There is a church tradition that says that the first icon painter in Christian history was the Evangelist and Apostle Luke, who painted the first image of the Most Holy Theotokos. Among the countless icons painted over two thousand years, some have become the standard, high role models for subsequent generations. Among the many, many masters who worked in the bottom field, only a few icon painters were honored to remain in the art of the Church and from the history of world art as bright stars, illuminating the path of their followers. The most famous icon painters in history will be discussed by us in this article.
Evangelist and icon painter Luke (1st century)
The Evangelist Luke was born in Antioch into a Greek family, he was not a Jew. The Apostle Luke was in the immediate environment of the Lord Jesus Christ, according to legend, he witnessed the Crucifixion of the Lord. The evangelist Luke wrote down one of the four canonical books of the Gospel and the book of the Acts of the Apostles, was an ardent preacher of the word of God. An icon called "Vladimirskaya" is attributed to the Apostle. There are suggestions that the icons of the Mother of God "Tikhvin" and "Smolenskaya" were also painted by St. Luke. That St. Luke wrote the image of the Mother of God narrates his life and church tradition. Many scholars of theology identify the image on which the apostle is working on the famous icon depicting the very process of icon painting as the "Vladimir" icon. The original image has been in Russia since 1131; it was brought from Constantinople. Today the icon is kept in the church at the Tretyakov Gallery. The icon reveals the unattainable beauty of the Mother of God, the spiritual beauty of the mountain world, since ancient times it has been recognized as miraculous, and is deeply revered in the Christian world. The Apostle Luke is one of the most famous icon painters, thanks to his invaluable contribution to the creation of church art.Alipy Pechersky (11-12 centuries)
Alipy Pechersky lived in Kievan Rus and was known as a monk of the Kievo-Pechersk monastery. Many icons of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Lord Jesus Christ belong to the brush of the Monk Alipy. Many miracles are associated with the images that emerged from under the hand of the Monk Alypius, through which miraculous healings occurred many times. His icons always remained unharmed during fires and destruction of churches, no damage occurred to the images. Church tradition ascribes to the authorship of St. Alipy the icon "The Queen is Present," which is in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. 
Theophanes the Greek (14-15 centuries)
One of the most famous masters of icon painting was born around 1340 in Byzantium. He was painting the temples of the Byzantine Empire. But Theophanes the Greek was destined to gain worldwide fame on Russian soil. He began to paint Russian churches, the master created his first fresco in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, which has been preserved to this day. Theophanes the Greek's brushes belong to the icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor, the image of the Mother of God “Don, etc. 
Andrey Rublev (14-15 centuries)
The great icon painter of the Russian land, who founded the icon painting school and reflected in his works the greatness of Orthodox Russia - Andrei Rublev. Andrei Rublev painted many churches and monasteries Ancient Rus... Andrei Rublev's brushes belong to several ancient icons, the most significant of which is the Old Testament Trinity. Andrei Rublev also painted many beautiful icons - "Annunciation", "Baptism", "Nativity of Christ", "Meeting", "Transfiguration", "Resurrection of Lazarus"; "Entering Jerusalem".
For the history of icon painting, they created different masters, and the four greatest icon painters mentioned by us are, of course, not the whole list of outstanding masters. The Russian land has always been famous for its talents. The works of Russian masters are known all over the world, and are highly valued even in those countries where their own icon-painting tradition is very developed, for example, Greece and the surrounding islands. Thank God, even today in Russia holy images are created in compliance with the canonical rules, icon painting traditions are being revived, and everyone, if they wish, can
Iconography of Ancient Rus was sacred. The entire creative process was subject to strict canonical prescriptions. This, on the one hand, impoverished the iconography of Ancient Rus, since the master used the already specified iconography. However, at the same time, it made it possible to focus on the “essence of the subject of spirituality,” focusing on deep penetration into the image and the process of recreating it with the help of exquisite
Old Russian icon painting obeyed the laws not only in the very technique of the image, but also in the choice of material for it. Traditionally established techniques were used in the method of surface preparation for the image, the composition of the soil, and the technology for preparing paints. The iconography of Ancient Rus also presupposed an obligatory sequence of writing.
The images were painted with paints, the binder of which was tempera (water emulsion with egg yolk). As a rule, wooden boards were used as a basis. Preparing the board for writing was quite lengthy and laborious. A log with a very strong inner layer was chosen. Woodworkers (woodworkers) were engaged in the manufacture of boards for icons, the icon painters themselves did this very rarely.
Small icons were written on one board. For large images, several boards connected to each other were used.
A median depression (ark) was cut out on the front of the board. He created a kind of window. At the same time, a frame (fields) was formed along the edges.
By the nature of the fastening of the boards, the depth of the ark, the width of the fields, it is often possible to determine the place and time of making the board. On ancient icons (11-12 centuries), the ark, as a rule, was made deep, and the margins were wide. Later, the boards were made with narrow margins. Starting with you can find icons and borderless.
The ground was levkas. This is a mixture of alabaster or chalk with fish (sturgeon) glue. The board was coated several times with glue (liquid and hot), then a pavolok (cloth) was applied to it, rubbing it with a palm. Levkas was applied after the pavolok had dried. The primer was applied in several layers. Its surface was carefully leveled, sometimes polished. In some cases, relief was applied.
The image was applied to the prepared soil surface. Iconography of Ancient Rus assumed a phased drawing. At first, the first image was drawn with light touches of soft coal from birch branches. The second drawing, more detailed, was carried out or in black).
Sometimes the craftsmen used "recipes" obtained from the icons that served as models. In this way, the image was reproduced.
Then the letter began. At the first stage, all the necessary details were "gilded", then a "preparatory" letter was made (buildings, clothes, landscape were written). The image of the faces was performed on the final stage... There was a strict consistency in working with paints.
The icons were painted according to the guidelines ("originals"). They contained information about the technology of writing one image or another.
It should be noted that in terms of its internal and external organization the icon is a highly complex work of art. However, in the 19th century, icon painters were treated as artists of the second class, considering the icon as primitive. The ancient masters were accused of ignorance of the techniques of creating a direct perspective and human anatomy. At the same time, the icon is the result of virtuoso technique and high culture of depiction. The use of tempera painting required special skills, which were learned over the long years of study.
Iconographers of Ancient Russia perceived writing as an act of communication with another world. This required physical and spiritual cleansing.
Scarce information has reached our days about the masters of antiquity. However, pages of historical evidence, fields and turns of icons, walls of temples keep the names of ancient icon painters. Among them should be called the monk Alimpiy, his contemporaries Stefan, Gaga, Sezhira, Radko. One of the most famous icons "Trinity" was painted by Andrei Rublev.
Having adopted Christianity in 988, old Russian state became involved in a powerful stream of Byzantine culture. The process of comprehension and creative processing of the heritage of the Eastern Roman Empire, combined with their own cultural traditions, subsequently gave rise to the original and distinctive ancient Russian art. It is closely related to the historical conditions in which it was formed, reflecting the pressing problems and aspirations of medieval man. Form, subject matter, content ancient Russian art were closely associated with religion and were under the strictest control of the church.
