“And Vladimir, and his sons, and his land were enlightened.”
The Tale of Bygone Years
Having adopted Christianity and linked its fate with Byzantium, Rus', along with Bulgaria, which had been baptized a century earlier, became an equal member of the Orthodox brotherhood. Prince Vladimir, who baptized Rus', begins the reconstruction of his land and, above all, the capital Kyiv. Churches are being built one after another. By 1015, by the end of the prince’s life, there will be more than a hundred of them here. The work started by his father was successfully continued by his son, Yaroslav the Wise, who ruled in Kyiv in 1016-1054. He owes the nickname “Wise” primarily to his successful efforts to educate the population of his country, set up schools, and promote literacy. In the spiritual upliftment and enlightenment of society important role emerging and rapidly growing monasteries begin to play. The first of them was Kiev-Pechersk, founded Venerable Anthony, who lived in 983-1073. Later the church would call him “the chief of all Russian monks.”
Kyiv, the capital city of the Russian land, strives to become like Constantinople - the heart of the entire Byzantine world. The Church of the Tithes in Kyiv was built at the end of the 10th century by Greek, apparently Constantinople, craftsmen on the model of Byzantine churches and dedicated, like the palace temple in Constantinople, to the Mother of God. Erected half a century later main temple city, the St. Sophia Cathedral, like the Hagia Sophia Cathedral of the Byzantine capital, is dedicated to Divine Wisdom, and the main gate of Kyiv, as in Constantinople, is called Golden. The princely buildings of the 11th century are distinguished by their large size and richness of decoration - splendor and metropolitan splendor. And the first among them is the famous St. Sophia Cathedral, the construction of which was completed in the 40s of the 11th century. In terms of grandeur and splendor, for many centuries it had no equal in Rus'. Its huge interior space was decorated with mosaics and frescoes. In the second half of the same century, large cathedrals were erected in Kyiv, also distinguished by rich picturesque decoration.
Undoubtedly, in all churches there were icons, although not numerous. None of them reached us. Only a memory has been preserved about the first Kyiv icons - brief mentions in chronicles and the lives of saints. The first teachers of Russian icon painters were Byzantine masters. The wall paintings they made are still preserved in the churches of Kyiv, Staraya Ladoga, Novgorod. Several early icons, painted by the Byzantines in Rus' or brought from Byzantium, have also survived.
Under the protection of the Virgin Mary
The chronicle reports that after baptism, Prince Vladimir brought from the Greek city of Korsun (Chersonese - author's note) icons of the Savior, the Mother of God and the chief apostles, Peter and Paul, and installed them in the Church of the Tithes. Since then, icons brought from Byzantium or painted in Rus' by Greek masters began to be called Korsun. They enjoyed special respect, some became revered shrines. The icon that went down in history as “ Our Lady of Vladimir».
Each era embodied her image in its own way, keeping the iconographic type unchanged. The icon was brought to Rus' from Byzantium at the beginning of the 12th century. It was installed in Kyiv, and later, in 1155, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky transported the image to his new residence - the city of Vladimir. Here it was kept for two centuries, receiving the name Vladimir and becoming the main shrine of the city. The “Tale of the Miracles of Our Lady of Vladimir” tells about the numerous miracles of the icon, which raised the dead, saved them from death, and protected them from enemies. And when in 1395 the large army of Temir-Aksak (Tamerlane - editor's note) moved towards Moscow, Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich of Moscow turned to her help and asked the Metropolitan to release the icon to the capital of the principality. She was greeted with a religious procession and placed in the main temple of the Moscow Kremlin - the Assumption. According to legend, on the same day, a “majestic wife,” the Mother of God, appeared to Temir-Aksak in a dream and ordered him to leave the city. Moscow was saved. This event subsequently became the theme of many icons.
Soon the icon was returned to Vladimir, but in 1480 it was again, and finally, transported to Moscow, leaving a list of it in Vladimir (a copy - author's note). From now on, she overshadows the Russian capital. Copies of the icon are distributed in great numbers throughout Rus' and are deeply revered.
I would like to dwell on at least two of them. In the 15th century, a Moscow icon painter (perhaps the famous Andrei Rublev - author's note) painted one of the most expressive repetitions of the icon. The theological idea of the love of the mother church and her ruler Christ, which lies at its basis, is expressed here deeply and poetically. The silhouette of the Mother of God is likened to a temple containing a jewel - the figure of the Child glowing with a golden radiance. He sits on his mother's open palm. The shape of the palm is similar to a flat bowl, the sacred vessel paten, on which bread is placed during the liturgy, symbolizing the sacrificial lamb - Christ. The images of Mary and the Son, inspired by high heavenly love, are close and understandable to everyone, just as everyone understands the love and tragedy of a mother who foresees future death son, accepting and sharing his fate.
In 1662, the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir” was painted by the largest master of the Moscow Kremlin Armory, Simon Ushakov. The artist repeated the famous image of the 12th century “to the extent and likeness” of the original, but despite all the similarities, how very different it is from its Byzantine prototype!
Between the two icons lay five hundred years of the history of Rus', which survived the Tatars and the victory on the Kulikovo Field, the rise of Moscow, which gathered and united Rus', the shame and bitterness of the Time of Troubles and a new renewal...
Names
The legendary Alypius, the first icon painter known by name, was a student of the Greeks. pre-Mongol Rus'. The events of his life are described in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, which contains hagiographic tales about the Pechersk ascetics. The Life calls him an imitator of the Evangelist Luke, who painted the first icon of the Mother of God.
Alypius was born around 1065 or 1070. His parents sent him to study “icon painting” by Greek icon painters who came to Kyiv from Constantinople to work in the churches of the Pechersk Monastery. After the work in the Church of the Assumption was completed, Alypius took monastic orders here in the monastery. He continued to paint icons and did it free of charge for everyone. He updated the dilapidated images and put them back in their place. The story of the patericon emphasizes the high spiritual virtues of the icon painter. He spent his nights singing and praying, and worked hard during the day. The gift of healing was revealed to him. A typical story is about the healing of a leper, whom he cured by smearing his wounds with paints of different colors. After his death, Alypius was canonized. In the later version of the saint’s life it is said that with his miraculous icons he united heaven and earth. The patericon mentions five of his icons intended for Kyiv churches. One of them, the icon of the Mother of God, was later moved to Rostov. Unfortunately, the master’s works have not reached us.
From the era before the Tatar-Mongol invasion of Rus', which is usually called pre-Mongol, only about 30 icons have survived. With the exception of two (the icon of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul from Novgorod and the image of St. George from the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. - Author's note), all of them were created no earlier than the 12th century.
