From origins to the present day...

Nowadays, Gzhel is usually understood as a type of Russian folk art - ceramic products painted in a special style. A feature of Gzhel painting is the use of three primary colors: white, which makes up the background of the product, and blue and light blue, which are used to make the drawing itself. Gzhel dishes and other Gzhel products are well known not only inRussia, but throughout the world.

Few people know that initially Gzhel was the name given to an area located in the southeast of the Moscow region. Residents of villages and villages located in this area were excellent masters of pottery art. And only in the distant future the name of the area was given to one of the most known species folk craft.

One of the reasons for the development of this particular craft was the high-quality Gzhel clay. After all, as you know, initially a certain type of activity appears exactly where the material is. The development of pottery in the Gzhel area began in the 4th century BC. In the 14th century, the Gzhel land became the center of ceramic production in Rus'. It was there that ceramics were made for the Grand Duke Ivan Kalita himself.

Production expanded, new technologies appeared, and mskill of potters. At the beginning of the 18th century, the production of porcelain products was mastered, and the so-called “semi-faience” was also produced. It was his craftsmen who painted it with blue paint, which later became a symbol of Gzhel products. Initially, golden tones, fashionable at all times, prevailed in the coloring of porcelain products.

Unfortunately, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the industrial crisis in Russia also had an impact on folk art. The production of ceramics was re-established only in the middle of the last century. It was then that the organized artel “Forward, Ceramics” developed new design– blue painting on a white background. The products were made from porcelain, and the paint base was high-temperature cobalt. It was on the basis of this artel that the Gzhel association was created, which actually brought together the best masters of this art. At the end of the 80s, the leading artists of the factory were awarded the Repin State Prize “For achievements in the revival, formation and development of the art of Gzhel, in the creation of a modern style of Gzhel porcelain with underglaze cobalt painting.”

The art of the people and their creativity invariably reflect their identity and spiritual wealth. One such widely known Russian folk craft is Gzhel. The unsurpassed art of filigree painting on clay products and the peculiarities of the design allow us to confidently call Gzhel the heritage of Russia. This folk craft with a long history is still very popular today. Gzhel not only pleases the eye with its unique and intricate ornamentation, but also immerses you in a mysterious and intriguing fairy-tale world.

History of Gzhel and its origins

The name of this folk craft is associated with the village of Gzhel, located in the Moscow region. This place is very picturesque, but not fertile. For a long time, the residents of this village tried to engage in agriculture. However, their time was wasted. All the failures were associated with a huge layer of white clay that lay almost on the surface. After it became known about high quality This clay, because it makes excellent porcelain, gave birth to a folk craft associated with the manufacture of various pottery products. Local craftsmen created not only dishes, but also children's toys. The first pottery products of this area have been known since 1320.

Gradually, the original drawing, unique painting and amazing originality of Gzhel became very popular, and individual workshops merged into large productions.

There is an opinion that at first this folk craft was called “zhgel”, and then for ease of pronunciation they switched to the word “Gzhel”. The very name of the village meant “burn.”

Features of the Gzhel fishery

The difference between Gzhel and other folk crafts, which allows us to confidently call it a unique, distinctive, inimitable and original part of Russian artistic creativity is the unusualness of the painting and, of course, handmade. The main feature of Gzhel is a pattern in blue tones on a snow-white background and a pattern representing a complex floral pattern. Thanks to the contrast of cobalt paint and a white background, a unique brightness of color is created, which invariably attracts the eye and makes you admire the master’s work again and again.

In addition, the design is applied under the glaze and only then the product is fired. Cobalt is one of the few paints that can withstand oven temperatures of 1300 degrees.

Variety of Gzhel shapes

Products made from Gzhel differ not only huge variety drawings and original ornaments, but also a wide selection of shapes.

The world of Gzhel is represented by such objects as:

Tea pairs
Services
Flower vases
Teapots
Sugar bowls
Jam sockets
Samovars
Souvenirs

A wonderful and unusual gift in addition to the above are: damask, plaque, kumgan.

Shtof is a tetrahedral-shaped vessel with a short neck and a stopper. In the old days it was used to store strong alcoholic beverages. The plaque, made using the Gzhel technique, is a painted decorative plate and serves wonderful decoration interior Kumgan is a vessel with a narrow neck, thin spout, handle and lid. Previously, it was used to wash hands and feet, and now, thanks to the masters of Gzhel, it is a wonderful and memorable gift.

