An expressive cabinet sculptural composition created in St Petersburg in the workshop of Nichols & Plinke, executed in silver with gilding and mounted on a polished lapis lazuli base. The composition depicts a woodcutter at the moment of chopping a tree. The figure is presented in a dynamic pose with a raised axe, conveying the tension of physical labour.
The sculptor carefully rendered the characteristic image of a Russian peasant: a long belted shirt, boots, a beard and expressive facial features. The scene unfolds in a forest setting. The central element of the composition is a tree with finely modelled bark and a crown formed by sculpturally rendered leaves and cones. At the base of the tree lie the personal belongings of the character, a hat, cloak and travel bag, reinforcing the narrative character of the scene.
The contrast between the deep blue lapis lazuli and the gilded silver gives the composition a striking decorative presence typical of the artistic productions of St Petersburg workshops in the second half of the 19th century.
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SILVER Seller in Alpes-Maritimes, France