The small number of surviving icons from this period does not allow us to judge with certainty the features of the icon-painting style of a particular artistic center. It is not always even possible to say with certainty whether an icon was painted by a Byzantine master or his Russian student. All surviving icons have some general features, inherent in the art of the Kyiv era as a whole. Their images are monumental, their faces are stern and distant, their huge eyes - the focus of spiritual energy - have a powerful influence. The compositions are laconic, devoid of minor details. Color - rich and deep - carries an important symbolic meaning.
And yet, already from the end of the 12th century, features and differences appear in the figurative design of icons, due to their origin from one or another artistic center. These differences could be associated with the peculiarities of the spiritual make-up, artistic preferences and the influence of the original, which the artist was guided by. Let us compare two images of archangels from the Deesis ranks. One of them is a fragment of a 12th century icon representing the Archangel Michael, the other is the famous “Golden Haired Angel”, or Archangel Gabriel of the late 12th - early 13th centuries. Both images are close to each other in the significance of the images, similar composition, details and general expression of light sadness and humility. However, the painting of the icon of the Archangel Gabriel seems more dense and multi-layered, the facial features are larger and sharper. There is more fluidity in the tilt of Archangel Michael’s head, the layers of color are thinner and more transparent, the facial features are smaller, and the whole appearance of the heavenly messenger is more fragile. Many scientists associate the origin of the first with Novgorod, the second with Vladimir-Suzdal Russia.
Novgorod shrines
Most of the icons of the pre-Mongol era that have come down to us are connected in origin with Novgorod, a city then second only to Kyiv in importance. He owned vast territories in the Russian North, which had no equal in size in the entire medieval Christian world. In 989 Novgorod was baptized. Following the priests, architects and artists came here from Byzantium, works of church art and, first of all, icons flowed. Novgorod, like Kyiv, became the largest center of attraction for artistic forces. He was ready to perceive other people's experience, no matter how it manifested itself. Written sources and material monuments indicate that craftsmen from Byzantium and Balkan countries. The Novgorod rulers maintained direct connections with the spiritual hierarchs of Constantinople. Novgorod pilgrims constantly visited the holy places of the Orthodox East, especially Constantinople, Jerusalem, and the monasteries of Athos. Novgorod’s ties with Kyiv were also close. Princes came here from Kyiv for the installation, followed by their court, and with them masters of various specialties, including icon painters.
The first Novgorod bishop, Joachim, who arrived from Korsun, builds a wooden church “of 13 peaks,” dedicated, like the main churches of Constantinople and Kyiv, to St. Sophia. In 1045, construction began on the stone St. Sophia Cathedral, which in its architectural design largely followed the Kyiv one. The cathedral became the heart of the city, its main temple, preserving for centuries, as a testament, the words of Prince Mstislav the Udal: “Where St. Sophia is, there is Novgorod.” Its consecration will take place in 1050 (according to other sources, in 1052 - author's note). Probably, the creation of two huge icons for the cathedral was timed to coincide with this most important event: the Savior on the Throne and the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul - the earliest icons of Novgorod that have survived to this day. The first went down in history under the name “The Golden Robe of the Savior” and was attributed to the brush of the Greek king Manuel. It became one of the famous shrines of the city and, apparently, served as a temple image of the Hagia Sophia. In 1561, by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, both shrines were taken to Moscow and were located in the Moscow Kremlin. In 1572, the image of “Peter and Paul” was returned to Novgorod and installed in its original place, while the “Savior on the Throne” remained in Moscow. Now it is kept in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The icon was restored several times, its ancient painting was almost lost. In the 17th century, it was completely rewritten by Simon Ushakov. From its original appearance, mainly the contours of the figure of Christ and the throne have been preserved.
The icon of the apostles Peter and Paul was painted by a Byzantine artist, and its painting also underwent strong changes over time. In the 16th century, the faces, hands, feet of saints and the face of Christ were copied. Despite the numerous losses of the colorful surface, the beauty of the icon’s pictorial design and the strict nobility of its proportions make it possible to classify it as one of the best examples of Byzantine icon painting of the 11th century. It depicts the apostles facing Christ, placed above them and blessing them. The right hand of St. Peter is stretched out to the Savior, in his left he holds a rolled up scroll of the Law, a pastoral staff and a key (the original image of the latter has not survived. - Author's note). Saint Paul clutches the Gospel in his left hand. Both apostles are represented as having accepted the Divine commandments and ready to serve.
ABOUT great importance, which was attached to this image, can be judged by the fact that it became a model for repetition. The temple icon of the Apostles Peter and Paul of the 13th century from the church of these saints in the city of Belozersk has been preserved, the iconography of which, with minor changes, goes back to the image of the St. Sophia Cathedral.
The monumental forms, epic character and significance of the images of the icons of the pre-Mongol era corresponded to the interiors of large cathedrals built according to princely orders. In their interiors, each of the still few icons had a special semantic and artistic significance. Thus, the temple icon of the St. George's Cathedral of the Yuriev Monastery near Novgorod, built in 1191 by Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich, was the image of St. George. Only small fragments of his original painting have survived, but, despite all the later alterations, the icon amazes with its scale (the size of the icon is 230x142 cm - Author's note) and the expressiveness of the silhouette of the powerful figure of a standing warrior. From the same cathedral comes a huge (238x168 cm) icon, which went down in history under the code name “Ustyug Annunciation”.
The composition of the Annunciation is based on the texts of the Gospel of Luke and mainly the Proto-Gospel of James. They talk about miraculous phenomenon Mary of the archangel with the news that She was to become the mother of the Savior. The heavenly messenger appeared to her at the moment when She was weaving a precious purple curtain for the temple. In the icon, the Mother of God is depicted, according to tradition, holding a red thread in her hands - an image of “spinning” the Baby from the Mother’s blood. Rare feature is the image of the incarnate Child on Mary's chest, to which she points right hand.
Spiritual symbol of Novgorod
The most famous icon of ancient Novgorod, which turned out to be closely connected with the fate of the city, was the “Our Lady of the Sign”. With its help, the victory of the Novgorodians over the enemy troops of the Suzdal prince Mstislav, son of Andrei Bogolyubsky, in 1170 and the salvation of Novgorod from ruin were associated. Until this time, the icon was in the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street on the Torgovaya side of the city, and in 1354 it was moved to the Znamensky Cathedral built for it, rebuilt in the 17th century. Here it remained until the 30s of the twentieth century. For many centuries, the icon was the palladium and spiritual symbol of Novgorod, the source and inspiration of many historical memories, literary and pictorial works. It has survived to this day and is currently located in the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod. The icon is remote, double-sided. On one side there is a half-length image of the Mother of God with raised arms. On her chest is a round medallion with the image of Christ Emmanuel blessing with his right hand and holding a rolled scroll in his left.