Gzhel is also represented by a rich variety of souvenirs. Among them are figures of animals, heroes folk tales, snowmen, fish, nesting dolls, etc. Some of the products are dedicated to representatives various professions, made in the form of the first leaf of a calendar, or have the shape of a bell.

Method of manufacturing Gzhel handicrafts

Creating products for Gzhel requires from the master extraordinary precision, painstakingness and an incredible flight of imagination. The dishes can be made of porcelain or majolica. The difference is that porcelain is white clay. It is more fragile and thin. Majolica is made from red clay and is more durable.

The entire manufacturing process can be divided into five stages. These include:

Creating a blank
Preparation for painting and first firing
Control and rejection of products
painting
Second firing

The preparation process involves creating a porcelain or majolica mold from clay according to the artist’s sketches. This preparation is made on a pottery wheel, but not with your hands, but with special tongs. After the plaster mold is ready, liquid porcelain mass is poured into it, which gradually hardens. Gypsum absorbs moisture well, so porcelain hardens quickly.

An important feature of creating Gzhel is that all elements of the dishes, from handles to relief patterns, are made in different forms. This requires special care and attention from the master.

The next stage is preparation for painting. It includes polishing the product and firing it.

In order for the design to lie smoothly and neatly, each product is first cleaned with a special knife and polished. This process is carried out manually. Then the attachment points are washed away various parts products, and other irregularities are smoothed out using a foam roller. After this, the product is sent to the kiln for firing, which lasts about eight hours.

After firing, it is necessary to monitor the quality of the product and the presence of defects in it. They are identified using a fuchsin solution. This substance accumulates in the uneven surfaces of porcelain and turns bright red. Thus, unevenness or poor-quality joints in the product become visible. Next, imperfections are removed by roller sanding or washing. If the defect cannot be eliminated, the product is sent to scrap and melted down.

After this, painting begins. Each master has his own unique method of applying patterns and signs his work at the end. Then, the supporting parts of the product are treated with paraffin. To do this, the master manually dips the dishes into a bath of hot paraffin. Then, the product is dipped in glaze and sent for a second firing. It lasts quite a long time, eighteen hours. It is thanks to underglaze painting that the color saturation remains the same for a long time. Such products can be washed not only by hand, but also in the dishwasher.

Thus, each stage of the work is performed manually. Such work is very painstaking, therefore, mostly women work in Gzhel factories.

After firing, the product takes on its final form and is subject to subsequent packaging.

Features of Gzhel painting

The uniqueness, grace and incredible beauty of Gzhel products are given by the peculiarities of their painting. These include:

Snow white background
Deep blue pattern
Surface glazing
Diverse and complex floral patterns
Handmade

The use of only two colors and the uniqueness of the images make it possible to create unique masterpieces of folk art, therefore, there are no two identical products from Gzhel.

The pattern of the future product is first carefully thought out, and only after that is applied to the porcelain surface. Ancient masters applied the drawing immediately, without a preliminary sketch. They drew their inspiration from nature or from pictures of folk life. Painting is done with a solution of cobalt oxide, which after firing acquires a deep blue color. It is applied with special squirrel brushes.

There is another type of painting in the Gzhel style, which is called majolica. Its peculiarity is that not one color, but five, is applied to the snow-white surface.

Many centuries ago, the masters of Gzhel tried to reflect in their art their vision of the surrounding world, pictures of the city and rural life, inexplicable natural phenomenon, your thoughts and fantasies. Based on this, the general style of painting can be divided into three main groups:

Ornamental
Vegetable
Plot

The ornamental pattern is original, unusual and a certain association can be traced in it. The most common ornamental patterns are: drops, tendrils, blades of grass, pearls, combs. In addition, a checkered pattern is traditionally applied along the side and border, which is a chain of blue squares.

The plant pattern is considered classic for Gzhel. It is usually quite stylized, but you can always distinguish one plant from another. Most often, craftsmen depict berries, blades of grass, cuttings, and flowers on Gzhel products. Garlands of berries on porcelain can easily be intertwined with ears of wheat or a riot of floral patterns. At the same time, gooseberries can be easily distinguished from currants.

Often ornamental painting is combined with a floral pattern.

The plot drawing was one of the first to appear. It presented pictures from the life that surrounded the master. It could be beautiful landscapes, fun fairs, sleigh rides, colorful natural phenomena.

