrounding landscape. He leaves the sky in the background blank, which is part of the traditional Palekh style. It makes one focus directly on the action, which is shown sometimes without regard for perspectives or proportions; this hearkens back to the icon painting style. The lines are all precisely drawn and the figures well decorated. Gold is used to enhance the detailing, as is aluminum in subtle amounts. The composition is filled with a life force that the artist creates with expert transitioning, brushwork, and overall flow of the action in the scene.
The box is made of paper-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the piece while red lacquer completes the interior of the box. The lid is hinged from the top of the composition. Gold scrollwork frames the compositions with an intricately managed design. It is signed with the artist's name, village and year (2012).