The iconography of the image goes back to the Byzantine type “Our Lady of the Great Panagia”, depicting the Mother of God in full height, with her hands raised in prayer, in the pose of Oranta, or Intercessor, with a medallion on her chest containing the image of the infant Christ. Half-length images similar type received the name “Our Lady of the Sign” in Rus'. The icon reveals the idea of the incarnation of Christ (let us remember that it was the image of the Sign that was placed in the center of the prophetic row of iconostases. - Author's note). This is also an image that clearly expresses the protection and patronage of the Mother of God. On the margins of the icon are depicted Saints George, James of Persia, Onuphrius and Macarius of Egypt.
On the reverse side of the icon, two saints are depicted in the ark, presented in prayer to Christ. According to later inscriptions near their images, these are the Apostle Peter and the Martyr Natalia, but a convincing assumption was made (E.S. Smirnova - Author's note) that these are images of Saints Joachim and Anna, Mary's parents. On the upper field of the icon is Etymasia - the prepared Throne (a symbol of the expectation of the coming Last Judgment - author's note), on the sides of which there are archangels, the images of which have hardly survived. On the left margin are Saints Catherine and Clement, on the right are Saint Nicholas and the unknown martyr.
Ancient icon painters
Thanks to archaeological excavations in Novgorod in the 70s of the 20th century, the name of the icon painter of the late 12th - early 13th centuries became known. This is Olisey (Alexey) Petrovich, nicknamed Grechin, which suggests that he Greek origin. His estate and workshop, dating back to 1194-1209, were discovered in the Trinity end of ancient Novgorod. Birch bark letters containing orders for the production of icons with the names of the depicted saints, fragments of metal frames, vessels for preparing paints and drying oils, etc. were found here.
The icons of this master are unknown to us, but there is an assumption that he could have participated in the painting of the Church of the Savior on Nereditsky Hill near Novgorod in 1199.
Saint Abraham of Smolensk, the first abbot of the Smolensk Avraamievsky Robe Monastery, a contemporary of Olisey Grechin, who lived at the end of the 12th - first quarter of the 13th century, was also involved in icon painting. One of the most educated people of his time, Abraham read and copied books a lot. The images he painted have not survived, but the text of the life, compiled shortly after his death by his disciple, the Monk Ephraim, gives some idea of the character and personality type of the icon painter himself. Saint Abraham came from among those close to the Smolensk prince. After the death of his parents, he became a monk and became famous not only for his ascetic deeds, but also as an eloquent and stern preacher.
“The stern ascetic did not leave his cell with compassion for human weaknesses, but with a word of edification, with his heavenly and, probably, formidable science, filling the heart with trembling,” he wrote in his book “Saints Ancient Rus'"famous Russian historian Georgy Fedotov.
Icons (gr. “image”) - in Christian tradition the name of picturesque images of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and the Saints. Iconic images are of a sacred nature and serve as the subject of religious celebration as visual representations that can elevate the soul of a believer from the Downworld to the Heavenly world, that is, from a board surface covered with paints to the depicted character. In the words of the Byzantine theologian Gregory of Nyssa: “Icons are literacy for the illiterate... Holy icons are books written, instead of letters, by persons and things. The illiterate see in them what they should follow by faith. Christians learn from icons.”
The origin of icons dates back to the beginning of Christianity. According to legend, Evangelist Luke personally painted several icons of the Mother of God.
The first icon is considered to be the “Savior Not Made by Hands,” which is an imprint on the plate of the face of the Savior, made personally by Jesus Christ.
In the 6th - 7th centuries, Byzantium established common types iconographic images. In later times, “iconographic originals” appeared as a guide for icon painters, which contained detailed instructions regarding the nature of the depiction of external features and accessories for each saint.
In Rus', icon painting developed in strict accordance with Byzantine models, which were periodically supplied from Byzantium to Russian state. Greek artists who came to Rus' brought with them books of samples (in Rus' they were called copybooks), from which Russian masters made copies. This is what explains quick successes Byzantine art in Kievan Rus.
Icon painting was categorically prohibited to persons of non-Christian religion. People who were skilled in art and distinguished by good behavior were allowed to paint icons.
In Rus', icons were considered the most perfect works of art and were treated with the greatest respect. It was considered indecent to talk about buying or selling icons. Icons were “exchanged for money” or given as gifts. Instead of the expression “the icon burned,” the phrase “the icon disappeared” or “the icon ascended to heaven” was used.
Icons accompanied the Christian from his birth to death. Icons had a huge influence on the soul of an Orthodox person in almost all circumstances of his life - personal, family, civil, military, public.
The main ancient Russian icon painting schools
The practice of Russian icon painting workshops goes back to the skills and techniques that were developed in Byzantium. However, domestic craftsmen made their own adjustments to the process of icon production, dictated by local customs and materials.
The main icon painting centers in Rus' were Novgorod, Pskov and Moscow. Nothing is now known about the ancient icon painting of southern Russian cities (Chernigov and Kyiv), although these centers of icon painting undoubtedly existed. In recent decades, the contours of such ancient Russian artistic centers as Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Rostov, Suzdal have emerged.
During the period of fragmentation of Rus', when the ancient Russian state broke up into many appanage principalities, icons were made not only in large but also in small cities, which did not always mean the presence of icon-painting centers in them.
The main producers of icons in Novgorod, Vladimir, Yaroslavl and others major cities There were workshops at the princely and archbishop's courts, which most organically assimilated the basics of Byzantine icon painting.
The icons of the 11th-13th centuries have so much in common that it is extremely difficult to group them into schools. Only a thorough stylistic analysis and an established place of origin of the icons help here. The situation is further complicated by the fact that in those days almost all icon-painting centers of Rus' used the “Our Lady of Vladimir” icon as an exemplary “icon original”, interpreting its formal and substantive qualities in every possible way.
Icons from the 11th to 13th centuries stand out for their monumentality and special solemnity. The figures are shown in calm, motionless poses, the faces are stern, the backgrounds are smooth, gold or silver. These icons were painted by order of princes or senior clergy and decorated large temples. Since the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir” served as the iconographic model for such images, most often these icons depicted Jesus Christ and the Mother of God. However, icons depicting patrons of customers (their patrons) were also widespread at this time. Among the princes, icons of this kind were especially revered.
The characteristic features of the Novgorod school of icon painting are the decorativeness of the line, the severity of the faces and the simultaneous sensuality of the image, narrative, bright contrasts colors. The most popular were images of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Icons “Ustyug Annunciation”, “Golden Hair Angel”, “Savior Not Made by Hands”, “Nicholas the Wonderworker”.
Characteristic features of the Vladimir school of icon painting are the mosaic style of painting and the use of the “Vladimir Mother of God” as a model.
Icons “Deesis”, “Dmitry of Thessalonica”.
The characteristic features of the Yaroslavl icon painting school are a free and bold style of painting, open color, deviation from Byzantine canons, cheerful colors, and a lot of decorations.
Icons “Our Lady of the Great Panagia”, “Savior Golden Hair”.