Modern masters of Gzhel

Thanks to the creative heritage left by the ancient masters of Gzhel, their modern followers were able not only to revive this great folk craft, but also to introduce into it notes of modern art, features of life and the originality of the views of the present time. At the end of the 19th century, modern Gzhel began to gain popularity, however, they painted mostly simple figures and the design was not as intricate as that of the ancient masters. Gradually, porcelain sculpture and decorative vases began to be mastered, and new original types were added to the traditional Gzhel pattern.

Thus, thanks to modern masters, there was a revival of Gzhel, it acquired new interesting techniques, exciting stories and a special style. Now these products are widely in demand all over the world and are an integral part of Russian folk art.

Gzhel was and remains an unsurpassed symbol of the enormous creative imagination and highest skill of the Russian people. This craft is a kind of history book, which carefully preserves the imprint of the time in which it was created, immerses us in a world full of incredible miracles and unique colors, and tells about how our ancestors lived. However, the popularity of Gzhel lies in the fact that it is capable of displaying pictures of modern times, helping people to look at themselves from the outside, to see how beautiful and amazing the world around them is.

The Russian people are famous for their creativity. Among the variety of trends and crafts, Gzhel painting occupies a special place. Drawings on ceramics in this inimitable style have gained worldwide fame. What are the secrets of this magical art?

What is Gzhel painting?

East of Moscow, on the banks of the Gzhelka River, there is a village with a similar name. Finding out why the painting is called Gzhel, we note that the word itself comes from the verb “to burn.” Initially, the products were called the term “zhgel”. Gzhel seemed to someone more euphonious, and the letters in the name were rearranged. These ceramic drawings cannot be confused with anything else. All shades of blue and light blue on a white background create a unique ornament. The porcelain painting technique is notable for its floral and plant motifs, as well as scenes from rural life.

History of Gzhel painting

Painting "Gzhel painting" on clay products has rich history. This famous type of creativity appeared more than 700 years ago. The lands in the surrounding area are rich in white clay deposits. It was bad for them to grow bread, but they provided good raw materials for the production of ceramics. A proven historical fact suggests that the people who settled here began as artisans back in the 11th century.

This work was mentioned by the Moscow Tsar Kalita in his will, published in 1328. Then Ivan the Terrible himself speaks about these magnificent drawings in his letters. The craft developed in the 17th century, when clay utensils began to be supplied to the capital. At that time these were mainly products for pharmacy and various small crafts. Gradually, craftsmen mastered the production of kitchenware. In the 19th century, the production of semi-faience was established, and by the end of the century, the Gzhel folk craft began to produce porcelain and fine faience.

Gzhel painting features

The style of the work is so clearly expressed that it is successfully used in home interiors, embroidery and clothing. Characteristics inherent in Gzhel ornamental painting:

• exclusively handmade;
• an invariably white background (with the exception of mirror works, where the base is dark blue);
• patterns and ornaments are made by mixing blue and white colors;
• color transitions are sharp;
• maintaining a strict sequence of shades;
• the object and its decor form an integral composition;
• Gilded elements emphasize the blue-cobalt color.

How to paint Gzhel

The main tools and materials that Gzhel art uses in the production of its creations are cobalt oxide, glaze, spatulas and brushes of various sizes and types. Initially, the chemical reagent used as the base paint is black. However, during the firing process it changes to blue. Depending on the degree of concentration, various shades are obtained.

The instrumental composition is complemented by a glass palette, where the artist mixes paints, achieving the desired color. The finished drawing is covered with white glaze. Next, the product is fired. The milk glaze becomes transparent. Gzhel painting involves a mirror technique: the composition of the design is applied in white paint over a dull cobalt tone. A 3D effect of frosty snow-white patterns is created.

Gzhel painting primary colors

Traditionally, Gzhel designs are made only in shades of blue. This feature lies in the amazing skill of artists: using one color to show the entire palette of the world. The list of colors is not very long:

• background color of porcelain – white;
• various shades from pale blue to rich bright blue;
• dark cobalt;
• white painting on a blue background using mirror projection;
• gold or platinum decor.

Gzhel painting techniques

Complex methods of applying paint are used, since Gzhel is a painting self made brushes on fired porcelain. Modern technology is different from what was used before. Ancient masters wrote stories “from scratch.” They came up with a design as they painted, enriching it with new components. Now the entire plot is drawn up in advance and then applied without significant changes. Basic techniques are divided depending on:

• directions of drawn lines;
• brush position when drawing;
• length of the pile of the tool used.

