Prominent Russians: Theophanes the Greek

Image from www.belygorod.ru Theophanes the Greek was a Byzantine Greek artist and famous icon painter of Muscovite Russia. He belongs to the greatest masters of medieval times. Theophanes the Greek is believed to have been born in the 1330s in the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, and to have died between 1405 and 1409. Before coming to Russia he was educated in his native town and later on worked in Constantinople, Chalcedon, Galatia and Kaffa (now Feodosia in the Crimea), where he decorated many churches. Unfortunately, his works completed in Byzantium did not survive. All his preserved and known works were produced in Rus (ancient name of Russia), where he spent more than 30 years. During his lifetime he decorated more than 40 churches. His manner of painting originates from the Macedonian school (or Greek-Slavonic art), popular at the end of 14th and first half of the 15th centuries in Serbia and the Byzantine Empire, and characterized by a distinctive regard for both the subject and the style, penetrated by a

mystical spirit. The subject was ecstatic and the method of painting subjective and dynamic. All this found reflection in Theophaness drawings, which display something spiritually titanic; his images seem to be the personification of world tragedy. In medieval times it was common both in Rus and Europe for foreign painters to work abroad for several years. Theophanes the Greek followed this path and, in his forties, he went to work in Novgorod and later in Moscow. It is believed that Theophanes met Russian metropolitan Kiprian in Constantinople who inspired this move and accompanied the Greek to Russia. Novgorod had always been a very important Russian city and one of the most ancient cultural centers. But because of its northern location, for a long time after the MongolTatar invasion in 1237-1240 it remained completely cut off from the south. During this period the city lost its leading role in cultural life and the famous Novgorod school was degraded to the level of a provincial school, reproducing bad models before it developed again. The Novgorod school owes its rebirth to Greek painters and carpenters, who had been invited to work in the city and with their contribution the school flourished in the 15th century. Theophanes the Greek arrived in Novgorod in the 1370s. Highly educated and talented, he brought the greatest achievements of Byzantine culture and art to Rus. Russian painters were greatly impressed by Theophaness work. One monk observing Theophanes at work noted his high mind and later wrote that Theophanes painted only from his thoughts. In Novgorod the first mentioned work by

Theophanes dates back to 1378. This work, murals in the Church of Transfiguration on Ilyin Street, is the only one that has documented confirmation and is the basis for art historians for identifying his other works. The frescos nowadays exist only in fragments; therefore it is not possible to restore the system of painting completely. At the churchs cupola there is a half-figure of the Pantocrator surrounded by archangels and seraphs. In the cylindrical area, straight under the cupola, the images of the forefathers and prophets are represented. The side altar is decorated with images of the saints along with compositions such as Trinity, Pillar Saints, Virgin Mary with Archangel Gabriel and others.

Image from www.pravkniga.ru The painting of Theophanes is characterized by the Russian art historian Vasily Bychkov as a philosophical conception in colors, a conception, which is stern enough, far from everyday optimism. The essence of the conception is the global sinfulness of man, as a result of which he distanced himself from the Lord and now could only with fear and horror await the coming of his uncompromised Judge. Theophanes the Greek creates a world full of drama and tenseness of spirit. His saints are

stern, aloof, absorbed in contemplation and thoughts of the Savior. Theophaness manner was highly expressive and free. He used various methods of painting. He did not go into great detail while composing the form and painted in saturated and free strokes. The subdued general color contrasted with bright bleachings, refreshing the stern images of the saints. The contours were marked with clear dynamic lines. The color palette was restrained with dominating orangebrown, silver-blue colors underlining the tense spiritual state of his images. Theophaness works were a combination of the local style with the style of Constantinople. Theophaness individuality was exceptional for Russian art and could not be imitated, but some Novgorod icon painters tried to follow this method. Thus, the painters free style and choice of colors can be seen at the Dormition Church at Volotov Field and the church of Fedor Stratilat decorated by local painters. Theophanes also contributed to the development of art and book graphics, designing such well-known manuscripts as Psalter of Ivan Grosny (late 14th century) and Pogodins Prologue (2nd half of the 15th century).