As for Moscow as an icon-painting center, Moscow icons of the 12th-13th centuries have not reached our time. Throughout the 14th century, various artistic movements coexisted in Moscow icon painting - both local and imported from Byzantium, the western and southern regions of the country. The Moscow school of this period is characterized by the following features: appeal to various icon painting traditions; the desire for “antique” forms of depicted figures, faces, architectural backgrounds; an attempt to transform the viewer into a witness, an accomplice of the depicted event; psychological images; close connection with literary texts; conveying strong movements and complex angles; coloristic richness.
Icons “Boris and Gleb”, “Boris and Gleb with their lives”, “Boris and Gleb on horseback”, “Saviour’s Yaroe Oko”, “Our Lady of the Don”.
Most researchers of ancient Russian art associate the formation of the Moscow school of icon painting with the name of Andrei Rublev (c. 1370-1430). Along the way of integrating numerous painting traditions, Rublev was able to develop such a perfect artistic language of icon painting, which became the leading one in Rus' throughout the 15th century.
In general, Rublev’s icons are characterized by “borderliness” of the image (the pose, gestures, etc. are not clear), “confidence” (a feeling of heart-to-heart conversation is created), “harmony” of dynamics and statics, three-dimensionality and flatness.
Icons “Apostle Paul”, “Archangel Michael”, “Savior”, “Trinity”.
At the beginning of the 16th century, a number of trends were observed in Old Russian icon painting: 1) the Moscow icon painting school received the status of the most important in ancient Russian state; 2) icons compositionally and subject-wise
have become more complex; 3) there was a sharp turn towards the individualization of icon writing.
Icons of Dionysius (1430/40 - after 1508) “Our Lady Hodegetria”, “Metropolitan Peter with the Life”, “Metropolitan Alexy with the Life”, “The Crucifixion”.
Closer to the middle of the 16th century, icon images become overly verbose, begin to be overloaded with allegories, and the dogmatic dictate principle in them intensifies. At this time, the church begins to more and more zealously ensure that innovations do not penetrate into icon painting, giving preference to the sensual phenomenon of the essence of enthusiastic aspiration human soul to God.
However, it was from the middle of the 16th century that icon painting ceased to be a purely spiritual art and divorced from everyday conditions. Interest in pattern making has increased incredibly. Instead of gold, ocher and red backgrounds, the icons acquired dark ones. The symbolism of color was partly lost.
High Russian iconostasis
Originally in Orthodox churches In Byzantium, the altar was covered with a cloth suspended on a pole with images of saints embroidered on it in gold. The altar had to be covered because the altar space itself symbolized paradise. In this case, the fabric with the representations of saints was understood as an image of the fence of paradise, through the windows of which the saints, whose souls belong to paradise, look at the parishioners.
At the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th century, they began to place a temple icon in front of the altar. Soon the temple icon began to be placed on the altar barrier next to the royal doors (the gate to the central apse). Typically, the Byzantine altar barrier-iconostasis included three rows or ranks of icons: a) deesis (an image of Jesus Christ with two coming), b) holidays, c) temple icons. On top of the solid altar barrier-iconostasis there was either a cross or a “Crucifixion” icon.
In Rus', it was not a solid, but a composite iconostasis-templon brought from Byzantium that took root. This was due to difficulties in delivery, and was originally called "Deesis".
At the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century, a completely wooden blank altar barrier or wall with the “royal” doors in the center appeared in Rus', located between the altar pillars of the central apse, not reaching the top of the altar arch.
At the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th century, a continuous altar wall appeared in Rus' from the northern to the southern wall. An example can be the foundation of the altar wall-iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Consistently, the Russian iconostasis included all the main aspects of church wall painting. The prophets and forefathers were transferred from the dome to the prophetic and forefathers tiers of the iconostasis. Scenes of Orthodox holidays were transferred from the vaults and walls to the festive tier of the iconostasis. The Deesis from the central apse was moved to the Deesis level. The evangelists from the sails were transferred to the royal doors.
The classic type of High Russian iconostasis is the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, created under the leadership of Theophanes the Greek in 1405.
The iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral with its monumental rank icons and an extensive cycle of “holidays” served as the starting point for everything further development classical form of the ancient Russian iconostasis.
It is believed that God moves the icon painter’s hand. We will tell you about seven masters whose work has elevated Russian icon painting to the category of the greatest achievements of both national and world culture.
Theophanes the Greek (about 1340 - about 1410)
In miniature: Don Icon Mother of God brushes by Theophanes the Greek. One of the greatest icon painters of his time, Theophanes the Greek was born in Byzantium in 1340 and over the course of many years honed his unique expressive style, painting the temples of Constantinople, Chalcedon, Genoese Galata and Kafa. However, not a single one of the frescoes from that period has survived to this day, and the master’s worldwide fame lies in the paintings made in Rus'.
He arrived in Novgorod (in 1370) as an already accomplished icon painter. Theophan's first work in Novgorod was the painting of the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street - the only surviving monumental work of Theophan the Greek. Time has spared the frescoes with the famous chest-length image of the Savior Pantocrator with the Gospel, with the figures of Adam, Abel, Noah, Seth and Melchizedek, as well as images of the prophets Elijah and John.
Twelve years later, Feofan the Greek moved to Moscow, where he supervised the work of masters in painting the temples of the Moscow Kremlin. Not everyone knows: the original frescoes of Theophanes the Greek and his students have not survived, but individual fragments of their composition were reproduced again and again on the walls of the Kremlin cathedrals. The fact that the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, together with Theophan the Greek, was also painted by Elder Prokhor of Gorodets and Andrei Rublev deserves special mention.
In addition to icon painting, Theophanes the Greek created miniatures for books and designed the Gospels - for example, the great Byzantine master wrote the ornamental decorations of the famous Gospel of the Moscow boyar Fyodor Koshka.
Interesting fact: Theophanes the Greek is credited with the authorship of icons from the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. This is the first iconostasis in Russia with figures of saints depicted in full height. Also, the Don Icon of the Mother of God and the Icon of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on the Mountain, stored in the Tretyakov Gallery, belong to the brush of the Greek e Favor.
Andrei Rublev (about 1360 - 1428)
In miniature: Icon “Trinity” by Andrei Rublev.Andrei Rublev can be called the most famous and - if such a definition is possible in a conversation about a canonized monk-artist - popular Russian icon painter, whose work for hundreds of years has been a symbol of the true greatness of Russian art and absolute devotion to his chosen path in life.
To this day, neither Rublev’s place of birth, nor even the name given to him at birth is known - he was named Andrei already when he was tonsured a monk - however, the paucity of factual information about the master, in a certain sense, even adds expressiveness and brightness to his image.
The earliest known work by Rublev is considered to be the painting of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin in 1405, jointly with Theophanes the Greek and Prokhor from Gorodets. After completing this work, Rublev painted the Assumption Cathedral in Zvenigorod, and later, together with Daniil Cherny, the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir.
