Tagil painting

Early history

The Tagil tray trade originated more than 250 years ago among the Old Believers ^[1] . The earliest archived information on iron trays with artistic decoration in Nizhny Tagil dates back to 1746 , which is considered the date of foundation of the craft ^[2] . The quality and plasticity of the Tagil iron in the processing were highly valued ^[3] , the Ural masters were looking for various applications of these qualities of the Tagil iron ^[3] . Since there was no sheet-rolling production yet, the metal was processed by forging, one of the most difficult and labor-intensive methods of metalworking. The minimum thickness, a surprisingly flat surface, the ability to decorate the sides of trays, as well as tables and chests, all required high quality metal and masterly skill of metallurgists, blacksmiths and varnishes. And such skillful products certainly attracted attention at fairs, and subsequently at industrial exhibitions and merchants, and ordinary people.

The 18th century became the “golden” century for Tagil painters-varnishing artists, among whom the dynasty of the Khudoyarov artists, Vavila and Fyodor, stands out clearly. Around this period, the tradition of Tagil painting spreads far beyond Nizhny Tagil , in particular in the village of Zhostovo, Mytishchi district, Moscow province , the masters of which largely succeeded in this industry, even having established their own style, their technique of painting trays and other products ^[4] .

In the first half of the XIX century, the craft developed rapidly, which is largely associated with the activities of the school of painting (1806–20), specially established by the owner of the Tagil factories N. N. Demidov . The school took the boys from the age of 12 for the full master's content. The training lasted 4 years, it was led by a graduate of the Academy of Arts , a professional artist V. I. Albychev ^[5] . This had a positive effect on the level of refinement of paintings. During this period, a fashion appeared on picture trays, where in the center of the product a copy of the picture was written with oil (from paper prints or original), while it skillfully fitted into a given shape and size ^[6] . Engravings were often black and white, so the choice of colors completely belonged to the artist. Mythological, historical, gallant scenes were placed in a frame formed by a thin stencilled golden ornament: fabulous lush flowers, curly stems and blades of grass, ripe grapes, juicy berries, the corners of the form clearly fix the flowerpots with lush bouquets.

Tray forms were used different, including six / octahedrons. The picturesque decor was complemented by a thin openwork of the cut-out sides of the product. The great possibilities of the Tagil sheet iron allowed the masters to use the hammer-out method (the second method of making the form of a tray in Nizhny Tagil ) to give the tray the most complex and bizarre forms.

Later, when the factories began to experience a shortage of manpower, the factory owners began to replace male painters with women. And from about the middle of the 19th century, painting trays became an exclusively female prerogative. At the same time, large workshops for the manufacture of lacquered iron products - trays, chests, boxes - Dubasnikovs, Golovanovs, Perezolovs, Berdnikovs, Morozovs worked in Nizhny Tagil. All of them had a full production cycle, ranging from forging and ending with varnishing and packing trays. Their products are stored in the largest museums of Russia , including the Russian Museum ( St. Petersburg ) and the State Museum of Fine Arts ( Moscow ) ^[7] . At the end of the 19th century, the handicraft industry in Russia experienced a crisis, and it did not bypass the Tagil submarine craft, demanding adaptation to the accelerating pace of life. A press for making molds replaced the blacksmith, and in the face of fierce competition, the question arose of the speed and low cost of finishing the tray. At this time, the “Makhovo” letter is becoming more common, in which the brush tip picks up paint and whitewash and “sculpts” a floral halo, stalks and leaves in two or three strokes ^[6] .

" This flying cursive leads to the abandonment of painstakingly performed parts, simplifies, extremely stylizes and generalizes the form , - emphasizes Olga Silonova, - All that remains is the most expressive, simple, accessible, rapidly fluttering brush - bright, catchy, elegant " ^[6] .

