Dubrovsky

The talented Mstera artist Alexander Dogadin painted this box showing an episode from the Pushkin's novel "Dubrovsky" written in 1841. Vladimir Dubrovsky is a Russian Robin Hood - an impoverished nobleman became a highwayman to take his revenge on the rich and protect the poor. His father's property has been confiscated by a corrupt and malicious landowner Troekurov. After his father dies, and his faithful servants burn his ancestral house to the ground, Dubrovsky turns to crime. He organizes a band and robs only rich dishonest people. To take revenge on Troekurov for his father's death, he masquerades as a French tutor, and enters the Troekurov's house. From this moment the plot develops as a romantic story. Troekurov's daughter, Masha, falls in love with the French Tutor of her brother, and Dubrovsky also loves the girl. He confesses that he isn't a teacher; he is Dubrovsky, but now he doesn't want to take revenge on her father, because he loves her. Meanwhile Troekurov finds out who is the French Tutor, and Dubrovsky must leave his house. During his absence a rich nobleman proposes marriage to Masha, and Troekurov forces his daughter to marry him. On her back way from the church where she got married with the rich nobleman, Dubrovsky stops the carriage and implores Masha to escape with him, but she answers that it's too late, as she has been married in the church (this scene is depicted here). After this event Dubrovsky disappears. 
The artist fills the palette with bright colors; predominance is given to yellows, greens and blues. Gold paint is used here but in very minimal amounts.
The composition is outlined with a gold line, and then framed with gold leafy pattern. The corners of this frame are decorated with intricate scrolls painted in light grey and brown tempera paints and outlined with gold paint. Gold floral pattern can be found wrapping around the box's sides.
The box is constructed from paper-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the box while red lacquer completes the interior of the work. The lid isn't hinged, and the box rests on a flat bottom. Signed and titled by A. Dogadin.