In particular, in painting there were rules and techniques that every artist had to follow - canons. Types of images, compositional schemes, symbolism were approved and illuminated by the church.
The worldview and worldview of medieval man differed from modern ones and possessed certain features, without the knowledge of which it is impossible to fully perceive the works of ancient Russian art.
The oblivion of the language of the icon occurred partly under the influence of Western art and is directly related to the secularization of society. Icon painting is ascetic, austere and completely illusory. Unlike secular painting, it always gravitated towards a fundamental otherness, the depiction of a different transformed unreal world.
A sign, a symbol, a parable is a way of expressing truth, which is well known to us from the Bible. The language of religious symbolism is capable of conveying complex and deep concepts of spiritual reality. Christ, the apostles and prophets resorted to the language of parables in his sermons. Grapevine, lost drachma, withered fig tree, etc. - images that have become significant symbols in Christian culture.
The first Christians did not know icons in our understanding of this word, but the developed imagery of the Old and New Testaments already carried the rudiments of iconology.
When determining the artistic features of an icon, it must be remembered that for a medieval man, an icon is not a picture, but an object of worship. Its purpose is a reminder of the image of God, a help in order to enter the psychological state necessary for prayer.
For the believer, there was never a question whether he liked the icon or not, how and how artistically it was made. Its content was important to him. Then many did not know how to read, but the language of symbols was instilled in any believer from childhood. The symbolism of color, gestures, objects depicted is the language of the icon.
One of the church fathers, Nil of Sinai, wrote that icons are in churches "for the purpose of instructing in the faith those who do not know and cannot be able to read the Holy Scriptures."
Samples of Byzantine art served as the basis for the emergence of Russian painting. It was from there that the canons came to Russia.
The canon did not at all restrain the thought of a medieval painter, but it disciplined him, forcing him to pay careful attention to details.
Considering the educational role of icon painting, a unified system of signs was very important, helping viewers to navigate in the plot and the inner meaning of the work.
The philosophical meaning of the canon is that the "spiritual world" is immaterial and invisible, which means that it is inaccessible to ordinary perception. It can only be portrayed with symbols. The icon painter did not strive for external formal realism, on the contrary, he in every possible way emphasizes the difference between the depicted heavenly world with the saints who joined it and the earthly world in which the viewer lives. For this, the proportions are deliberately distorted, the perspective is disturbed.
The use of reverse perspective or a homogeneous impenetrable background seemed to bring the viewer closer to the depicted image, the space of the icon seemed to move forward together with the saints placed on it.
The face (face) in the icon is the most important thing. In the practice of icon painting, at first they painted the background, landscape, architecture, clothes, they could be drawn by the master of the second hand - an assistant, and only then the main master began to paint the face. Compliance with this order of work was important, because the icon, like the entire universe, is hierarchical. The proportions of the face were deliberately distorted. It was believed that the eyes are the mirror of the soul, which is why the eyes on the icons are so large and soulful. Let us recall the expressive eyes of pre-Mongol icons (for example, "Savior Not Made by Hands" Novgorod, XII century). The mouth, on the other hand, symbolized sensuality, so the lips were painted disproportionately small. Starting from Rublevskoe time at the beginning of the 15th century. the eyes no longer painted so exaggeratedly large, nevertheless, they always receive great attention. On Rublev's icon "Savior of Zvenigorodsky", the Savior's deep and heartfelt gaze is first of all striking. In Theophanes the Greek, some saints were depicted with closed eyes or with empty eye sockets - in this way the artist tried to convey the idea that their gaze is directed not at the outside world, but inside, at the contemplation of divine truth and inner prayer.
The figures of the depicted biblical characters were written less densely, with few layers, deliberately stretched, which created the visual effect of their lightness, overcoming the physicality and volume of their bodies. They seem to float in space above the ground, which is an expression of their spirituality, their transformed state.
The actual image of a person occupies the main space of the icon. Everything else - chambers, mountains, trees play a secondary role, their iconic nature is brought to the maximum convention. However, they also carry a certain semantic load (a mountain symbolizes a person's path to God, an oak is a symbol of eternal life, a cup and vine- symbols of the atoning sacrifice of Christ, a dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit, etc.). The older the icon, the fewer secondary elements it contains.
For the perception of icon painting by a modern viewer, it is important to remember that an icon is a very complex work in terms of its internal organization, artistic language, no less complex than, for example, a painting of the Renaissance. However, the icon painter thought in completely different categories, followed a different aesthetics.
Since the spread of Christianity in the West and in the East took place in different historical conditions, church art also developed in different ways. In Western Europe, Christianity was preached among the barbarians who seized the Western Roman Empire. For them, the icon was supposed to show and tell the gospel story as truthfully as possible, hence the realism, the gradual transformation of the icon into a painting with a religious plot. The Eastern Roman Empire - Byzantium, on the contrary, preserved the traditions of ancient culture and developed them, here the icon remained, as it were, a symbolic text and served not to excite the imagination, but for internal comprehension and contemplation. The sign and symbol are the alphabet of the medieval spectator.
It is curious that in the nineteenth century. icons were considered primitive art due to the fact that realism had a strong influence on the aesthetic perception of painting. Old Russian icon painters were accused of ignorance of anatomy and methods of constructing a direct perspective. Later, at the beginning of the 20th century, many avant-garde artists, K. Petrov-Vodkin, V. Kadinsky and others, carefully studied and themselves tried to adopt expressive means ancient masters. Henri Matisse recognized the significant influence of the Russian icon on his work.
Through modernism and the avant-garde, not only Russia, but also the West returns to the iconic nature of art, using local colors, silhouette and sketchiness as means of expressiveness.
The iconographic canon is a separate and requiring special study theme. Let's list some basic rules:
- Proportions. The width of ancient icons corresponds to the height of 3: 4 or 4: 5, regardless of the size of the icon board.
- The sizes of the figures. The height of the face is equal to 0.1 of the height of his body (according to Byzantine rules, the height of a person is 9 measures of the head). The distance between the pupils was equal to the size of the nose.
- Lines. There should be no ragged lines on the icon, they are either closed, or emanate from one point, or connect to another line. The lines of the face are thin at the beginning and at the end, and in the middle they have thickenings. The lines of architecture are everywhere of equal thickness.
- Using reverse perspective - consisting only of the near and middle shots, the distant shot was limited to an impenetrable background - gold, red, green or blue. As you move away from the viewer, objects do not decrease, but increase.
Special rules stipulated the application of paints, the use of certain colors etc.
All painters resorted to the symbolism of paints, each color carried its own semantic load.
- Gold is the color that symbolizes the radiance of the Divine glory in which the saints dwell. The golden background of the icon, the halos of the saints, the golden glow around the figure of Christ, the golden robes of the Savior and the Mother of God - all this serves as an expression of holiness and eternal values belonging to the world.
- Yellow, or ocher - the color closest to gold in the spectrum, is often just a substitute for it, is also a color supreme power angels.
