What is gzhel? Craft or high art? The answer to this question lies on the surface. Gzhel, whose history goes back to the beginning of the 14th century, managed to visit several roles in several centuries. This "inconstancy" does not detract from the merits of the craft. For the first time, the folk craft "Gzhel" was mentioned in the posthumous testament of Ivan Kalita, the Grand Duke of Moscow, in 1340, who ordered his son to inherit ceramic profitable workshops.
Gzhel or jelly
The name "Gzhel", the history of which still causes controversy, nevertheless exists in its present form for a long time. The scatter of opinions is of no practical importance. Some etymological scientists claim that it originated from the Gzhelka, Gzholka or Gzhelka rivers flowing in the upper Dnieper region, while other experts are inclined to believe that the folk craft, Gzhel, was called burnt, since ceramics were burned and burned. And the Russian commoners themselves rearranged the letters, who are distinguished by the eternal habit of reinterpreting, rephrasing and flipping everything. For example, a Russian person pronounces the word “omnibus” as “hugging”. And nothing can be done about it. So here - jelly and gzhel.
White clay for pharmacists
What is gzhel? This place has long been famous for its high-quality white clay, the extraction of which was established in the 17th century. In 1663, a decree of Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich was issued , stating: "to obtain clay in the Gzhel volost, which is suitable for alchemical and pharmaceutical vessels." And in Moscow, 15 carts loaded with clay were delivered to the pharmacy order. Since then, the Gzhel clay mining plant has become a supplier of white clay for Moscow pharmacists. And the Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov said: "There is hardly a cleaner land, without mixing, more than Gzhel, which chemists call a virgin, for its whiteness and purity." In addition to snow-white grades of clay, several more types of industrial clay, suitable for the production of various products, including art ones, are hidden underground in the Gzhel bush. Scientists tried to determine the volume of reserves by simple calculations, but nothing came of it - it became obvious that the explored formations are just a small part of the real deposits. The conclusion is clear: more than one generation is enough.
What is gzhel from the point of view of pottery masters
For nearly four hundred years, in Gzhel workshops they made clay from pottery, clay tiles and simple children's toys.
In 1812, there were 25 factories in the province that produced a huge amount of kitchen utensils. The products of the Laptev and Yermil Ivanov factories located in the village of Kuzyaevo were especially valued. Buyers paid attention not only to the factory brand, it was important to make sure that the product was made by one of the three most respected potters: Kokun Ivan, Gusyatnikov Nikifor or Ivan Srosley. At that time, the forerunners of world-famous Gzhel artworks were clay toys and figurines, animals, birds, horses and dolls. Each item certainly found its buyer.
Product decoration
What is gzhel from the point of view of foreigners? After a layer of especially plastic light gray clay was found near the village of Minino, the production of faience was established at local porcelain factories, from which elegant jugs and vases, fermenters and kumgans were made. And in the first half of the 19th century, the production of classic blue-white Gzhel dishes began. Foreigners, lovers of Russian culture, immediately drew attention to unusual products, which were cheap, and beauty surpassed the well-known porcelain masterpieces of German masters. Thus, the phrase "Gzhel - dishes" acquired a certain meaning. Orders fell on the artisans, this was the beginning of the era of genuine Gzhel art.
At that time in Russia there was not enough pottery or porcelain ceramics for the kitchen, in rich houses they used silverware, and middle-class people were content with scattered plates, cups and saucers made of low-quality baked clay. Therefore, it is not surprising that with the advent of Gzhel dishes, a real boom began. It immediately became clear to merchants and industrialists that the tableware market needed a huge number of beautiful sets, coffee and tea, simple and festive. And Gzhel dishes were the best suited for these purposes.
Old Believer Yakov Kuznetsov
In 1812, a resident of the village of Novokharitonovsky, a certain Kuznetsov Yakov Vasilievich, an Old Believer by faith, opened a small porcelain production, which soon grew to the size of a huge enterprise with branches in Rybinsk, Tver and Riga. Products in the Gzhel style, photos of which are presented on the page, required high professionalism in their manufacture. In addition, each new factory also needed specialists, and Yakov Vasilievich began to invite masters and artists from the outside. People came with whole families, they were provided with housing and created comfortable conditions in the expectation that they would stay for a long time. So it was, the children of the invited specialists inherited the profession of their parents and continued with honor the work they had begun. Thus, the porcelain industry successfully developed, the Gzhel trade prospered. At the same time, the share of orders made by foreigners amounted to more than 80 percent of the total output. The phrase "gzhel - dishes" dominated the trade. More and more products were needed, porcelain factories began to choke on lack of labor, and there was nowhere to get qualified specialists. Breeders doubled the wages of workers and a third of employees' salaries. Those wishing to work at Gzhel enterprises immediately increased and the personnel issue was resolved for a while. The factories were fully operational and now there was plenty of products for the Russian market and still remained for foreign countries.