Rublev's unsurpassed masterpiece is traditionally considered the icon of the Holy Trinity, painted in the first quarter of the 15th century - one of the most multifaceted icons ever created by Russian icon painters, which is based on the plot of the appearance of God to the righteous Abraham in the form of three young angels.
Interesting fact: narrating the painting of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the Trinity Chronicle mentions the name of the “monk Rublev” as the last in the series, Theophanes the Greek-Prokhor from Gorodets-Rublev, which, according to the chronicle tradition, means that he was the youngest in the artel. At the same time, the very fact of working together with Feofan the Greek makes it clear that by that time Rublev was already an accomplished master.
Daniil the Black (about 1350 - 1428)
In miniature: Fresco “Abraham’s Bosom” by Daniil Cherny.Many books and articles about Russian icon painting also often remember the monk Daniel only in the context of his collaboration with the author of the great “Trinity”, however, in fact, his services to Russian culture are by no means exhausted by this.
Daniil Cherny was not only Rublev’s senior comrade and mentor (according to the famous “Spiritual Letter” of Joseph Volotsky), but also an absolutely self-sufficient and experienced artist, distinguished from many of his contemporaries not only by his truly unique gift as a painter, but also by his ability to work with composition, color and the nature of the drawing.
Among the original works of Daniil Cherny there are both frescoes and icons, the most famous of which are “Abraham’s Bosom” and “John the Baptist” (Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir), as well as “Our Lady” and “Apostle Paul” (Trinity-Sergius Lavra)
Interesting fact: collaborations Daniil Cherny and Andrei Rublev presented historians with the difficult problem of dividing their works, an interesting solution to which was proposed by the art critic Igor Grabar. Icons and frescoes by Daniil Cherny must be recognized as those whose features show signs of the previous school of writing of the 14th century. The impeccable logic of this decision is as follows: in comparison with Rublev, Daniil Cherny can be considered an artist of the older generation, therefore, all the signs of “old” icon painting are the work of his hands.
Dionysius (about 1440 - 1502)
On the thumbnail: Icon “Descent into Hell” by Dionysius. The name of Dionysius personifies, perhaps, the best and greatest achievements of Moscow icon painting of the 15th-16th centuries. Historians and art historians consider him a kind of successor to the traditions of Andrei Rublev, who takes his place of honor among the greatest Russian icon painters.
The earliest known work of Dionysius is the miraculously preserved painting of the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in the Pafnutievo-Borovsky Monastery near Kaluga (15th century). More than a hundred years later, in 1586, the old cathedral was dismantled to build a new one. Stone blocks with frescoes of Dionysius and Mitrofan were used in its foundation, where they were successfully discovered many years later. Today these frescoes are kept in the Moscow Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art and the Borovsk branch of the Kaluga Museum of Local Lore.
In 1479, Dionysius painted an iconostasis for the wooden Church of the Assumption in the Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery, and 3 years later - an image of the Mother of God Hodegetria on a burnt Greek icon from the Ascension Monastery destroyed in 1929 in the Moscow Kremlin.
The work of Dionysius in northern Russia deserves special mention: around 1481 he painted icons for the Spaso-Kamenny and Pavlovo-Obnorsky monasteries near Vologda, and in 1502, together with his sons Vladimir and Theodosius, he painted frescoes for the Ferapontov Monastery on Beloozero.
Interesting fact: Dionysius’ writing style can be judged by the superbly preserved frescoes of that same Ferapontov monastery on Beloozero. These frescoes have never been rewritten or undergone major restoration, thus remaining as close as possible to their original appearance and color scheme .
Gury Nikitin (1620 - 1691)
On the thumbnail: Icon “Martyrs Cyric and Julitta” by Gury Nikitin) Frescoes Kostroma icon painter Guriy Nikitin is not only an example of the splendor and symbolism of Russian icon painting, but a truly unique combination of decorativeism and monumentality within one work for his time. The fact is that it was precisely during the period of Nikitin’s creative maturity - and this is approximately the 60s of the 17th century - that the rise of Russian monumental and decorative art occurred - and these trends do not bypass the young master.
In 1666, a difficult year for the Russian church, Guriy Nikitin took part in the renewed work on painting the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin - Nikitin’s brushes included images of martyred soldiers on pillars, as well as individual parts of the monumental composition “The Last Judgment”. After 2 years, Nikitin painted 4 icons for the Moscow Church of St. Gregory of Neocessary.
However, perhaps the main “professional achievement” of Gury Nikitin was the mural painting in the Yaroslavl Church of Elijah the Prophet and the Kostroma Ipatiev Monastery. During these years, he was already leading a group of icon painters, performing the most difficult part of the work - he single-handedly drew the contours of all the frescoes, which were then completed by the students.
Interesting fact: if you believe the Watch Book of 1664, it turns out that Nikitin is not the surname, but the patronymic of the famous icon painter. Full name masters - Gury Nikitin (Ni Kitovich) Kineshemtsev.
Simon Ushakov (1626 - 1686)
In miniature: Icon of the Virgin Mary “Tenderness” by Simon Ushakov. Favorite of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the favorite and only icon painter of the top officials of the state, an unsurpassed master of drawing and color, Simon Ushakov, in a certain sense, marked with his work the beginning of the process of “secularization” of church art. Fulfilling orders from the Tsar and Patriarch, royal children, boyars and other important persons, Ushakov painted more than 50 icons, marking the beginning of a new, “Ushakov” period of Russian icon painting.
Many researchers agree that Ushakov had no equal in painting images - and it is precisely by the way he painted them that it is easiest to trace what changes - which logically coincided with the church reform of Patriarch Nikon - occurred in Russian icon painting. In Ushakov, the face of the Savior, traditional for Russian icon painting, acquired “new, hitherto unknown features. The Novgorod Savior was a formidable God, the new Savior is infinitely more affectionate: he is a God-man. This humanization of the Divine, his approach to us, brought warmth to the stern appearance of the ancient Christ, but at the same time deprived him of his monumentality.”
Another important historical feature Ushakov's creativity is due to the fact that, unlike the icon painters of the past, Ushakov signs his icons. At first glance, an insignificant detail essentially signifies a serious change in the public consciousness of that time - if previously it was believed that the Lord himself leads the hand of the icon painter - and at least for this reason the master does not have the moral right to sign his work - now the situation is changing to the completely opposite and even religious art takes on secular traits s. Like Simon Ushakov, Zubov worked at the royal court and was one of the five “compensated icon painters.” Having worked in the capital for more than 40 years, Fyodor Zubov painted a huge number of icons, among which were images of the Savior Not Made by Hands, John the Baptist, Andrew the First-Called, the Prophet Elijah, St. Nicholas and many other saints.