- White is a color symbolizing purity and purity, involvement in the divine world. The clothes of Christ are painted in white, for example, in the composition "Transfiguration", as well as the clothes of the righteous on the icons depicting the Last Judgment.
- Black is a color symbolizing in some cases hell, maximum distance from God, in others - a sign of sadness and humility.
- Blue - the color of the Mother of God, also meant purity and righteousness.
- Blue - the color of greatness, symbolized the divine, heavenly, incomprehensibility of mystery and the depth of revelation.
- Red is the royal color, a symbol of power and might (the cloak of Michael the Archangel - the leader of the heavenly army and St. George - the victor of the serpent); in other cases, it could be a symbol of atoning blood, martyrdom.
- Green - symbolized eternal life, eternal bloom, is also the color of the Holy Spirit.
The medieval painter did not know the palette, did not mix colors during work, the colors were compiled in advance and were mandatory. The recipes of paints of different schools did not coincide, but, as a rule, they were ground on egg yolk, were very strong and bright.
Gestures were also symbolic. The gesture in the icon conveys a certain spiritual impulse, carries certain spiritual information:
- hand pressed to the chest - heartfelt empathy;
- hand raised up - a call to repentance;
- a hand extended forward with an open palm is a sign of obedience and obedience;
- two hands raised up - prayer for peace;
- hands raised forward - a prayer for help, a gesture of request;
- hands pressed to the cheeks - a sign of sadness, grief.
The objects in the hands of the depicted saint were also of great importance, as signs of his ministry. So, the Apostle Paul was usually depicted with a book in his hands - this is the Gospel, less often with a sword symbolizing the Word of God. Peter usually holds the keys in his hands - these are the keys to the kingdom of God. Martyrs are depicted with a cross in their hands or a palm branch - symbols of belonging to the Kingdom of Heaven; prophets usually hold in their hands the scrolls of their prophecies.
And this is far from being an exhaustive material on the symbolism of colors and gestures. It is no coincidence that icons were called "theology in paints."
“In the lines and colors of the icon, we have predominantly semantic beauty,” wrote the philosopher E. Trubetskoy in 1916. In his now famous work "Speculation in paints", he deeply developed this idea, arguing that the ancient Russian masters reflected on the meaning of life, carried answers to eternal questions being "not in words, but in colors and images."
Opening Old Russian painting at the beginning of the 20th century, the recognition of its artistic significance revived the understanding of its true spiritual meaning. Thus, the philosopher and priest Sergei Bulgakov, a contemporary of Trubetskoy, in his autobiography compares European and Russian painting. When Bulgakov first saw Raphael's "Sistine Madonna", the picture made a strong impression on him. However, later, when he became familiar with ancient Russian art, he suddenly saw the main thing that the "Sistine Madonna" lacked: although she depicts the Mother of God, it is impossible to pray in front of her. If a secular artist, when painting a picture, strove for maximum artistic expression, he is, first of all, the author, then the icon-painter monk did not think about aesthetics - he thought about the prototype, he believed that God was leading his hand.
The main guidelines for the creation of the icon for the painters were ancient originals brought from Byzantium. Canonical painting for many centuries kept within strictly defined frames, allowing only repetition of icon-painting originals.
The images were strictly regulated in space, poses, a certain plot line was observed. To help painters, there were special vaults with cutouts of images of Orthodox saints and their verbal descriptions. At the end of the 17th century. there was even a consolidated version of the originals, which collected most plots accumulated over the centuries, as well as reference materials, lists of terms and subjects.
The main characters of the icons are the Mother of God, Christ, John the Baptist, apostles, forefathers, prophets, holy companions and great martyrs. Images could be:
- main (face only),
- shoulder-length (shoulder-length),
- waist (waist-deep),
- in full growth.
The saints were often painted surrounded by separate small compositions on the themes of their lives - the so-called hallmarks of life. Such icons told about the Christian feat of the character.
A separate group consisted of icons dedicated to evangelical events, which formed the basis of the main church holidays, as well as icons painted on the basis of Old Testament stories.
Consider the main iconography of the Virgin and Christ - the most important and revered images in Christianity.
Images of the Mother of God.
Hodegetria (Guide) this is a half-length image of the Mother of God with the Christ child in her arms. The right hand of Christ is in a blessing gesture, in his left he has a scroll - a sign of the Holy Doctrine. The Mother of God holds her son with one hand, with the other points to him.
Eleusa (Tenderness) this is a half-length image of the Mother of God with a baby in her arms, bowed to each other. The Mother of God hugs her son, he presses against her cheek.
Oranta (Praying) this is a full-length image of the Mother of God with her hands raised to the sky. When a round medallion with the infant Christ is depicted on the chest of Oranta, this type in iconography is called the Great Panagia (All-Holy).
Sign, or Incarnation this is a half-length image of the Mother of God with hands raised in prayer. As in the Great Panagia, on the breast of the Mother of God there is a disk with the image of Christ, symbolizing the incarnation of the God-man.
In total, there were about 200 iconographic types of the image of the Mother of God, the names of which are usually associated with the name of the area where they were especially revered or where they first appeared: Vladimirskaya, Kazanskaya, Smolenskaya, Iverskaya, etc. The love and veneration of the Mother of God among the people inextricably merged with her icons, some of them are recognized as miraculous and there are holidays in honor of them.
Among the most famous icons of the Mother of God belongs to Vladimirskaya (belongs to the type of "Tenderness"), scientists date it to the 12th century, according to the chronicle testimony, it was brought from Constantinople. In the future, the Mother of God of Vladimir was repeatedly rewritten, there were many copies from her of the XIV-XV centuries. For example, the famous repetition of Our Lady of Vladimir was created at the beginning of the 15th century. for the Assumption Cathedral of the city of Vladimir, to replace the ancient original, transported to Moscow.
The famous Mother of God of the Don, presumably written by Theophanes the Greek himself and which became the main shrine of the city founded in the 16th century, belongs to the type of "Tenderness". Moscow Donskoy Monastery.
One of the best icons of the Hodegetria type is considered to be the Mother of God of Smolensk, created in 1482 by the great artist Dionysius. It is called Smolensk because, according to the chronicle legend, the oldest copy of the Odigitria brought to Russia was kept in Smolensk, and it was from it that all subsequent icons were made.
The main and central image of ancient Russian painting is the image of Jesus Christ, Savior, as it was called in Russia.
Image of Christ.
Pantocrator (Almighty) this is a full-length or half-length image of Christ. His right hand is raised in a blessing gesture, in his left he holds the Gospel - a sign of the teachings he brought into the world.
Savior on the throne this is an image of Christ in the clothes of the Byzantine emperor seated on a throne (throne). With his right hand raised in front of his chest, he blesses, and with his left he touches the opened Gospel.
In addition to the usual composition of the Savior on the Throne, there were also images in ancient Russian art where the figure of Christ seated on the throne was surrounded by various symbolic signs indicating the fullness of his power and his judgment over the world. These images formed a separate vault and were named Spas with all his might.