Image from www.belygorod.ru After 1378, according to some chronicles, Theophanes the Greek worked in Nizhniy Novgorod, which was badly destroyed and in need of rebuilding after the Mongol-Tatar yoke, and in Kolomna. But the works of that period did not survive. In Kolomna he may have decorated the Assumption Cathedral, where his most famous icon The Virgin of the Don (on the back the Dormition) was first preserved and later moved to The Annunciation Cathedral in Moscow. In approximately 1395 Theophanes moved to Moscow where he decorated churches, private houses, designed book manuscripts and painted icons. The most trustworthy information about the Moscow period can be found in a letter from the chronicles written by Epiphanios the Wise, a famous 14th-15th century Moscow writer and painter who knew Theophanes well and admired his work, in the state treasury of Prince Vladimir Andreevich (Serpukhovsky) he depicted Moscow on the stone wall, and the princes terem (the small chambers) is decorated unprecedentedly and unbelievably beautifully.

In the same letter he also described Theophaness method of work, which was apparently quite extraordinary for the time: When he was drawing or painting, nobody saw him looking at existing examples, as would do some of our icon painters. He, on the contrary, appeared to paint his frescoes with his hands while walking back and forth, talking to visitors, considering inwardly what was lofty and wise and seeing the inner goodness with the eyes of his inner feelings. Theophanes's first Moscow work was the Book of Gospels of Boyar Koshka, for which he painted miniatures and which would later be used as the basis of the Khitrovo Gospels. Later he decorated the walls and ceilings of many churches with frescos including the Church of Virgin Nativity (1395) and the Archangel and Annunciation Cathedrals (1399 and 1405) in the Moscow Kremlin. He painted the Annunciation (Blagovezhensky) Cathedral with Andrei Rublev and Prokhor from Gorodez. Theophanes invited Rublev to assist him in the painting of the murals and in the process did wonders to develop Rublevs genius. However Rublev would later break away from Theophaness dramatic severity of form, color and expression and become one of the greatest masters of Russian icon painting. Theophaness style in icons differed greatly from his style in murals. In icon painting he mainly used beautiful and saturated colors and pure forms, laying the foundations for mature Moscow icon painting. Theophanes must have painted many icons throughout his life, but based on historical evidence, scholars believe that the following nine are his: The Virgin of the Don and The Dormition of the Virgin (Novgorod period), The Savior in Glory, The

Virgin Mary, St. John Chrysostom, Archangel Gabriel, St. Paul, St. Basil, and St. John the Baptist, all of which were painted in 1405 for the Deesis tier in Moscows Cathedral of Annunciation. It was the first iconostasis in Russia in which the figures of the saints were presented at fullheight. At two meters high, the figures are impressive and full of significance and incarnate a prayer from mankind to the Savior. According to recent evidence though, this iconostasis might not be the original of 1405 and could have been brought to the Annunciation Cathedral after its restoration in 1547, when a devastating fire destroyed most of the icons. Nonetheless, the iconographic style, the use of various difficult drawing methods and the high spirituality of the icons suggest that they were painted by the talented master Theophanes. The most striking aspect of Theophaness work was that through his paintings he managed to deliver a spiritual message to the parishioners of the 14th-15th centuries, most of whom could not read or write, but were able to perceive the subtleties of the complicated theology with their own eyes. Some historians believe that at the beginning of the 15th century Theophanes returned to Constantinople but there is no confirmed evidence of this. It is suggested that Theophanes the Greek died between 1405 and 1409. Prominent Russians: Andrey Rublev 1360-1370 - 1430

Image from www.forum.kelia.ru Andrei Rublev, a famous medieval painter of orthodox icons and frescos, is considered the pride and glory of Russian culture. The name of Rublev is connected not only to the flourishing period of Russian art, but also to the revival of Byzantine art after its ruin under the Ottoman rule. However, there is little information available on Andrei Rublevs life. It is not known where he was born but he probably lived in the Trinity St. Sergey Monastery in the small town of Sergiev Posad near Moscow. He was a monk under Nikon of Radonezh, who succeeded Sergey of Radonezh, a famous saint and Father Superior of the monastery. Rublevs contemporaries described him as a kind and quiet person, filled with light. They said he was unusually focused and that everything he created was a result of his deep thoughts.