Interesting fact: Fyodor Zubov became a “paid icon painter” of the royal court, that is, a master who received a monthly salary and through this a certain confidence in the future, according to the principle “if there was no happiness, but misfortune would help.” The fact is that in the early 1660s, Zubov’s family was left with virtually no means of subsistence, and the icon painter was forced to write a petition to the tsar.
Dmitry Merkulov
“Beyond discoveries in the field of materiality, we can discover the Creator for ourselves, just as we can recognize the author of a poem, painting, icon or piece of music. We don’t confuse him with anyone, but listen and say: “Oh, only so-and-so could have written this.” This is also true in relation to God” - the words of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh about his view of the world in his .
And there is awe in it, and the power of inspiration!
Before the face is a heart in sweet fire...
Icon - a creation of human hands -
Capturing the spirit on canvas
L. Golubitskaya-Bass
Any icon is inevitably an incomplete image of Christ, the Mother of God, this or that saint: only the person himself is the true image of himself. But every icon painter communed with God, learned something about God through communion, in communion, and captured his experience on canvas or wood. Each icon conveys something absolutely authentic, but through the perception of a specific icon painter.
In a sense, this is how we perceive Christ in His Incarnation. We paint icons that differ greatly from each other, and none of them reproduce Christ Himself absolutely accurately, but depict Him as I see Him, as I know Him. The remarkable thing is that we have no photographic image of Christ, which would give us a momentary and extremely limited idea of His appearance and would make Him alien to anyone who knows Him differently.
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
You can learn more about the bishop’s spiritual testament by reading in more detail the series of conversations, where in the last nine months of parish meetings the Metropolitan opens up completely to the listener, as if wanting to leave nothing unsaid before his departure.
Today we will talk about those who captured living images and memory on the canvas of icons - about icon painters. Who are they? What works do we know? Where can you see their creations with your own eyes?
In Ancient Rus' it was believed that being an icon painter was an entire ascetic, moral and contemplative path.
“It was Russia that was given the opportunity to reveal that perfection of the artistic language of the icon, which most powerfully revealed the depth of the content of the liturgical image, its spirituality. We can say that if Byzantium gave the world primarily theology in the word, then theology in the image was given by Russia.”
Leonid Uspensky, theologian, icon painter
1. Theophanes the Greek (about 1340 - about 1410)
The name of Theophanes the Greek is in the first rank of ancient Russian icon painters; his outstanding talent was already recognized by his contemporaries, calling him “a very cunning philosopher,” that is, very skillful. He made a huge impression not only with his works, but also as a bright personality.
The exact years of the artist’s life are unknown; he was presumably born in Byzantium in 1340 and for many years he painted the temples of Constantinople, Chalcedon, Galata, Kafa, and Smyrna. But Feofan’s worldwide fame was brought to him by icons, frescoes and paintings made in Rus', where he arrived as an already established master of his craft at the age of 35–40.
Before coming to Rus', the Greek worked on a large number of cathedrals (about 40).
The first and only completely preserved work of his, whose authorship has been confirmed, is the painting of the temple Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin street in Veliky Novgorod, where Feofan the Greek stayed for about 10 years.
It is mentioned in the Third Novgorod Chronicle: “In the summer of 6886 (1378 A.D.) the Church of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ was signed in the name of the magnificent Transfiguration…. And it was signed by the Greek master Feofan.” The remaining works of the icon painter are determined only by the signs of his creativity.
Venerable Macarius the Great, fresco from the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street,
Veliky Novgorod
The famous icon painter's frescoes are easily recognizable by the pastel colors and white highlights on top of the dark red-brown tone, which are used in the depiction of the hair of the saints and the draperies of their clothes, and his style is also characterized by rather sharp lines. Feofan's bright creative individuality is manifested in a free, bold, extremely generalized, at times almost sketchy style of writing. The images created by Feofan are distinguished by inner strength and enormous spiritual energy.
He left a significant contribution to Novgorod art, in particular to masters who professed a similar worldview and partly adopted the master’s style.
The most grandiose image in the temple is the chest-to-chest image of the Savior Almighty in the dome.
Theophanes the Greek strives to convey the saint at the moment of religious feat or ecstasy. His works are characterized by expression and inner strength.
The subsequent events of Feofan's life are poorly known, according to some information, in particular from a letter Epiphany of the Wise to the abbot of the Afanasyev Monastery, Kirill Tverskoy, the icon painter worked in Nizhny Novgorod (the paintings have not survived), some researchers are inclined to believe that he also worked in Kolomna and Serpukhov. Arriving in Moscow around 1390, he had many orders and was known as a skilled miniaturist. Researcher B. V. Mikhailovsky wrote about him:
“Theophan’s works amaze with their virtuosic skill, the boldness of a confident brush, exceptional expressiveness, and the brilliant freedom of individual creativity.”
Theophan the Greek led the painting of a number of Moscow churches - this is the new stone Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in 1395, together with Semyon Cherny and his disciples, the Church of St. Archangel Michael in 1399, the painting of which burned out during the invasion of Tokhtamysh, and the Church of the Annunciation together with Elder Prokhor from Gorodets And Andrey Rublev in 1405.
In the work of Theophanes the Greek, the two poles of Byzantine spiritual life and its reflection in culture were most fully expressed and found their ideal embodiment - the classical principle (the glorification of earthly beauty as a Divine creation, as a reflection of the highest perfection) and the aspiration to spiritual asceticism, rejecting the external, spectacular , beautiful.
In the icon painter's frescoes, sharp gaps, as if recording the moment of a mystical vision, piercing flashes of light, falling with sharp blows on faces, hands, clothes, symbolize the divine light piercing matter, incinerating it natural forms and reviving her to a new, spiritualized life.
The limited range of colors (black, reddish-brown with many shades, white, etc.) is like an image of a monastic, ascetic renunciation of the diversity and multicolor of the world.
Figures of archangels in the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street,
Veliky Novgorod
The Byzantine master found a second home in Rus'. His passionate, inspired art was in tune with the worldview of the Russian people; it had a fruitful influence on the contemporaries of Theophanes the Greek and subsequent generations of Russian artists.
Daniil Cherny (about 1350 - about 1428)
Daniil Cherny, whose biography has not been preserved in complete reliable sources, had the strongest talents, namely the gift of psychological characterization and colossal painting skill. All his works are harmonious to the smallest detail, holistic and expressively colorful. The perfection of drawing and liveliness of movement distinguish his works from among the most talented masters.
Teacher and mentor of Andrei Rublev. He left behind a rich legacy of frescoes, mosaics, icons, the most famous of which are “Abraham’s Bosom” and “John the Baptist” (Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir), as well as “Our Lady” and “Apostle Paul” (Trinity-Sergius Lavra, . Sergiev Posad, Moscow region).
Fresco "Abraham's Bosom". Assumption Cathedral, Vladimir
By the way, the fact that Daniil always worked in collaboration with Andrei Rublev creates the problem of separating the work of the two artists.