Savior Bishop the Great the image of Christ in bishop's attire, revealing him in the image of the New Testament high priest.
Savior Not Made by Hands this is one of oldest images Christ, where only the face of the Savior is represented, imprinted on the fabric.
Salvation miraculous in crown of thorns one of the varieties of this image, although it is rare, this type of image appears in Russian icon painting only in the 17th century.
The image of Christ in infancy calledEmmanuel
("God is with us").Even less common is the image of the infant Christ with a star-shaped halo, personifying Christ before incarnation (i.e., before birth), or Christ in the form of an archangel with wings. Such icons are calledAngel of the Great Council
.
The most numerous were icons that reproduced the image not made by hands. The oldest surviving one is the Novgorod "Savior Not Made by Hands", created in the XII century. and now owned by the State Tretyakov Gallery. No less famous is the "Savior Not Made by Hands" from the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, dating back to the 15th century.
There were also numerous images of the Almighty Savior. The famous "Zvenigorod Savior" by Andrei Rublev from this series is one of the greatest works of Old Russian painting, one of the best creations of the author.
In Russia, icon painting was considered the most important, state matter. Chronicles, along with events of national importance, noted the construction of new churches and the creation of icons.
There was an ancient tradition - to admit to icon painting only monks, moreover, who did not stain themselves with sinful deeds. The Stoglavy Cathedral of 1551, among other issues, paid attention to icon painting. The council decreed that the icon painter should be a man of a righteous, pure life, and his craft is serving God and the church. Thus, the greatest icon painters of ancient Russia, Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, according to the collection of Legends of the Holy Elders, were righteous and “excelled in virtues”, for which they were honored with their unusual gifts.
For many centuries, icons in Russia were surrounded by an aura of immense moral authority. The work on the icon began with fervent prayer, not only of the performer-monk, but of the entire monastery. It was considered a great sin to throw away or burn icons. If the image darkened or faded (this happened often: in the old days it was customary to cover the image from above with linseed oil because of which they darkened over time), it was "recorded" with new painting. There was also a custom to float spoiled and unusable icons down the river face down after a preliminary prayer service. Some ancient icons were especially revered and were considered miraculous, i.e. capable of performing miracles. The history of such miraculous icons included many legends about miraculous rescues and healings brought to believers.
So, the main shrine of Novgorod - the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign from the Church of St. Sophia allegedly saved the city from the siege. The chronicles tell how in 1169 St. John of Novgorod, having learned that the people of Suzdal were going to war against Novgorod, began to pray fervently, and suddenly heard a voice: he was ordered, when the siege began, to go out to the people of Suzdal with an icon of the Mother of God of the Sign. So they did, after that the Suzdal people were defeated.
The famous icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir is credited with saving Moscow from Tamerlane in 1395, when he unexpectedly interrupted his campaign to the city and returned to the steppe. Muscovites explained this event by the intercession of the Mother of God, who allegedly appeared to Tamerlane in a dream and told him not to touch the city. According to legend, the icon "Our Lady of the Don" was with Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field in 1380 and helped to defeat the Tatars.
According to legend, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God helped Minin and Pozharsky liberate Moscow from the Poles in 1612.
The belief in the miraculous power of icons is strong even today, the traditions of their veneration are also preserved by the modern church. The icon as a spiritual phenomenon is attracting more and more attention, and not only in the Orthodox, but also in the Catholic world. V recent times all more Christians evaluate the icon as a common Christian spiritual heritage. Today it is ancient icon is perceived as a revelation necessary for a modern person.
Icon painting is of no less interest to historians and art critics. Today, no one has to prove the aesthetic value of the icon, however, in order to understand its true spiritual value, to comprehend the artistic language of the author, to unravel its deep meaning, it is necessary to continue researching this most interesting layer of ancient Russian art.
Cand. ist. Sciences, Art. teacher
Chairs social sciences and
regional geography of Russia
State Institute
Russian language them. A.S. Pushkin
I. V. Kuprina
Nowhere has icon painting achieved such a development as in Russia, nowhere has it created so many masterpieces and has not become the favorite type of fine art of an entire people for centuries.
The cult of the icon (from the Greek eikon - image, image) originated in the 2nd century. and blossomed in the 4th century; The oldest surviving icons date back to the 6th century. The icon should be viewed not as an image identical to the Divine, in contrast to pre-Christian idols, but as a symbol that allows spiritual familiarization with the “original” (archetype), that is, penetration into the supernatural world through the object of the material world.
The icons were made initially using the encaustic technique (wax painting), then with tempera and, in rare cases, mosaics, and later (mainly from the 18th century) with oil painting. The icon was especially widespread in Byzantium; original schools of icon painting arose in Coptic Egypt and Ethiopia, in the South Slavic countries, in Georgia. An ancient Russian icon acquired a real artistic brightness and originality.
On the basis of archaeological excavations, it has been established that painting with paints was known in Ancient Russia even before the adoption of Christianity. This is evidenced by the discovery of a pestle for grinding paints, discovered in an excavation at the site of the ancient Saransk settlement, where the city of Rostov the Great was later founded. But the technology of painting and the binders on which the paints were rubbed are not yet known.
The icon consists of four to five layers, arranged in the following order: base, primer, paint layer, protective layer. The icon can have a frame made of metals or some other materials.
The first layer is the base; most often it is a wooden board with a fabric glued on it, called a pavolok. Sometimes the board is without a floor. Very rarely, the basis for works of yolk tempera was made only of canvas. The reason for this is obvious. Wood, not stone, served as our main building material, so that the overwhelming majority of Russian churches (9/10) were made of wood. With their decorativeness, ease of placement in the church, brightness and durability of their colors (rubbed on egg yolk), icons painted on a board (pine and linden, covered with alabaster ground - "levkas") were the best fit for decorating Russian wooden churches. It was not without reason that it was noted that in Ancient Russia the icon was the same classical form of fine art as in Egypt - relief, in Hellas - a statue, and in Byzantium - mosaic.
The second layer is soil. If the icon is painted in a late manner, combining tempera with paints on other binders (mostly oil), and the layers of the primer are colored (colored pigments are used, not traditional chalk or gypsum), then it is called “primer”. But in the yolk tempera, which prevailed in icon painting, the ground is always white. This type of soil is called levkas.
The third layer is colorful. The paint layer consists of various paints applied successively to the primer. This is the most essential part of a painting, since it is with the help of paints that an image is created.
The fourth is a protective (or covering) layer of drying oil or oil varnish. Very rarely, protein was used as a material for the protective layer. chicken eggs(on Belarusian and Ukrainian icons). Currently - resin varnishes.
The frames for the icons were made separately and fixed on them with nails. They are made of metals, fabrics with sewing and even carved wood, covered with gesso and gilding. They did not cover the entire pictorial surface with frames, but mainly nimbuses (crowns), the background and fields of the icon, and less often almost all of its surface, with the exception of images of heads (faces), arms and legs.
