The Art of Pietra Dura: Keeping A Tradition Alive

Artistic duo Marina Karpova and Marat Akbarov are a rare find: Two of only a handful of world artists proficient in the ancient craft of pietra dura — the inlaying of highly polished marble and stones to produce bold, eye-catching murals and artifacts. The technique, which originated in ancient Rome, is largely considered to be a decorative art and constitutes the joining of stones of various sizes to create an image. The literal translation from the Italian “pietre dure” is “hard rocks.” The technique is not confined to Italy and Russia, also being popular in India, where it is known as “Parchin Kari.” The best-known example is the Taj Mahal, completed in 1643. Renaissance Italy saw a revival of pietra dura production and popularity. By the mid 16th-century, the Medici family had established numerous workshops in Florence, producing some of the floral designs now popular worldwide. Karpova however cites the more contemporary works of 20th-century Italian artist Giovanni Montelatici as an influence.

Perversely, people with newly acquired fortunes in Russia often fail to snap up the gems on offer among the native talent, favoring the big names in international art markets such as Picasso or Matisse. In 2006, Boris Ivanishvili, a Georgian mining magnate, bought Picasso’s 1941 masterpiece “Dora Maar au Chat” at Sotheby’s in New York for $95.2 million. Emigre oligarchs, many now living in London, attend auctions and frequently bid for the most expensive works. Like their imperial predecessors, oligarchs enjoy showing off their wealth and operate in a tightly knit circle in which individuals are determined to outdo one another. Russia’s history is not conducive to art ownership, and the majority of people who “understand art” cannot afford to buy it; it’s “unfortunate,” laments Karpova.  From afar, Karpova’s murals could be mistaken for paintings. Exquisite detail is captured with the minutest shift in color through hundreds of tiny pieces of stone. The landscape “Winter” shows how Karpova has utilized diagonal lines in the agate to recreate the textures of a winter landscape, such as the branches of a tree amongst the snowy white of the stone.

“Only a couple of my pieces have left Russia,” said Karpova, confirming Greenaway’s observation that only a limited number of works “come up for sale in international auction houses.” Karpova, who is self-taught, says she would like “to find someone to continue the technique.” She has developed course materials to teach, but says there is currently no demand. Josef Stalin was reportedly also a fan of pietra dura. Recently, a spectacular mural depicting a lifelike rural scene was shown on The Antiques Roadshow TV program in the U.S. together with a barely credible story. The owner’s grandfather, who had helped to deliver tractors for Russian farming, was allegedly given the piece as a gift from Stalin some 60 years earlier. Judging the piece to be Italian from the quality of the craftsmanship, the show’s antiques expert estimated its value accordingly, remarking that if the owner could find proof that the mural was indeed a gift from Stalin, it would add greatly to the value.

Marina Karpova’s work can be seen at the Florentine Mosaic Museum, Apt. 5, Bolshaya Konyushennaya Ulitsa