Where did this nickname come from - Black?
It is mentioned in the text “Tales of the Holy Icon Painters,” written at the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century. These chronicles are evidence and clear proof that Daniel painted the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir together with Andrei Rublev. In the sources, the name of Daniil is called first before the name of Rublev, which once again confirms the seniority and experience of the first. Not only does “The Tale of the Holy Icon Painters” indicate this, Joseph Volotsky also calls Daniel the teacher of the famous Rublev.
By coincidence, or, most likely, due to an epidemic, Daniel died at the same time as his comrade-in-arms in 1427 from a certain “pestilence” (fever). Both famous authors are buried in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery in Moscow.
Andrei Rublev (about 1360 - about 1428)
World-famous Russian icon painter, monk-artist, canonized. For hundreds of years it has been a symbol of the true greatness of Russian icon painting. He was canonized in the year of the millennium of the Baptism of Rus'.
The year of birth of the Monk Andrei Rublev is unknown, as is his origin, historical information there is scant information about him. The presence of his nickname-surname (Rublev) makes it possible to assume that he came from educated circles of society, since in that era only representatives of the upper strata had surnames.
The earliest known work by Rublev is considered to be the painting of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin in 1405, jointly with Theophanes the Greek and Prokhor from Gorodets.
In his works, one can trace the special Moscow icon-painting style that had already developed by that time. The Monk Andrei himself lived for many years, and after his death he was buried in the capital's Andronikovsky Monastery on the banks of the Yauza, where a museum named after him now operates.
Living in a highly spiritual atmosphere, Monk Andrei learned historical examples holiness and examples of ascetic life that he found in his environment. He deeply delved into the teachings of the Church and the lives of the saints whom he portrayed, followed them, which allowed his talent to achieve artistic and spiritual perfection.
In the life of the monk Sergius of Radonezh said:
“Andrey is an excellent icon painter and surpasses everything in green wisdom, having honest gray hair.”
Fresco "The Savior Not Made by Hands", Spassky Cathedral of the Andronikov Monastery,
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Rublevsky Spas- this is the embodiment of typically Russian good looks. Not a single element of Christ’s face is overly emphasized - everything is proportional and consistent: he is Russian, his eyes are not exaggerated, his nose is straight and thin, his mouth is small, the oval of his face, although elongated, is not narrow, there is no asceticism at all, his head has a thick mass hair rises with calm dignity on a strong, slender neck.
The most significant thing about this new look is the look. It is directed directly at the viewer and expresses lively and active attention to him; he feels a desire to delve into a person’s soul and understand him. The eyebrows are freely raised, which is why there is no expression of either tension or sorrow, the gaze is clear, open, and benevolent.
Rublev's unsurpassed masterpiece is traditionally considered icon of the Holy Trinity, written in the first quarter of the 15th century. The plot is based on a biblical story about the appearance of deity to righteous Abraham in the form of three beautiful young angels. Abraham and his wife Sarah treated the strangers under the shade of the Mamre oak, and Abraham was given to understand that the deity in three persons was embodied in the angels.
They are depicted seated around a throne, in the center of which is a Eucharistic cup with the head of a sacrificial calf, symbolizing the New Testament lamb, that is, Christ. The meaning of this image is sacrificial love. The left angel, signifying God the Father, blesses the cup with his right hand. The middle angel (Son), depicted in the gospel clothes of Jesus Christ, with his right hand lowered onto the throne with a symbolic sign, expresses submission to the will of God the Father and readiness to sacrifice himself in the name of love for people.
The gesture of the right angel (the Holy Spirit) completes the symbolic conversation between the Father and the Son, affirming the high meaning of sacrificial love, and comforts the doomed to sacrifice. Thus, the image of the Old Testament Trinity (that is, with details of the plot from Old Testament) turns into the image of the Eucharist (the Good Sacrifice), symbolically reproducing the meaning of the Gospel Last Supper and the sacrament established at it (communion with bread and wine as the body and blood of Christ). Researchers emphasize the symbolic cosmological significance of the compositional circle, into which the image fits laconically and naturally.
There are no unnecessary details on this icon and each element carries special theological symbolism. To create such a masterpiece, it was not enough to be a brilliant artist. The Trinity, like all of Rublev’s work, became the pinnacle of Russian icon painting, but, in addition, it is evidence of the spiritual height that St. Andrew reached with his monastic feat.
Dionysius (about 1440 - 1502)
Leading Moscow icon painter and isographer of the late 15th - early 16th centuries. Considered a continuator of traditions Andrey Rublev and his most talented student.
The earliest known work of Dionysius is the miraculously preserved painting of the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in the Pafnutievo-Borovsky Monastery near Kaluga (15th century).
The work of Dionysius in northern Russia deserves special mention: around 1481 he painted icons for the Spaso-Kamenny and Pavlovo-Obnorsky monasteries near Vologda, and in 1502, together with his sons Vladimir and Theodosius, he painted frescoes for the Ferapontov Monastery on Beloozero.
Icon of St. Demetrius of Prilutsky, Ferapontov Monastery,
Kirillo-Belozersky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum Reserve, Arkhangelsk Region.
One of the best icons of Dionysius is Icon of the Apocalypse from the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The creation of the icon was associated with the end of the world expected in 1492. The full name of the icon: “Apocalypse or revelation of John the Theologian, a vision of the end of the world and the Last Judgment.”
Multi-tiered compositions are depicted: crowds of believers in beautiful clothes, captured by the united power of prayer, bowed before the lamb. Majestic pictures of the Apocalypse unfold around the worshipers: behind the walls of white-stone cities, translucent figures of angels contrast with the black figures of demons. Despite the complexity, multi-figured, crowded and multi-tiered composition, the icon of Dionysius “Apocalypse” is elegant, light and very beautiful in color scheme, like traditional icon painting of the Moscow school from the time of Andrei Rublev.
Simon Ushakov (1626 - 1686)
A favorite of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the favorite and only icon painter of the top officials of the state, who reflected in his works the most important historical and cultural processes of the 17th century.
Simon Ushakov, in a certain sense, marked with his creativity the beginning of the process of “secularization” of church art. Fulfilling orders from the Tsar and Patriarch, royal children, boyars and other important persons, Ushakov painted more than 50 icons, marking the beginning of a new, “Ushakov” period of Russian icon painting.
Quite a lot of icons painted by Ushakov have reached us, but most of them were distorted by later records and restorations. He was a highly developed man for his time, first of all a talented artist who had an excellent command of all the means of technology of that era.
The first signed and dated works of Ushakov date back to the 50s of the 17th century, and the earliest of them is the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir” from 1652. He does not just choose the famous ancient miraculous image, he reproduces it “by measure and likeness.”