For many centuries in Russia they wrote in the yolk tempera technique; now they use the terms "egg tempera", or simply "tempera".
Tempera (from the Italian "temperare" - to mix paints) - painting with paints, in which the binder is most often an emulsion from water and egg yolk, less often - from vegetable or animal glue diluted in water with the addition of oil or oil varnish. The color and tone in works written in tempera are incomparably more resistant to external influences and retain their original freshness significantly longer compared to oil painting paints. The yolk tempera technique came to Russia from Byzantium at the end of the 10th century, together with the art of icon painting.
Russian icon painters up to the end of the 19th century, speaking about the process of mixing a pigment with a binder, used the expression "rub the paints" or "dissolve the paints". And the paints themselves were called "created". From the beginning of the 20th century, only paints made of powders of gold or silver mixed with a binder (melted gold, melted silver) began to be called “melted”. The rest of the paints were simply called tempera.
Icons in Russia appeared as a result of the missionary activity of the Byzantine Church at a time when the significance of church art was experienced with particular force. What is especially important and what was a strong inner motivation for Russian church art is that Russia adopted Christianity precisely in the era of the revival of spiritual life in Byzantium itself, the era of its flourishing. During this period, nowhere in Europe was church art so developed as in Byzantium. And at that time, the newly converted Russia received, among other icons, as an example of Orthodox art, an unsurpassed masterpiece - the icon of the Mother of God, which later received the name of Vladimir.
Rostov-Suzdal school.
Rostov-Suzdal and Zalesskaya Rus were in ancient times vast lands from the Oka and the Volga to the White Lake. These lands became the second after Kiev center of Russian statehood and culture. In the very center of Russia, over the course of three centuries, from 10 to 13, the cities of Rostov the Great, Murom, Suzdal, Vladimir, Belozersk, Uglich, Kostroma, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow arose.
The icons painted in Rostov the Great represent it as a center, a kind of academy for painters of North-Eastern Russia. They confirm the significance and vivid originality of the national Central Russian ancient painting and its important role in public art.
The icons of the Rostov-Suzdal school, even at the first acquaintance, amaze us with the brightness and purity of light, the expressiveness of a strict drawing. They are characterized by a special harmony of a rhythmically constructed composition, soft warm shades of color.
The oldest of Suzdal icons- Maximovskaya Mother of God - was written in 1299 by order of Metropolitan Maxim in connection with the transfer of the Metropolitan See from Kiev to Vladimir. The Mother of God is depicted full-length with a baby in her arms. The icon has significant losses of ancient painting, but the unusually expressive silhouette, smoothly running lines of the drawing speak of the very high skill of its creators.
Paintings of the 14th century - the time of the struggle against the Mongol-Tatars - bear the features of the time, their images are full of deep sorrowful power. They found expression in the icon of the Virgin (14th century). It is characteristic that even the clothing of the Mother of God - maforium - with its almost black color symbolizes the depth of sadness.
The 15th century is rightly considered the heyday of ancient Russian painting. In the traditions of the Rostov-Suzdal school, one of the masterpieces was written in the 15th century - an icon depicting the holiday of the Intercession. This holiday was introduced by Andrey Bogolyubsky and became especially popular in the Vladimir-Suzdal land. The central image of this work is the Mother of God, overshadowing people with her veil, protecting them from harm. This piece is filled with pacifying harmony. This impression is created by a balanced composition, color, built on the relationship of light brown, red and white color shades.
In the 15th century, hagiographic icons are especially widespread, where the image of the saint is framed with stamps with scenes from his life. This is how the icon of St. Nicholas (16th century), a saint especially popular in Russia, was made. In this icon, the richness of pink, light green, light brown of the finest shades is striking, next to blue and red spots on a white background. This richness of color gives the icon freshness and sonority.
For the 16th century, when the idea of statehood is gaining strength, strict, lofty images are characteristic. At this time, the icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria (in Greek - "warrior") was painted. Along with such works, there are others, they feel a living folk understanding of images, their interpretation.
In the icon of the Annunciation, the artist introduces the image of swans, which in the popular representation were associated with the image of a virgin bride.
From the second half of the 16th century, the composition of icons will become more complicated. This tendency is gradually increasing, and in the 17th century the artist seeks to convey the legend underlying this or that icon image in as much detail as possible. Thus, the icon "Descent into Hell" is not only very detailed, but for greater persuasiveness it is supplemented with inscriptions. In the underworld, next to demons, personifying human sin, there are inscriptions: "tatba", "fornication", "despair".
At the end of the 17th century, features appeared in Russian icon painting, indicating the approach of the era of realistic painting. Artists strive to paint icons in a manner close to realistic, conveying the volume of faces, figures, and the environment. It is these features that characterize the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God of the late 17th century.
All these icons of the Rostov-Suzdal school amaze us either with the brightness, freshness and harmony of the artistic system, or with the complexity and amusement of the narrative, opening a window to the past for us, giving us the opportunity to get in touch with the rich and in some features not fully understood the world of our ancestors.
Moscow school.
The Moscow school took shape and developed intensively in the era of the strengthening of the Moscow principality. Painting of the Moscow school in the 14th century. represented a synthesis of local traditions and advanced trends of Byzantine and South Slavic art (icons "Savior the Bright Eye" and "Savior on the shoulder", 1340, Cathedral of the Dormition of the Moscow Kremlin). The flourishing of the Moscow school in the late 14th - early 15th centuries. associated with the activities of prominent artists Theophanes the Greek, Andrei Rublev, Daniil Cherny. The traditions of their art were developed in the icons and paintings of Dionysius, attracting by the sophistication of proportions, decorative festivity of color, and the balance of compositions.
The Rostov-Suzdal school, known in Russia since pre-Mongol times, served as the basis on which Moscow painting developed and took shape in the 14-16 centuries.
It existed for a long time next to the Rostov-Suzdal painting, but the final dissolution of the Rostov-Suzdal painting in the new Moscow direction did not happen. The originality of the former is obvious, and even in the 16th century their works remain faithful to their traditions.
When did the Moscow school of painting emerge?
This is very difficult to establish, since at first the art of Moscow resembled the art of the Vladimir-Suzdal land, just like the history of Moscow itself merged with its history.
Perhaps the origin of the Moscow school can be associated with such icons of Central Russian origin as, for example, Boris and Gleb of the early 14th century. Royally majestic, slender and graceful are these young warriors in magnificent clothes, with a sword and a cross in their hands.
Already in the early Moscow icons, colors complement each other, and the beauty of their measured consistency, and not in contrasts. And the linear rhythm of Moscow icon painting is also softly, but confidently coordinated in a measured sound, without the effects that, for example, a comparison of vertical with horizontal gives.
By the beginning of the 15th century, Moscow had occupied an exceptional position in Eastern Europe, both politically and culturally. The Moscow principality grew stronger and larger. From many countries, artists flocked to Moscow, for whom it became one of the largest cultural centers. This is how Theophanes the Greek, already famous in Novgorod, ended up in Moscow.