The basic painting technique consists of several techniques:

1. Sitchik. Small details are drawn with the end of a long bristle brush.
2. Chinese smear. Take two shades with a wide brush and continuously paint the design until the saturation decreases.
3. Stroke with shadow. In this case, the blue color on the brush has a thicker shade, and the white forms a narrow stripe. Gzhel painting in this case receives a “shadow”.

Elements of Gzhel painting

The people in their creativity reflect the plots of the surrounding reality. Elements of Gzhel painting have distinct themes:

1. Vegetable. A classic, stylized plant look with crisp details.

1. Animals are mainly represented by birds.

1. Ornamental style. The patterns are applied in the form of grids: “drops”, “antennae”, “combs”, “blades of grass” and more. Typically, “checkers” are placed along the edge of boards with Gzhel painting

1. Subject compositions. Typical drawings from the life of the people: fairs, winter troika rides, peasant huts, churches, modern themes.

Gzhel painting technique

The whole procedure is divided into separate stages. The stages of Gzhel painting are applying brush strokes one after another, so that the color transition clearly changes halftones from light to dark. The movement is made from the center to the edge. A reverse color decrease is possible: from the dark center to the light edge. Contrasting transitions can alternate with gradual shading. The following nuances play a role:

• density and width of the brush stroke;
• direction of movement of the pile;
• thickness of paint on an artist's tool.

The main stages of mastering technology:

1. Blue and white drops are carefully pulled towards each other to obtain shades. Use gentle movements to shade the halftones.
2. Mastering Gzhel painting includes learning a simple stroke - this is moving the brush perpendicular to the pile.
3. You can learn the technique of drawing a wave. Alternately distribute the force by pressing from the base to the end of the tool and rotate it 180°.
4. Drops are drawn by quickly removing the brush from the surface of the image, after pressing with the base and placing a dot.

How to make a stencil for Gzhel painting?

You can create a Gzhel pattern not only on porcelain. The motifs of this creativity look great on different surfaces and objects. To create a stencil you will need:

• A4 sheet of paper;
• gouache paint;
• brushes numbers 1,2,3,6,8;
• spatula, palette;
• water.

As an example, consider the painting of a Gzhel plate, an image of a bird:

1. Stir the paint on the palette with a spatula.
2. Dip brush No. 8 into the diluted gouache so that one side takes more of the coloring matter.
3. Place your little finger against the sheet and make a crescent-shaped stroke. He depicts the torso.
4. The hips and beginnings of the wings are drawn using a drop-shaped technique and short strokes.
5. The tail is formed using wave-like movements.
6. No. 3 outline the wings with a dark shade.
7. Brush No. 1 draws small details.
8. The sketch is transferred from paper to the object.

Painting Gzhel products

The variety of majolica from this craft is amazing, but the traditional style remains the blue and white pattern. The creations of Gzhel masters are popularly called “The Blue of Russia”. Products are represented in several areas:

• popular print (for example, painting of a Gzhel matryoshka doll);

• colored overglaze (the oldest type);

• dull cobalt (white and gold painting on a dark background);

• bone and white porcelain (various dishes in blue tones with a glossy sheen and sparkling gilding).

This craft got its name from the name of the village of Gzhel in the Moscow region, where it actually originated.

In the Gzhel region, starting from the 17th century, clay mining was widely carried out. Local clay was highly valued and considered one of the best. In 1663, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich issued a decree on the extraction of clay in the Gzhel volost for the manufacture of medical vessels.

The history of fishing in Gzhel begins in the 18th century. The range of products of Gzhel craftsmen was very large: dishes, bricks, tiles and even children's toys. Gzhel supplied Moscow with all this. Alone clay toys craftsmen made hundreds of thousands a year. The demand for the products was great.

Each master had his own style of painting, and the product reflected his idea of ​​the world around him. The fishing industry was also greatly influenced by the tastes of buyers. In the middle of the 18th century, pottery in Russia began to develop rapidly, but no one managed to compete with the Gzhel masters.

The Gzhel craft reached its highest historical flourishing at the end of the 18th century. At this time, craftsmen who made jugs, kumgans and kvass achieved special skill. The master had to have great patience and high painting skills, since it was done on an unfired product that was covered with white enamel. In addition to dishes and clay toys, small majolica sculptures were made in Gzhel. Most often these were scenes from everyday life - soldiers, peasant women, ladies and men, going about their business. Everything was done in a simple and intelligible, but very expressive form.