Simon Ushakov. Our Lady of Vladimir,
on the reverse is the Calvary Cross. 1652
In contrast to the rule adopted at that time “to paint icons according to ancient models,” Ushakov was not indifferent to Western art, the trend of which had already spread greatly in Rus' in the 17th century. Remaining on the basis of the original Russian-Byzantine icon painting, he wrote both according to the ancient “patterns” and in the new so-called “Fryazhsky” style, invented new compositions, looked closely at Western models and nature, and tried to impart character and movement to the figures.
Icon "The Last Supper" (1685) Assumption Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra,
Moscow region
In his work, he strived for a more realistic presentation human face and figures. At the same time, in his compositions he still adhered to the old patterns and rules, which is why the duality in his art is visible. He painted the image many times Savior Not Made by Hands, trying to give the face living human features: an expression of suffering, sadness; convey the warmth of the cheeks and the softness of the hair. However, it does not go beyond the rules of icon painting.
Savior Not Made by Hands,1678 g
Another important historical feature of Ushakov’s work is the fact that, unlike the icon painters of the past, Ushakov signs his icons.
At first glance, an insignificant detail essentially signifies a serious change in the public consciousness of that time: if previously it was believed that the Lord himself guides the icon painter’s hand (at least for this reason the master does not have the moral right to sign his work), now the situation is changing to the completely opposite and even religious art acquires secular features.
Ushakov was a teacher for many artists of the 17th century. and stood at the head of the artistic life of Moscow. A significant part of icon painters followed in his footsteps, gradually freeing painting from old techniques.
Feodor Zubov (about 1647 - 1689)
Zubov Fedor Evtikhievich is a prominent, gifted icon painter who lived in the 17th century. He wrote his works in the Baroque style.
Icon "Elijah the Prophet in the Desert", 1672
Like Simon Ushakov, he worked at the royal court as a flag bearer in the Armory Chamber and was one of the five “compensated icon painters.” Having worked in the capital for more than 40 years, Fyodor Zubov painted a huge number of icons, among which were images of the Savior Not Made by Hands, John the Baptist, Andrew the First-Called, the Prophet Elijah, St. Nicholas and many other saints. He worked on wall paintings of the Kremlin cathedrals.
An interesting fact: Fyodor Zubov became a “paid icon painter” of the royal court, that is, a master who received a monthly salary and through this a certain confidence in the future, according to the principle “if there was no happiness, but misfortune would help.” The fact is that in the early 1660s, Zubov’s family was left with virtually no means of subsistence, and the icon painter was forced to write a petition to the tsar.
The main features of the creative execution of his works are the calligraphic style characteristic of Ustyug icon painters, with a predominance of the finest decorative “patterns”. Zubov tried to combine the best achievements of icon painting of the 17th century with the achievements of more ancient traditions.
Researchers of Russian icon painting agree that the main merit of Fyodor Zubov was the desire to restore spiritual significance and purity to the depicted faces of saints. In other words, Zubov tried to combine the best achievements of 17th-century icon painting with the achievements of more ancient traditions.
3ubov introduces several plots into one work, among which one is the main one, and the rest are secondary, but interpreted carefully, with all the fullness of artistic and substantive persuasiveness. This is how one of the 19th century researchers poetically described Zubov’s early work - an icon "John the Baptist in the Desert"(around 1650, Tretyakov Gallery):
“... The sacred Jordan River winds there, trees grow there, the leaves of which are nibbled by deer; lions drink from the river there, a holy desert dweller draws water from the same river, and a deer lies peacefully next to him. Golden pines outline their silhouettes against the dark background of the forest, and the real sky smokes above their tops.”
The example of this work by Zubov shows how the future picturesque landscape was born in the depths of icon painting.
The iconography of Ancient Rus' was sacred. The entire creative process was subject to strict canonical regulations. This, on the one hand, impoverished the iconography of Ancient Rus', since the master used an already given iconography. However, at the same time, this made it possible to focus on the “essence of the subject of spirituality”, focusing attention on deep penetration into the image and the process of recreating it with the help of exquisite
Old Russian icon painting obeyed laws not only in the image technique itself, but also in the choice of material for it. Traditionally established techniques were also used in the method of preparing the surface for the image, the composition of the soil, and the technology for preparing paints. The iconography of Ancient Rus' also presupposed a mandatory sequence of writing.
Painting of images was carried out with paints, the binding component of which was tempera (a water emulsion with egg yolk). As a rule, wooden boards were used as a base. Preparing the board for writing was quite long and laborious. We chose a log with a very strong inner layer. The production of boards for icons was carried out by woodworkers (wood-makers); icon painters themselves did this very rarely.
Small icons were painted on one board. For large images, several boards connected to each other were used.
A middle recess (ark) was cut out on the front of the board. He created some kind of window. A frame (field) was formed along the edges.
By the nature of the fastening of the boards, the depth of the ark, and the width of the margins, one can often determine the place and time of production of the board. On ancient icons (11th-12th centuries), the ark, as a rule, was made deep and the margins wide. Later, boards were made with narrow margins. Starting from, you can find icons without borders.
The ground was gesso. This is a mixture of alabaster or chalk with fish (sturgeon) glue. The board was coated with glue (liquid and hot) several times, then pavolok (fabric) was applied to it, rubbing it with the palm of the hand. The gesso was applied after the pavolok had dried. The soil was applied in several layers. Its surface was carefully leveled and sometimes polished. In some cases, relief was applied.
The image was applied to the prepared soil surface. The iconography of Ancient Rus' involved the gradual application of a drawing. First, the first image was drawn with light touches of soft coal from birch branches. The second drawing, more detailed, was done either in black).
Sometimes masters used “copybooks” obtained from icons that served as samples. In this way the image was reproduced.
Then the letter began. At the first stage, all the necessary details were “gilded”, then “preliminary” writing was carried out (buildings, clothes, landscapes were painted). The depiction of faces was performed at the final stage. There was also strict consistency in working with paints.
The painting of icons was carried out according to manuals (“originals”). They contained information about the technology of writing one or another image.
It should be noted that in terms of its internal and external organization, the icon is a very complex work of art. However, in the 19th century, icon painters were treated as second-class artists, considering the icon to be primitive. Ancient masters were accused of ignorance of techniques for creating direct perspective and human anatomy. At the same time, the icon is the result of virtuoso technique and high culture Images. The use of tempera painting required special skills that were acquired over many years of study.
The icon painters of Ancient Rus' perceived writing as an act of communication with another world. This required physical and spiritual cleansing.
Scarce information has survived to this day about the masters of antiquity. However, the pages of historical evidence, the margins and backs of icons, and the walls of temples preserve the names of ancient icon painters. Among them should be named the monk Alimpiy, his contemporaries Stefan, Gaga, Sezhir, Radko. One of the most famous icons, “Trinity,” was painted by Andrei Rublev.
