This original stage or mural design was made around 1900s in the form of fabulous gate (mixed media, wooden gilded framing) and based on the similarity of the style was attributed to the hand of Russian decorator, stage painter and book illustrator Viktor Dmitrievich Zamirailo (1868 Cherkassi/Kiew province - 1939 Peterhof by St. Petersburg).

Artist´s biography from Russian Wikipedia:

Zamirailo studied at the Kiev art school By Murashko . In Kiev he helped Mikhail Vrubel during the restoration of the frescoes of St. Cyril´s Church and inheriting Victor Vasnetsov, performing inscriptions and ornaments for his murals in the Vladimir Cathedral.

After moving to Moscow he continued to work with Vasnetsov. In 1900, he worked on illustrations to the book of A.S.Pushkin "Song of Prince Oleg": graphic illustrations served by Viktor Vasnetsov, and Zamirailo have been doing typography books . Illustrations to work of Gogol , Swift, Block, higo, for theater : "Piero and Colombina". In 1904 the artist moved to Saint Petersburg , where worked with artists of "world of art" Association, then returned to Moscow (1907).With the end of the 1900-ies a long time he worked on a large series of drawings "Capricci".

In 1914 Alexandre Benois attracted him to the paintings of the Kazan railway station in Moscow. In the same year, the Zamirailo finally moved to St. Petersburg, where he became a principal occupation book graphics.Zamirailo illustrated editions of the writings of Lermontov (1914-1916) [6].

After t 1917 Zamirailo cooperated with the State Publishing House, private publishers «alconost», «Era»; became the acknowledged master of book covers. In addition, he was an excellent Illustrator, particularly successfully worked in the children´s book, where he made drawings for the fairy tale "Jack — conqueror of giants" (1921), "riddles" v. f. Hodasevièa (1922), "as if nothing had happened," a. n. Tolstoy (1924), "Don Quixote" by m. Cervantes (1925), "Gulliver´s travels". Swift (mid 1920 ´s), "the little lives. Greenwood (1929).

From the year 1896 in d. Zamirailo is an active participant of exhibitions: Member and exhibitor of the Moscow society of art (1896-1898), the Moscow company of the artists (1904-1911), the Union of Russian artists (1908-1911), "world of art" (1911-1924). Exhibition of his works in house of Arts opened a series of solo exhibitions of artists of Petrograd. His works were exhibited abroad: traveling exhibition of Russian art in the United States and Canada (1924-1925; New York, Toronto, Los Angeles), international exhibition "art of book" in Leipzig (1927).In 1925-1929, he taught at the Leningrad Institute.Died in Peterhof, in 1939. He was buried at Holy Trinity cemetery on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, in old Peterhof.

Provenance: old Russian estate in South France.

Literature: in Russian: V.D.Solovjev "Russian painters of 18.-20. centuries", Moscow, 2005; in Ukrainian: "Dictionary of Ukrainian artists", Kiew, 1973.

Inscription: unsigned, old label on the backside with the name and title inscription in Russian.

Technique: mixed media (oil and gouache) on cardboard, fabric upholstery of the painting´s back. Original period gold-plated framing in the form of a gate or lattice.

Measurements: unframed w 29 1/2" x h 54 1/4" (75 x 138 cm), framed w 31 7/8" x h 57 1/2" (81 x 146 cm)

Condition: in very good original condition.