Traditional lacquer paintings Palekh miniatures
An administrative center of Palekh District of Ivanovo region, Russia is a home of Traditional lacquer paintings Palekh miniatures.

Following the October Revolution with its outspoken atheist ideology, around 1923, the Palekh masters of iconography began to paint papier-mache boxes. Meanwhile, applying the same principles they had learned from painting icons. In particular, they used mainly tempera paints of bright colors and painted over a black background. Traditionally, the work represents themes from real life, fairy tales, literary works, and folk songs. Also, Palekh miniatures represent characters from real life, domestic, literary, folkloric, historical subjects. Besides, bright local colors on a black background, a thin smooth drawing, an abundance of gold, graceful elongated figures.

Fortunately, the art of miniature painting is still alive today. Nowadays there are workshops of the Artistic Fund of Russia, as well as small private studios and independent artists in Palekh. Palekh miniature artists are trained at the Palekh Art College founded in 1935.

Traditional lacquer paintings Palekh miniatures