Zhostovo trays: history and features

The small village of Zhostovo, not far from Mytishchi, became known outside the Moscow Region (and even Russia) thanks to a unique, colorful, recognizable painting among dozens of related directions. Zhostovo trays - one of the symbols of Russian folk art. It originated in the 19th century, it could be comprehended by the sad fate of many prematurely disappeared crafts, but Zhostovo painting still lives today.

In 1825, the village craftsmen Vishnyakovs, the serfs of Count Sheremetyevo, learned at the factory, where they worked, the technology of varnishing metal products and papier-mâché designs. So workshops that produced painted papier-mâché varnished products appeared in the villages and villages of the once Trinity parish. There is another version: the miniaturist Vishnyakov, the son of the owner of the capital's factory, started a famous trade.

The confusion that arose because of the names does not allow us to say for sure who became the ancestor of the famous Zhostovo trays. But in art there is a concept that can be called "the maturing of creativity." So, in the very Trinity parish, in several of its settlements, an atmosphere was created that gave rise to a unique creative direction. And it is no longer so important who was the first: the Vishnyakov brothers who had bought themselves into the wild or a miniaturist with the same last name.

Zhostovo craft is interesting because the masters did not have samples, they wrote according to imagination, improvisational. But behind this improvisation stood a clear understanding of the rules and perfected technique. In fairness, it must be said that the motives for painting the trays were taken by the Zhostovo masters from the Tagil artists. Tagil fishing is a century older than Zhostovo and is characterized by the same finish of metal trays.

In the 20th century, the Novoseltsevskaya labor artel was formed in Novoseltsevo, one of the villages of the Mytishchi district. The company produced metal trays with lacquer coating. Two years later, two more branches were formed in Zhostovo - Zhostovskaya Labor and Special Kustar, followed by Lakirovshchik and Own Labor (only in Troitsk). In 1928, they all merged into a single system.

The geographical location of the village was in the hands of artists: they could, without using the services of intermediaries, to sell goods in Moscow. It was also convenient to purchase raw materials for work. At the same time, the first Soviet years were not easy for the masters of Zhostovo: it was time for social realism and naturalism in art, the traditional craft became irrelevant. But the artists managed to keep the direction, the interest in which reappeared during the Khrushchev "thaw". Russian creations came to international exhibitions, and foreign demand spawned mass production of inexpensive souvenirs.

The key motif of the Zhostovo painting was a flower bouquet. In the creative direction, there is a clear combination of the realistic nature of the vibrant shape of the flower and the decorative community, which is similar to the traditional hand-painted painting that adorns the spinning wheels, chests and tuyasochki. Laying such a flower bouquet decision is a long-standing development of decorative schemes, they can be seen a set of garden flowers - this is the assembled bouquet, a bouquet of roses, a garland and a wreath.

Zhostovo works have two main features.

• Bright colors. Traditional black background, but with it appear blue, green and red versions. Along the edges of the tray - light twisted floral ornament.
• Technicity, traditional drawing pattern. The artist works with a wide brush - skillfully sketches a composition on the tray itself. While working, he ensures that the floral image is quite expressive, as well as the rhythmic location of colorful spots.

Work masters squirrel brushes and oil paint. The paint is traditionally diluted with linseed oil, the brushes are washed in turpentine solution. Each artist has a rich collection of brushes: from thin, with a needle thick, to the largest. And each brush works its own stroke.

Today, manufactured products are stamped on professional presses that allow you to set the product to any shape. If the blank is stamped, then initially the sketch is drawn with a stencil, and then it is cut down and drawn out on the electric press.

But there are also exclusive orders, and then the master manually forges utensils. Koval takes an iron sheet, cuts out the form with special scissors, then beats out the form and pulls it out. The edge of the product is rolled up, the wire is glued to it, which gives a relief form to the product and at the same time strengthens it. Of course, a hand-forged product will be very expensive.