Material and technology
The white clay deposit in the Gzhel regions contains 17 varieties, of which two main can be distinguished - the first for the production of faience and porcelain, this is a “white-burning” variety, and the second is the red Gzhel and majolica ceramics.
The huge potential of porcelain production was also seen by Tsar of Moscow and All Russia Romanov Alexei Mikhailovich. After some deliberation, the monarch decided. Serfdom was abolished throughout the Gzhel land, artisans received a free royal decree and were assigned to the Palace departments. The scientist Mikhailo Lomonosov, together with his associate Dmitry Vinogradov, discovered a new porcelain recipe that fully corresponded to the unique structure of Gzhel clay. The discovery was made in 1748 and since then the history of Russian porcelain in global importance has begun. In a short time, the Imperial Plant was built, which became the main industrial enterprise for the production of earthenware in Russia. And Gzhel ceramics soon gained industrial status.
The popularity of the Gzhel industry
In the 19th century, Gzhel ceramics spread throughout Russian territory. What is characteristic, the more products were produced at porcelain factories, the better it became. In the archival annals of the imperial chancellery of that time, an order for dishes for the royal table, written to the Gzhel fine porcelain producer Stepan Afanasyev, is stored: "... for the overseas style of airplane goodness ...", which means "in accordance with the best foreign quality". And we must assume that the master painters who worked with the manufacturer Afanasyev brilliantly coped with the task. Even then, faience factories competed among themselves, trying to get ahead of each other in quality of production. It was a healthy competition in which there was no rivalry. On the contrary, the craftsmen tried to share their experiences and benevolently revealed the secrets of production to one another.
Classic blue and white
Gradually, all the products of Russian porcelain factories, produced under the brand name "Gzhel", photos testify to this, switched to coloring with blue cobalt. This color has become "signature" primarily for dishes, and then for all other products, toys and souvenirs. Monochrome cobalt, a beautiful bright blue color, was obtained in 1735 by the Swedish mineralogist Georg Brand from mountain pyrites.
In addition to the "corporate" color, Gzhel porcelain items were distinguished by beautifully executed plot drawings. Artists painted spontaneously, without sketches and sketches, immediately “full”, and they did it. Gzhel drawing is always a verified artistic image, which is very rarely repeated. "Carbon copy" blue-white products are available only as souvenirs, and even then in small batches. Basically, "Gzhel" are exclusive pieces made at a good artistic level.
Drawing technique
The technologies used in Gzhel production are diverse and quite effective. At the same time, the masters are not looking for simple ways, they work according to complex schemes, mastering new techniques on the go. Recently, Gzhel artists began to use the so-called mixed painting technique, overglaze and underglaze, when the main cobalt pattern is applied to wet clay, under the glaze, and a more accurate ornament is drawn already over the glaze. It must be said that this method was the last in the chain of innovations, since it was then that Gzhel products ceased to be luxury and entered into everyday life. Thus, blue and white sets, dinner sets, caskets, children's toys and other products were put on stream.
Stagnation times
After the revolution of 1917, most of the porcelain factories closed because there was no one to do business in the production - talented engineers, all as one, emigrated, and the remaining cadres could not cope with the tasks. Nevertheless, after twenty years of inactivity, the art of fine china began to recover little by little. The revival process was launched thanks to the asceticism of ceramic artists, enthusiasts of the Gzhel art industry.
The artist N. I. Bessarabova made her contribution to the revival of Gzhel art, she was supported by the sculptor-ceramist, the famous art critic A. B. Saltykov. Under their leadership, folk craft was completely restored and again the blue-white products shone with gilding all over the world.
Gzhel today
Currently, the Gzhel art continues to develop, a new generation of talented artists has appeared who work in a traditional manner, but with the use of ultramodern technologies. "Gzhel bush" is located sixty kilometers from Moscow, stretching in the Murom direction, it unites 27 villages, in each of which hereditary potters and artists live and work.
Today's Gzhel is the country's pride, a Russian business card in the field of fine arts, along with Khokhloma, Zhostovo crafts, Fedoskino miniatures - all these are Russian crafts. Gzhel rightfully leads this prestigious list.