For several decades, Gzhel craftsmen also made painted stove and fireplace tiles. The history of fishing in Gzhel can be traced from the surviving samples. Products of Gzhel masters are presented in the largest museums in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Kitchen utensils - jugs, mugs, kvass, large plates - were painted by craftsmen with flowers, birds, trees and architectural structures. The drawings convey an excellent understanding of their decorative purpose. For painting we used blue, green, yellow colors with brown outlines. The dishes made and painted by Gzhel craftsmen were necessarily supplemented with figures of animals or people. Jugs, kumgans, teapots became part of the plot composition. The handle of such a jug could be made in the shape of a branch, and the spout in the shape of a bird's head. There was no point in looking for similarities between each element of such a composition and reality, since the master embodied his vision of the world in them.

In 1802, light clay was found near the village of Minino, after which the production of semi-faience began in this region. Jugs and ferments were made from it. However, these products looked rough and were short-lived due to the fragility of the material. From the second half of the twenties of the 19th century, blue colors began to predominate in Gzhel painting.

At the beginning of the 19th century, white clay suitable for making porcelain was found in Bronnitsky district, after which the first porcelain factory was built in the village of Volodino. The founder of this factory, Pavel Kulikov, learned the secrets of producing porcelain products at a factory in the village of Perovo. According to evidence, in order to keep porcelain technology a secret, Kulikov was engaged in production himself, resorting to the help of two potters and one worker. From this small enterprise, porcelain production began to develop in Gzhel.

In 1812, twenty-five factories producing porcelain tableware were already operating. The Laptev and Ivanov factories in the village of Kuzyaevo are especially popular. Many craftsmen left their mark or signature on their products, which is how the names of the masters Kokun, Srosley, and Gusyatnikov have come down to us. Factories used porcelain to produce toys in the shape of birds and animals, as well as figurines with scenes of Russian life. The products were covered with white glaze, onto which a design was applied. Painters used blue, yellow, purple and brown paint, and the drawings were in a folk style. Flowers, leaves, grass are the main motifs of Gzhel painting.

Over time, the demand for porcelain increased, which contributed to the growth of production. Meanwhile, the production of traditional Gzhel majolica was declining. Gradually, porcelain and earthenware became the basis of Gzhel crafts. The time of economic prosperity of Gzhel is coming, craft workshops become small factories.

The range of products produced is also expanding. Now, along with jugs, kumgans and dishes, they began to produce cups, milk jugs, teapots, oil dishes, inkwells and candlesticks. All products continue to be painted with multicolor designs. Gzhel craftsmen complement table sets with sculptures of the same theme. Despite competition from large porcelain factories, Gzhel's products were in demand due to the preservation of the folk character of art and the touching naivety of depicting scenes from the surrounding life.

Starting from the second half of the 19th century, Gzhel painting acquired a restrained character; now only cobalt blue is used for it. A blue drawing on a white background, enhanced by golden outlines, is a new stage in the development of Gzhel art. Late XIX century becomes the period of greatest prosperity in the history of Gzhel fishing. At this time they are improving technological processes making earthenware and porcelain. WITH mid-19th century, porcelain production in Gzhel is concentrated in the hands of the Kuznetsov brothers. With the advent of Soviet power, factories were nationalized, and production fell into decline. The restoration of the Gzhel fishery began only in the middle of the 20th century.

The true wealth of a people is culture: values ​​that can be called traditions, creativity, folk art. They will always be the origins modern culture– colorism and design, decorative urban design and household items always draw ideas from folk art. Russian Gzhel: the history of the origin of the craft, the development of the craft, features you will learn about this from our article.

How did Gzhel appear? Origin

If you drive 60 km from Moscow, you will find yourself in the Ramensky district. It consists of 27 villages, united into a single Gzhel cultural district. One of the villages is called Gzhel. And the enterprise located on the same territory bears the same name. Thanks to the enterprise, it not only survived, it continues to exist and develop.

Craft villages of Gzhel

And it all started many centuries ago. The history of folk art, which has become famous throughout the world, is usually counted from 1339. In written publications dating back to this year, researchers encountered the first information about Gzhel. It also follows from the spiritual letter of Ivan Kalita that Gzhel was a profitable volost, and it was owned by the highest ranks of the Fatherland. But it is also clear to the researcher that Gzhel settlements existed already in the 11th century, and local residents were actively engaged.