The perfection of Feofan's artistic techniques - the legacy of a very ancient culture that had long reached its zenith - was especially important for the final formation of the art of a young, but already aware of its world significance.
In Moscow, perhaps under the influence of the Moscow painting tradition, Feofan showed less passion, less dynamism in his compositions, but more than in Novgorod, stately solemnity. This is evidenced by the central figures of the Deesis tier of the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral, painted by him, among which the figure of Mary is especially attracted by its pictorial perfection. No other of his Moscow works have survived.
In addition to Feofan himself, on the painting of the Annunciation Cathedral, they worked under his general direction "Prokhor, the elder from Gorodets, and the black man Andrei Rublev."
Andrei Rublev was revered already during his lifetime with outstanding skill, but real fame came to him after his death, and not immediately. But this glory turned out to be indisputable.
The opening of Rublev's Trinity made a stunning impression, everyone was seized with boundless admiration: from the dungeon that had hidden him for so long, one of the most significant, most spiritualized creations of world painting was released.
"Trinity" served as the foundation for the recreation of the creative individuality of Andrei Rublev. And even the idea was expressed that it was this Rublev masterpiece that most likely provided the key to understanding the beauty of all ancient Russian painting.
The entire Rublev painting sounds like a delightful symphony, like a lyric poem about universal fraternal affection. How much joy is generously prepared for us here by the means of painting alone, so before this creation of Rublev, we are really ready to agree with Leonardo Da Vinci, who said that painting is the queen of the arts.
These feelings, these joys arise in the contemplation of Rublev's Trinity, even if you do not know what, in essence, its plot is. The icon in wondrous colors and images glorifies brotherhood, unity, reconciliation, love, and by its very beauty proclaims the hope for the triumph of these good principles.
In the work of Rublev, the ancient Russian pictorial culture found its brightest, most complete expression, and his "Trinity" was destined to serve as a beacon for all subsequent Russian icon painting, until this art itself lost its full-bloodedness. The seal of the Rublev genius on many works of art that the Russian people have the right to be proud of.
A number of excellent Moscow icons from the first decades of the 15th century testify to the general flourishing of painting during the Rublev era. One of the greatest masters, whose names have not come down to us, was the author of the icon of the Archangel Michael from the Archangel Cathedral in Moscow, and which, in terms of its artistic merit, can be ranked among the highest achievements of ancient Russian painting. Moreover, in this icon the beginning of not light joy or pacifying sincerity triumphs, but epic, heroic.
Archangel Michael here is not a meek, pensive angel with a poetically bowed head, but a menacingly erect young warrior, sword in hand, breathing courage. It was not for nothing that he was considered the leader of the heavenly army, the victor of Satan and the patron saint of Russian princes. This is no longer a sweet dream of a comfortable world, but the embodiment of military valor and the will to fight.
The entire composition in its linear and colorful rhythm is dynamic, everything in it is seething, as if obeying a certain force that shines through in the gaze of the winged guard of the Russian land.
... The torch of Russian art, raised so high by Rublev, passes by the end of the century into the hands of his worthy successor, Dionysius. His frescoes of the Ferapontov Monastery are a monument of ancient Russian art. In his compositions there is such light elegance, such high decorativeness, such exquisite grace, such sweet femininity in their rhythm, in their delicate sound and at the same time such solemn, strictly measured, "slowness" that corresponded to the court ceremony of the then Moscow. In this regularity, restraint, Dionysius displays artistic wisdom, already appreciated by his contemporaries. The turns of the figures are barely indicated, movements sometimes freeze in one gesture or even a hint of a gesture. But this is enough, because the integrity and beauty of his compositions are based on the absolute inner balance of all parts. And as PP Muratov correctly says, “after Dionysius, ancient Russian painting created many beautiful works, but Dionysian dimension and harmony were never returned to it”.
The last great flap of the wings of ancient Russian creativity.
Stroganov school.
The name "Stroganov school" arose from the frequent use of the family mark of the Stroganov merchants of Solvychegodsk on back side icons of this direction, but the authors of most of the works of the Stroganov school were Moscow tsarist icon painters, who also carried out the orders of the Stroganovs - connoisseurs of fine and sophisticated craftsmanship. The icons of the Stroganov school are characterized by small sizes, diminutive writing, juicy, dense, half-tone colors, enriched by the wide use of gold and silver, fragile delicacy of poses and gestures of the characters, complex fantasy of landscape backgrounds.
Novgorod school.
The most fully preserved ancient monuments of Novgorod painting. In some works, the influence of Byzantine art can be traced, which speaks of the broad artistic ties of Novgorod. The type of a motionless saint with large features and wide-open eyes is common. For example, "Saint George", Armory, Moscow; double-sided icon with images of the Savior Not Made by Hands and the Worship of the Cross, late 12th century, Tretyakov Gallery.
The glory of the "Novgorod letters" - the icons of the Novgorod school - was so great that many connoisseurs considered almost all the best Old Russian icons to be Novgorod, and some researchers even tried to attribute Rublev and Dionisy to it.
These attempts were not justified. But there is no doubt that in the 15th century, the Novgorod school reached its heyday, which "leaves behind everything that was created before." (I.V. Alpatov)
In Novgorod painting, almost from its inception and in all subsequent centuries, the folk principle manifests itself with special force, with special persistence. It will broadly reflect the practical - economic attitude to the functions and values of the saints.
Inherited from paganism, the closest intertwining with everyday life, divine forces with the forces of nature and its blessings has long left its imprint on the ancient Russian attitude.
The icon painter never painted from life, he strove to capture the idea. Particularly characteristic of Novgorod painting is the desire to make the idea as clear as possible, really tangible, and accessible.
Among the earliest Novgorod icons that have come down to us, there are masterpieces of world significance. Such is, for example, "Angel of Golden Hair", written probably at the end of the 12th century. What a tall, pure beauty in this unforgettable image!
In the icon of the Novgorod school "Assumption" (13th century), some of the figures of the apostles literally shock us with the life truth of those deep experiences that were captured in them by an inspirational artist unknown to us. Often the artist depicted quite real people, while typical representatives of the ruling Novgorod elite, with the highest heavenly forces... This is a significant phenomenon in ancient Russian painting, very characteristic of the Novgorod school with its striving for concreteness, truthful expressiveness. Thanks to this, we can clearly imagine the appearance of the then noble Novgorodian.
Novgorod icons are very emotional. So in the icons "The Dormition of the Theotokos" with tremendous power, the artist conveyed the great drama of death, all-consuming human grief. The same theme found its expression in the famous icon "The Entombment" (2nd half of the 15th century).
Novgorod icons are beautiful in their color contrasts. In them, each color plays by itself, and each enhances the other in mutual opposition. Compositions of Novgorod painting, no matter how complex they are - one-, two-, three-figure or multi-subject, narrative character - they are all simple, perfectly inscribed in the plane and consistent with their forms. All elements are distributed in them evenly and according to their importance. They have neither too busy nor empty places. Background spaces between individual images take on beautiful shapes and play a large role in the composition. Figures, mountains, trees are often arranged symmetrically. With this, the compositions were closed, they received complete completion. At the same time, this symmetry was broken by the turns of the figures, the tilts of their heads, the various forms of mountains, flats, buildings, trees and other images.