Zhostovo trays can be:

• round;
• oval;
• guitar;
• octagonal;
• rectangular (frequent option);
• winged (with scalloped edges);
• combined.

In the 21st century, strict canonization, when the background must be clearly black and no more, is no longer observed. Silver, red and malachite background colors are no longer unexpected with respect to Zhostovo trays. But the flowers remain the main pattern of the craft. Zhostovists took such a theme from the Ural masters, who also artistically interpreted the beauty of field and garden flowers.

Painted trays in Zhostovo style have many recognizable nuances.

• Center of composition with large plants, so even with such panache, as if the flower grows from the middle of the tray. Along the edges - flowers smaller.
• The main print is a floral bouquet or flower wreath, Mandatory and floral ornaments, differing in complexity.
• The choice of colors according to the personal decision of the author. Each artist depicted on a tray those flowers that he liked himself.
• Modern expansion of themes and patterns. Today's masters of Zhostovo painting paint still lifes, birds, animals, landscapes and various thematic images.

Creativity is a living process. Modern masters, continuing and glorifying the eminent direction, are in search of new ideas (shapes, patterns, colors). This does not contradict the canons, but develops the Zhostov painting, partly embeds it into actual creative inquiries, in no way depersonalizing, without depriving of individuality.

But a fake from the original can be distinguished.

1. The stamp-logo of the workshop that produced it is definitely on this product.
2. Fake trays may have sharp edges, but true masters will never allow such a flaw - the edges will surely be rolled. Edge processing is necessary not only from an artistic point of view, but also in order for the tray to gain strength.
3. This tray is quite thick: he should be so in order to keep the samovar and the dishes that are served with him. If you put something heavy on the tray, but he bent - this is not a genuine Zhostovo product.
4. This tray has a mirror surface. It is repeatedly primed, each layer must be polished. And varnish on the surface impose at least two layers, each of them is polished. It can be said that in the Zhostovo tray everything is reflected as if in a mirror. And if that does not happen, it means that the varnishing stage is skipped, which can only be a fake.
5. The perfect technique. In these masters can not be crooked lines, dull colors, fuzzy drawing. This is unacceptable, everything must comply with the standard and traditions.

For this reason, a product that is too cheap a priori cannot be a Zhostovo tray. Such multi-stage hard work with well-verified quality control is not cheap, but it will serve the tray for many years.

The painting of trays from Zhostovo is also distinguished by its layering. The first layer is a coating. The master of the bleached paint spreads the color spots, buds and leaves into various compositional schemes. Every spot should find its place and not depart from the author's intention.

After this, drying begins, and after drying, the master proceeds to the second stage, the shade. Transparent paint for glaze artist puts dark, smaller details of floral elements.

The next step is called gasket, during which the author draws up bright areas with dense and opaque paint. Then it goes, moreover, each master is authoring: one is small, and one is wide. Glare can be compared with the musical rhythm.

The next step is the drawing. The master draws light petal edges, the edges of leaflets, flowers, buds. For example, “make a seed” means register the smallest details in buds / flowers. Next comes the binding: the gentle weed filling the empty spaces between the elements makes the composition uniform and harmonious.

At this stage, the painting of the tray actually ends: the tray is dried and transferred to the ornamentalist.

If we sketch out the process of working on a tray, it will include a number of steps.

1. Weak base color the master draws sketches of flowers and other components of the composition.
2. Next, the artist works on translucent shadows. At this stage, inflorescences and leaflets are drawn.
3. Colors Shaped using the finish shade.
4. After drying, the author puts on the image glare, which will give it bulk.
5. Fine brush The author draws the smallest details of the work that completes it.
6. Work is underway on the background of the picture.
7. An ornament is applied to the edges of the tray. - usually these are flowers or a geometric figure. This procedure is considered finishing, but it is still impossible to present the Zhostovo tray without it.

Today it is not necessary to remotely comprehend the secrets of excellence Zhostovo craft. In Moscow, opened the only studio Zhostovo, where the best masters teach everyone.

You can view a closer look at the tray production process below.