It turns out that the true age of the fishery is unknown. But for at least 700 years, Gzhel craftsmen have been working on creating various figurines. All work is done strictly by hand, there is no machine painting.
Gzhel - the history of the origin of the fishery (concisely):

• 11th-13th centuries. In the ancient region near Moscow, which was called Gzhel, local residents were unable to achieve success in agriculture. The plowmen worked day and night, but the land never truly became a nurse. And all because, instead of black soil, there were deposits of high-quality white clay. Pharmacists found this rich place; they used dishes made from valuable white clay for their medical needs.
• Early 14th century. Craftsmen living in the area of ​​the Gzhelka River have mastered the craft of pottery. We are not yet talking about a world-famous brand, Gzhel porcelain, but products in competitive environment of that time were famous throughout the area.
• Early 18th century. Great glory comes to the regional fishery. And although small handicraft cooperatives are quickly turning into large enterprises, the development of the craft does not lead to the mechanization of painting: products are still painted by hand.
• 1972 The First Gzhel Partnership appears (it included 6 small workshops). Folk craft continues to develop today. Gzhel did not remain in the rank of the original creativity of its ancestors; it exists as a separate direction of painting, recognizable and in demand.

Those who have never seen elegant Gzhel porcelain (and there are some) have probably seen pictures with prints in the Gzhel style, outfits with recognizable blue and white elements, and even plastic dishes.

Development of the craft

It is not known exactly how the craft originated. But the history of its development takes on clearer features. It is known that in the 16th century, craftsmen from Gzhel brought supplies of dishes to Moscow, and clay was brought to the potters in Yauzskaya Sloboda. Gzhel craftsmen loved to visit local fairs, where they met craftsmen from other regions of the country.

Some art historians believe that the peak of development of Gzhel and the origin of its special movement can be associated with the 70-80s of the 18th century. Then the town became the Russian center for the production of highly artistic art. But the peculiarity of the craft is that not only the factory promoted decorative and applied arts, many folk craftsmen honed them in home workshops.

Jugs, kvass and kumgan made by local craftsmen were actively sold out. The dishes were made both with the image of landscapes and with the image of people. Gzhel craftsmen loved to make dishes with humorous scenes.

A turning point in the history of Gzhel happened in 1800. The Kulikov brothers from the village of Volodino managed to discover a mixture of white earthenware. And the reaction to the find was quick: within a year or two ( exact date no) a factory for the production of porcelain products was opened here. Blue began to be considered the classic color of faience: it replaced contour images with polychrome paint. But the point is simple practicality - the blue color began to appear more often on the products of masters, as it had an excellent connection with the glaze.

Other paints produced more defects when fired. One could come up with a legend about the choice of the blue dominant color, but it would be impossible to tell how “that same Gzhel” appeared without this prosaic historical fact.

Despite its impressive popularity and demand, Gzhel as an art could disappear. If at the end of the 18th century craftsmen from 50 factories worked on painting, then a century later the craft was on the verge of extinction. The industrial turn led to the fact that hand molding and painting became unclaimed. For economic benefit, enterprises switched to the production of technical porcelain. The secrets of Gzhel technology began to be lost.

And the first half of the 20th century, with its devastation, wars, famine, and repressions, did not help in any way to restore the ancient craft. For Gzhel, the history of the fishery could have ended like this, but in the middle of the last century a miracle happened.

Gzhel painting today

Otherwise, what can you call a miracle is the fact that at the end of the 40s of the 20th century, two ascetics, N. Bessarabov and A. Saltykov, took old samples as a basis and revived painting techniques that were actually considered lost. Those very porcelain products with cobalt underglaze painting, recognizable and associated in the world with the word gzhel, have been preserved in history by two people.
And after them, a galaxy of outstanding artists rushed to revive the craft: Dunashova, Azarova, Okulova - names known to those who work in the Gzhel painting technique.

Fans of paintings that are mentally close to every Russian person today are pleased with the Gzhel Porcelain Factory. Dishes, vases, candlesticks, boxes, fireplaces, chandeliers, teapots - this is a small part of the products supplied by the plant. It is noteworthy that the Gzhel dynasties work: the eldest in the family involved the youngest in painting, and this became a life line for a person.

Gzhel, whose origins date back to the 11th-13th centuries, is rightfully considered national treasure Russia. Blue sky, white churches, golden domes of churches (modern Gzhel often uses gilding) - this is a visual cultural code understandable to the Russian people. And it is difficult to find an analogue for the subtle Gzhel “smear with shadows”; the brushstroke helped to reveal the subtle gradations of the blue color.

The next pages of the history of Russian crafts can be no less bright - handmade creativity increases in value, and returning to the roots becomes a personal value.

In contact with