Studio: international art (22.1901)

Russian Decorative Art

and belief—that their designs
are distinctly national both in
feeling and colour. This new
movement is, in fact, an exalta-
tion of the popular genius ; and
the designs of the artists are so
perfectly executed because they
answer to the inborn esthetic
sense of the village artisan.

It was in 1884 that Helen
Pole'noff first turned her atten-
tion towards design. This step embroidery by Nathalie davidoff
was partly suggested to her by
the fact that a friend, Mrs.

E. Mamontoff, was starting a school at her country boys to greater efficiency in wood-carving, so that
place, Abramtsevo (near Moscow), to train peasant they might have regular employment during the

winter months. The ques-
tion arising as to designs
for which there would be a
demand (the intention
being to dispose of the
work in Moscow), Mrs.
Mamontoff and Miss Pole-
noff decided to visit the
surrounding villages for
specimens of old wood
utensils. Within a very
short time they had
gathered together a large
and most interesting col-
lection of salt-boxes,
spoons, water-scoops, etc.,
from which Miss Polenoff
sought inspiration before
beginning her own com-
positions. So complete
was her sympathy with
and understanding or the
artistic expression of the
peasant, that the boys in the
school took special pleasure
in executing her designs,
which were so akin to all
they had been familiar with
from earliest childhood.
Two of her designs for
carved wood, executed at
the Abramtsevo school, are
shown here (pp. 269 and
2 74). The shapes of etagere
and settlearenotcopiesfrom
any existing pieces of furni-
"the lost child" ture-for peasants possess

linen applique panel by marie jacounchikoff-weber 10 SUCh luxuries-but they

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