Show all images on one page	#004162 Title: The Three Joys Artist: Molodkin Vladimir Size: 18x24x5 Size (inches): 7x9.5x2 Price : $2150 SOLD!

Vladimir Molodkin has always been at the very front of the creative movement in Mstera that is getting into blending regular everyday scenes with surreal ideas, such as imaginative landscapes and mythological characters. This inventiveness has rubbed off on his children Daniil, Denis, and Nikolay who are also top Mstera artists.
Based on a religious theme, the work is called “The Three Joys”. Working on it, Molodkin has given tribute to three saints: St. Nikolas, St. George and the Prophet Ilyas. The remembrance days of these saints take place in summer and spring. The remembrance day of St. Nikolas is the twenty second of May, St. George's remembrance day is the sixth of May, and the Prophet Ilyas's remembrance day is the second of August. The bottom part of the composition is filled with a spring landscape. Here the artist has drawn St. Nikolas and St. George standing near the tree. In the middle part of the composition we can see a splendid summer landscape with laborious peasants working in the field. The top part of the composition depicts the Prophet Illyas riding in his fiery chariot in the sky, and pouring water upon the fields and meadows depicted below. People pray to Prophet Illyas for giving rain during the drought.
It is hard to imagine a color treatment with much more variety and flare than that of the one before you. The scene is painted with soft pastels that are extremely soothing. Gold is used throughout the scene for added flair and to outline key areas in the composition. The gold is masterfully used in the correct proportions, and not overdone in the least bit.
The scene is outlined with tiny gold beads, and framed with a nice gold foliage pattern. At the bottom corners of the lid this pattern is completed with a gold floral design accented with green, blue, red, violet and yellow tempera paints. The box's sides are decorated with an intricate foliage pattern.
The box is constructed out of paper-mache. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. The lid is hinged from the left of the composition, and the box rests on four rounded feet. The work is signed with the artist's name, Mstera, the year of 2008 and the title.