Other schools of icon painting.
Volga school.
Icons of the Volga region are characterized by the following features: energetic, clear structure, dark, deep sounding tone. The Volga origin of the icon betrays a special passion for water landscapes. There are four of them. Three show violent dark waters playing with steep waves. On the fourth, there are calm waters, a sandy shore, where in broad daylight a miracle occurs: a traveler with a white bag on his shoulder descends from the huge mouth of a fish. This icon of Nikola Zaraisky with his life (16th century).
An interesting icon is "The Entombment" (end of the 15th century). The figures of the characters are arranged in clear horizontal rows parallel to the tomb with the body of Christ. As if repeating these horizontals, against the background, the ledges of the hills rise, diverging from the center to the sides. The figure of Mary Magdalene with her hands raised high, as it were, personifies hopelessness and despair.
In the icon “ The last supper”(End of the 15th century) the dramatic situation was conveyed by the icon painter extremely expressively: the apostles, frozen in various poses, with different hand gestures, are depicted around a white oval table. On the left, at the head, sits Christ, to whom the extreme apostle fell in an expressive movement.
Yaroslavl school.
The Yaroslavl icon-painting school emerged at the beginning of the 16th century. during the period rapid growth the population of the city, the formation of the merchant class. The works of Yaroslavl masters of the early 13th century have survived to us, the works of the 14th century are known, and by the number of surviving monuments of painting of the 16th and 17th centuries. the Yaroslavl school is not inferior to other ancient Russian schools. In the works of Yaroslavl masters, the traditions of high art of Ancient Russia were carefully preserved until the very middle of the 18th century. Basically, their painting remained true to that great style, the principles of which were formed in deep antiquity, developed for a long time in miniature painting. Along with "petty" images, Yaroslavl icon painters as early as the 18th century. They also wrote compositions in which the love for large masses, for strict and laconic silhouettes, for a clear and clear structure of scenes in the hallmarks is felt in the same way as in the works of masters of the 15-16 centuries. Works by Yaroslavl masters of the second half of the 17th - early 18th centuries. for a long time they were recognized in Russia as examples of the old national art. They were collected by admirers of ancient icon painting - Old Believers, carefully studied by the artists of Palekh and Mstera, who continued in the 19th and 20th centuries. to paint icons in the traditions of Russian medieval painting.
One of the most ancient icons that have come down to us is "Our Lady the Great Panagia". The use of gold plays an important role in the decorative design of the icon, giving the image an impression of majestic beauty and unearthly splendor. In the rhythmic construction of the icon, the activity of the white color is also used, skillfully used in the writing of faces.
The emotional richness of the image is characteristic of the icon "Savior Not Made by Hands" (13th century). It is enhanced by the luscious, major painting of the background - the board, sustained in bright yellow and red tones of several shades.
Nizhny Novgorod school.
One of the interesting icons of Nizhny Novgorod origin "The Fiery Ascent of the Prophet Elijah with Life" (14th century). It is written broadly and freely. Scenes of life are full of movement, gestures are expressive. The richest variety of individual characteristics of the characters. The faces are written in dark sankir: free writing with bright white marks the expressiveness of the forms of the face, the sharpness of the look. The artist focuses on the main thing - the state of mind, impulse, expression of the spirit; tension reigns in the icon, a kind of concentrated state of comprehension of truth and meditation.
The icon "The Miracle of Dmitry Solunsky with a Life" (first half of the 16th century) was made in the same manner - the same characteristic graphic clarity of the silhouette and bright saturated colors that distinguish Nizhny Novgorod monuments of the 14-16th centuries.
Tver school.
The Tver school of icon painting took shape in the 13th century. The icons and miniatures of the Tver school are characterized by severe expressiveness of images, tension and expression of color relations, emphasized linearity of writing. In the 15th century. her earlier orientation toward the artistic traditions of the countries of the Balkan Peninsula has intensified.
Pskov scale.
The Pskov school took shape during the period of feudal fragmentation and reached its peak in the 14-15th centuries. It is characterized by an increased expression of images, the sharpness of light reflections, a pasty brushstroke (icons "Cathedral of Our Lady" and "Paraskeva, Barbara and Ulyana" - both 2nd half of the 14th century, State Tretyakov Gallery). In painting, the disintegration of the Pskov school began at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Icon painting is the painting of icons, a type of painting widespread in the Middle Ages, dedicated to religious subjects and themes.
The icon as an object of religious worship is an indispensable feature of every Orthodox church. In Ancient Russia, for example, there was a cult of icons as sacred objects. They were worshiped, many legends were composed about them, superstitious people believed that icons were endowed with mysterious powers. A miracle was expected from them, deliverance from diseases, help in overcoming the enemy. The icon was an obligatory accessory not only to church decoration, but also to every residential building. At the same time, secondary importance was sometimes attached to the artistic quality of the icons.
In our time, we value only those icons that are works of art, we perceive them as monuments of the past, recognizing their high aesthetic value.
Miracle of George about the serpent. XVI century Moscow school. State Tretyakov Gallery. Moscow.
The oldest monuments of icon painting date back to the 6th century. Their large collections are concentrated in monasteries in Sinai (Sinai Peninsula), Athos (Greece) and Jerusalem. Icon painting arose on the basis of the traditions of post-Hellenistic art. The original works - "portraits" of saints - were performed using the technique of mosaics, encaustics, then icons were painted in tempera, from the 18th century. - with oil paints on wooden boards, less often - on metal ones.
In the X-XII centuries. Byzantium became the center of icon painting (see Byzantine art). At the beginning of the XII century. the famous masterpiece was created - the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir, which is now kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. The Byzantine style had a great influence on the painting of Western Europe, Ancient Rus, South Slavic countries, Georgia, which was associated with the spread of Christianity.
The heyday of Old Russian painting falls on the end of the XIV - the middle of the XVI century. What is this period in our history? Having gone through the trials of the Mongol-Tatar yoke, the Russian people began to unite for the sake of fighting the enemy and to realize their unity. In art, he embodied his aspirations and aspirations, social, moral, religious ideals. Among the icons of this time, the remarkable works of Theophanes the Greek stand out. His art, passionate, dramatic, wise, harsh, sometimes tragically tense, made a strong impression on Russian masters.
In its own way, the era was reflected in the work of Andrei Rublev and his students. In the works of Andrei Rublev, the dream of his contemporaries about a moral ideal was embodied with extraordinary artistic force; his images affirm the ideas of goodness, compassion, harmony, joy, which met the people's aspirations.
Along with the Moscow school in the XIV-XV centuries. icon painting flourishes in Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, Suzdal and other cities.
At the end of the 15th century. appears in the sky of Moscow new star- master Dionysius. Dionysius had a great influence on his contemporaries. For the entire first half of the 16th century. reflections of the poetry of his colors fall.