Soviet period

After the revolution of the beginning of the 20th century, the life of the craft stopped, as almost all the techniques of traditional floral writing were lost. Nevertheless, the cooperative "Proletary", "Metalist", "Red Dawn" adjusted the release of trays with painting. In 1957, on the basis of these cooperatives, the Nizhny Tagil enamelware factory was established, which later became the center of the revival of the Tagil tray ^[6] .

A significant impetus to revival was betrayed by the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU “On Folk Art Crafts” (1974), which stimulated their scientific study and revival ^[6] . The scientific research institute of the art industry , in particular the research-art critic V. A. Baradulin ^[8], had a great influence on the revival of the craft. However, in order to combine the traditions of the past with the development of the future, theory and practice, only one link was missing - a master who owned the old two-color stroke and was able to transfer this skill. They became Agripina Vasilievna Afanasyev . She was the one who owned the techniques of the original Tagil two-color painting and helped save Tagil's sub-craft as a distinctive artistic phenomenon. In addition, Agrippina Vasilyevna brought up a whole team of talented masters who mastered the traditional techniques of Tagil's letter, moreover, they significantly developed them in their work in all directions (flower, plot, ornamental). Tagil trays were shown and received awards at the exhibition of achievements of the national economy, an experimental workshop was working at the EmalPosuda plant, in Nizhny Tagil school No. 49 was opened, where they trained the painting of trays. Education masters continued in the "Ural School of Decorative and Applied Art" (now " Nizhny Tagil College of Decorative and Applied Art and Design ") and at the art-graphic faculty of " Nizhny Tagil Pedagogical Institute " (now the Academy) ^[9] .

Modernity

Now trays with Tagil art lacquer painting are produced by 6 companies: Metal Shop - Tagil Trays LLC; Nizhny Tagil Center of Nizhny Tagil Hand-painted Painting; RSK Tagilskaya Artel LLC; LITA LLC; Tagilsky Master LLC; and Lacquer Painting LLC Urals "( Yekaterinburg ), as well as the wall paintings are engaged in art school" Nizhny Tagil College of Applied Art and Design "at the Nizhny Tagil factory-museum .

However, due to the socio-economic crisis of the end of the 20th century, even now, even with talented, highly skilled craftswomen, it is not necessary to speak of the prosperity of the fishery. In addition, for the general public, it is still unknown that the Russian mural painting originated in the Urals , in Nizhny Tagil . Most people are convinced that painting on tin trays is a tradition exclusively in the village of Zhostovo , while forgetting about Tagil.

The most important part of the revival of the Tagil tray trade was the creation in 1991 of the Nizhny Tagil history museum of the tray trade , which later became an integral part of the Nizhny Tagil museum association Gornozavodskoy Ural . The museum is located in the house where famous artists Khudoyarovs once lived. The museum exposition includes unique samples of the art of the Tagil lacquer painting on metal for 265 years, shows the life and work of the famous Hudoyarov artists, and also tells about the techniques of making and painting the trays ^[6] . Popularity held in the museum master classes on painting ^[6] .

The collection of lacquer painting on the iron of the museum is of great value for researchers (historians, art historians, metal technologists). This unique collection is the largest in terms of volume, variety and content. The museum presents the names of famous masters and products of “varnish” workshops of the 18th — 20th centuries: the Hudoyarovs, Perezolovs, Dubasnikovs, Golovanovs, Obukhovs. It includes the largest collection of works by A. V. Afanasyev. The museum regularly hosts exhibitions devoted to the Tagil tray, including personal exhibitions of contemporary authors.

The collection of the Tagil Tray Museum is constantly updated with new works by the masters of this craft. In Nizhny Tagil , the annual city competition-exhibition on arts and crafts “Master of the Year” is held, as a result of which the best works of the winning authors come to the museum's collection.

In addition to the Museum of tray fishing , the collections of the Tagil tray are also kept in museums:

• Local History Museum of Nizhny Tagil ;
• Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts ;
• Nizhny Tagil Museum of Fine Arts ;
• Museum-estate "Demidov dacha" .

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• Первенец музейного комплекса. Из истории музея подносного промысла Нижнего Тагила