Show all images on one page	#003951 Title: Seizure of a Snow Fortress Artist: Molodkin Nikolay Size: 19x13.5x2.5 Size (inches): 7.5x5.25x1 Price : $750 SOLD!

Mstera artist Nikolay Molodkin is the talented craftsman responsible for this entertaining piece of authentic Russian artistry. Nikolay comes from a family of miniaturists--his father Vladimir, his mother, and brothers, Daniil and Denis, all paint. Skill runs in the family, as this unique composition shows. Nikolay has combined texture and color to create a very vivid scene.
The work is called "Seizure of a Snow Fortress", and shows the children who attack the snow fortress and the children who defend the fortress. A straw doll drawn in the background shows that the action takes place during the spring Russian feast called Maslenitsa. The straw doll symbolizes winter, it must be burnt ceremoniously, and only after this act spring will start to approach.
Yellow, light blue, light brown and red tones of tempera paints are beautifully combined here. Gold paint is used very sparingly, but adds the sparkle necessary to catch the eye.
The scene is outlined with gold, and framed with a nice gold leafy pattern, and a similar gold leafy pattern that is smaller in size wraps around the sides of the box.
The box is made out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the piece. A hinge is fastened to the top of the scene, and the box rests on a flat bottom. The work is signed with the artist's name, the title, Mstera and the year of 2007 on the lid's interior.