Dionysius. Metropolitan Alexy heals Taidula (the khan's wife). Stamp from the icon "Metropolitan Alexy in his life". The beginning of the XVI century. Tempera on wood. State Tretyakov Gallery. Moscow.
The turn in the development of icon painting took place in mid XVI c., when church control over the work of icon painters increased sharply. The decisions of the Stoglavy Sobor referred to Andrei Rublev as a model, but in essence they cut off the precious thread coming from him.
Historical examination of icon painting helps to understand its essence. Icon painters usually did not invent, did not compose their plots, like painters. They followed the iconographic type developed and approved by the custom and by the church authorities. This explains the fact that the icons on the same plot, even separated by centuries, are so similar to each other. It was believed that the masters are obliged to follow the samples collected in the icon-painting originals, and can only express themselves in color. Otherwise, they were dominated by traditional canons. But even within the framework of constant gospel stories, with all respect for tradition, the masters always managed to add something from themselves, enrich, and rethink the old model.
Until the 17th century. painters usually did not sign their works. Chronicles and other literary sources mention the most revered icon painters: Theophanes the Greek, Andrei Rublev, Daniil Cherny, Dionysius. Of course, there were much more talented masters, but their names remained unknown to us.
Modern man cannot but be surprised by the sharp contradictions between cruelty and rudeness of morals. feudal Russia and the nobility and sublimity of ancient Russian art. This does not mean at all that it turned away from the drama of life. Russian people of that era delved into the course of life, but tried to invest in art what they lacked in reality and to which they were attracted by the aspirations of the people.
For example, the images of the martyrs Boris and Gleb looked like an exhortation to the princes to abandon civil strife. Local patriotism of those years when the regiments of Moscow princes began to threaten the Novgorodian freedom was manifested in the icon "Battle of Novgorodians with Suzdalians".
Old Russian masters were deeply convinced that art makes it possible to touch the secrets of being, the secrets of the universe. The hierarchical ladder, pyramidality, integrity, subordination of parts - this is what was recognized as the basis of the world order, which was seen as a means of overcoming chaos and darkness.
This idea found expression in the structure of each icon. The Christian temple was thought of as a semblance of the world, space, and the dome was the firmament. Accordingly, almost every icon was understood as a semblance of a temple and at the same time as a model of the cosmos. Modern man does not accept Old Russian space. But even he cannot but be captivated by the fruits of poetic creativity generated by this view: a light cosmic order triumphant over the forces of dark chaos.
Old Russian icon painting paid great attention to the images of the Gospel stories from the life of Christ, the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) and saints. Among the many different motives, she chose the most constant, stable, universally significant.
George the warrior. Icon of the XII century. State museums of the Moscow Kremlin.
The group of such icons, in which popular ideals were manifested, should be especially highlighted, agricultural Russia said its word. These are, first of all, icons dedicated to Florus and Laurus, patrons of cattle, George, Vlasiy and Ilya the Prophet, who was depicted against a bright, fiery background as the successor to the pagan god of thunder and lightning Perun.
Among the plots and motives that especially pleased the people of Ancient Rus, we should mention the Rublev type of "Trinity": three figures, full of friendly disposition, constituting a closed group. Andrei Rublev expressed this state with the greatest clarity and captivating grace. Re-tunes of his composition, free variations on this theme are constantly found in Russian icons.
In the world of Old Russian icons, the human principle is of great importance. The main subject of icon painting is a deity, but it appears in the image of a beautiful, exalted person. The deep humanism of the Russian icon is also in the fact that everything depicted has passed through the crucible of a responsive human soul, colored by its empathy. In his impulse to the lofty, a person does not lose the ability to look at the world affectionately, to admire now the fast running of the horses, now the shepherds with their lambs, in a word, all the "earthly creature", as it was customary then to say.
Icon painting is a symbolic art. It is based on the idea that absolutely everything in the world is just a shell behind which, like a core, the highest meaning is hidden. A work of art acquires several meanings from here, which complicates the perception of the icon. Both the plot and the artistic form are symbolic here. Each icon, in addition to the fact that it depicts a legendary event or character, also has a subtext that reveals its true content.
The content of the icons is not directed to one person, but to a community of people. They formed a row in the church - the iconostasis, benefiting from the neighborhood with each other. The Old Russian iconostasis was an integral harmonious unity. The first large iconostases with human-sized figures date back to the beginning of the 15th century, and since then not a single temple has done without such a majestic structure. Its literal meaning is the prayer of the saints, addressed to the Almighty Christ sitting on the throne (Deesis order - row). But since there was also a local row with icons on various topics, and festive - with scenes from the life of Christ and Mary, and prophetic (images of the apostles, prophets), the iconostasis acquired the meaning of a kind of church encyclopedia. At the same time, the iconostasis is a wonderful artistic creation of ancient Russian culture. Its importance in the development of the Old Russian icon can hardly be overestimated. Many icons cannot be explained and understood outside of the combination in which they were in the iconostasis.
The highest artistic skill, a special understanding of drawing, composition, space, color and light, developed in icon painting.
The drawing conveyed the outlines of objects so that they could be recognized. But the designation of the drawing was not limited to the identification meaning. A graphic metaphor - the poetic assimilation of a person to a mountain, a tower, a tree, a flower, a slender vase - is a common phenomenon in Russian icon painting.
Composition - especially strong point ancient Russian icons. Almost every icon was thought of as a semblance of the world, and accordingly, a middle axis is always present in the composition. In the upper part rises the sky (the highest tiers of being), and below the earth is usually designated ("pozem"), sometimes under it - the underworld. This fundamental structure of the icon, regardless of the plot, influenced its entire composition.
The old texts list the favorite colors of our icon painters: ocher, cinnabar, cormorant, hook, cabbage roll, emerald. But in reality, the range of colors of ancient Russian painting is more extensive. Along with the clear, open colors, there were many in between. They are different in luminosity and saturation; among them there are sometimes nameless shades that cannot be designated with a word, they can only be caught by the human eye. The colors shine, shine, ring, sing and all this bring great joy. Sometimes only one color, for example a red cloak fluttering in the wind in the icon "The Miracle of George of the Dragon", gives a warrior a deep characterization.
Old Russian icon painting is one of the largest phenomena in world art, a peculiar, unique phenomenon with great artistic value. It was generated by the historical conditions of the development of our country. But the values she created are in the public domain. For us, Old Russian icon painting is of great value, in particular, because many of its artistic features were used in a rethought form by major contemporary artists (for example, K. S. Petrov-Vodkin, V. A. Favorsky, P. D. Korin, etc. .).
In our country, the business of collecting and disclosing the works of Old Russian icon painting has acquired a nationwide scale. Lenin's decrees on the nationalization of monuments of art (see Protection of monuments of history and culture in the USSR) laid the foundation for the creation of the largest repositories of ancient Russian painting in the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum.
In the year of the 600th anniversary of the birth of Andrei Rublev, the Museum of Old Russian Art named after him was opened in the former Andronikov Monastery in Moscow.
