Fisherman and the Goldfish [Palekh] Kochupalov

Product Description

Fisherman and the Goldfish (Сказка о рыбаке и рыбке). The old man and his wife live in impoverished circumstances. One day, while out fishing, the old man catches a golden fish, that, in return for freedom, promises to grant the old man any wish he chooses. He is a kindhearted man, and simply returns the fish back to the sea. When the man returns in the evening and relates what he has done, his wife scolds him for his foolishness and commands him to go back to the sea ask for bread. This quickly leads to an escalation of demands, and the old woman asks to be made the governor, then a queen. Her final request is to be Ruler of the Seas, which the fish declines to grant. This ends in her downfall and the couple are subsequently returned to poverty. The is symbolized by the primitive washboard leaning next to her. Be careful what you wish for!

Sergey Alekseyevich Kochupalov (Сергей Алексеевич Кочупалов) was born in 1969 in the village of Palekh, Ivanovo region. He studied at the Palekh Art College from 1984-1989 and barely had time to work in the Palekh Art and Production Workshops, as they had begun to be liquidated in 1989-1991. His treatment of this highly popular fairy tale amongst lacquer miniature painters is sensitive and full of emotion. Sergey Alekseyevich is the younger brother of Vladimir and Alexey Kochupalov, themselves both Palekh artists, and part of a Palekh "dynasty". Sergey Alekseyevich passed away at a young age, in 2003, and was buried in Palekh.

Papier-mache box, egg tempera paints, lacquer. Detailed decorative freehand scroll border in gold. Signed by the artist in gold and dated 1991. 1 only, as shown.

Learn more about Palekh here.