The appearance of icon painting Automatic translate

One of the distinguishing features of Russian painting is the absolute predominance of the icon - not only during the period of Ancient Russia, but also practically throughout the Middle Ages. The features of this type of painting include the symbolism of the icon-painting image, as well as the fact that the image does not have third-dimensional icons. The composition does not unfold, but to the sides. The lack of depth was made in order to separate the world of the icon from everyday life.

It was flat, had a reverse perspective, meaning stillness and timelessness. The icon had to be able to read, it was full of meaning for a medieval man. The Orthodox Church never allowed to paint icons from living people and demanded strict observance of the canon. These patterns should clearly separate the highland world from the longitudinal, earthly. Conditional gold background symbolized divine light. The whole image was permeated with this light, the figures did not cast a shadow, for in the Kingdom of God there are no shadows. The icons were called "theology in colors." Everything in them was supposed to direct the thoughts of believers to the mountain world.

The history of icon painting has preserved a few names of artists. Medieval creativity gravitated to anonymity, because it was important not the name of the master, but the subject of the image. We must not forget that the work on the icon was often collective. The strict canonization of painting led to the fact that there was a great dependence on the Byzantine models, this hampered the development of painting in contrast to architecture. Mosaics and frescoes of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev confirm this. But purely secular murals were also made there. On the south side of the central nave of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev there is a fresco depicting the daughters of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, and on the north - his sons. On the western side is the image of the prince himself with a model of the temple in his hands. On the walls of the staircases, episodes of court life are shown: competitions at the hippodrome, circus performances, figures of buffoons, musicians, bear hunting, leopard, wolf. Typically Russian (not Byzantine) hunting techniques are depicted. A special place in the St. Sophia Cathedral is occupied by ornament.

"Shimmering painting" - the mosaic departs with the sunset of Kievan Rus. For the princes, it was too expensive. In times of feudal fragmentation (XII-XV centuries), local art schools began to form. During this period, two trends in the development of painting can be distinguished. Due to the growing influence of the church, censorship of compliance with the canon is being tightened. This can be explained by the increased struggle with pagan traditions. The images of the saints are becoming more severe and abstract.

At the same time, the farther away from the metropolitan pulpit the princedom was, the stronger were the folk elements in painting. So, for example, Novgorod was characterized by a tendency to simplicity and visualization of the image. The icons were very colorful, which seemed to be more appropriate for folk art. In the XIII century. even golden backgrounds gave way to red, blue and yellow. For decoration, a geometric ornament was often used. In the fourteenth century, although the Novgorodians had already developed a picturesque local school, they were greatly influenced by Theophanes the Greek (1340 - 1405). He painted the Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior in Novgorod.

Pskov’s iconography also showed its own peculiarities: the composition is often asymmetrical, the color is gloomy, the backgrounds are yellow, there were several topics on the same board that were not always connected. The Northern Writings, executed by icon painters Kholmogor, Vologda, Veliky Ustyug, Kargopol, are often inept in execution, but the best of them are marked by naive expressiveness and decorative beauty.

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In Vladimir-Suzdal painting, the image of Deesis (the prayer of the Mother of God and John the Baptist before Christ for Christians) was of great importance. Here the main icon-painting theme was the salvation of the human race. The central figure has always been the figure of Christ. The deesis of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, executed in the middle of the XII century, is considered one of the first. The Moscow school begins to take shape, of course, later than the Novgorod one. From the XV century Basically, icons for iconostases are written, they were enlarged. For these icons, perhaps even excessive symbolism is characteristic, because they should have been perceived from a distance.

Text writer: M.V.Sokolova