In the early chronicles, the name of Rublev comes up in connection with the construction of different churches. In the 1380s he belonged to the Princes cartel of craftsmen and artists who moved from town to town building and decorating churches. After the Battle of Kulikovo between the Tatar-Mongols and the Russians near the Don River in 1380, many new churches were erected in Russia, and each was decorated by Russian iconographers. This served as a source of inspiration for Rublev. The first mention of Rublev as a painter appears in 1405 when, together with Theophanes the Greek and Prokhor of Gorodets, he painted icons and frescos for the Cathedral of Annunciation of the Moscow Kremlin. His name was the last on the list of craftsmen as he was a junior both by rank and age. Most of his frescos were destroyed during the Moscow Kremlin fire of 1547. Russian art was highly influenced by the art of the Byzantine Empire. Many artistic traditions, particularly in regard to icon painting and church architecture, originated in Byzantine and were

Image from www.cirota.ru taken over by other Eastern European countries, including Russia. Rublev is often considered to have been a pupil of Theophanes the Greek, a famous Byzantine painter who worked in Russia for over thirty years. However, Theophanes the Greeks personality, as well as his views of art and life, differed greatly from those of Rublev. The elder painters images were tense and tragic, perceiving the sinful earth as hell. It is not known how both artists got along, but there is evidence to suggest they often worked together, and the process did wonders to develop Rublevs genius. Nevertheless, Rublev broke away from his Theophaness dramatic severity of form, color and expression and developed his own light and harmonious style incarnating the epoch of liberation. Approximately during the same period, Rublev is believed to have painted at least one of the miniatures in the Khitrovo Gospels, an illustrated Book of Gospels from the early 15th century. The book contains eight full-page miniatures, portraits of four Evangelists and four pictures of their symbols. The miniature of the angel, a symbol of

the evangelist Matthew, is usually attributed to Rublev. A young winged boy with curly hair is framed in a circle, which gives the image tranquility and completeness. The colors of azure blue and fresh green create a feeling of joy and easiness. According to art historians, the light and pureness display the uniqueness of the painters style. It is not possible to chronologically trace Rublevs work, as Russian icon painters never signed or dated their works. But one chronicle confirms that in 1408 Rublev painted the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir with Danil Cherny and other painters. The Cathedral was widely known in Old Russia and Moscows Princes took great care in its decoration. In 1408, the son of Dmitry Donskoy, Prince Vladimir, ordered the restoration of the Cathedral, including the painting of new frescos to replace the one lost in the 12th century. The surviving Cathedral frescos represent a fragment of the famous composition Doomsday. Analyses of the style of the frescos helped determine their author: the artistic composition, musicality and gracefulness of the lines belonged to the hand of Andrey Rublev. The interpretation of the scene is rather unusual: there is no fear of severe punishment and the idea of forgiveness and enlightenment penetrates the composition, in line with Rublevs worldview. Rublev is also believed to have painted icons for Zvenigorod Row - part of the iconostasis in one of the Zvenigorod churches. Three icons Savior, Archangel Michael and Apostle Paul are partly preserved and show how the painter imagined his ideal character. The Savior is full of kindness and attention, Apostle Paul is presented as a philosopher and a thinker and Archangel Michael represents the earthly beauty of a human being.

The characters in all of Rublevs paintings were always peaceful and calm.

Image from www.upload.wikimedia.org In 1408 the Tatar-Mongol troops of the Khan Edigey plundered the Russian towns of Nizhniy Novgorod, Rostov and Pereslavl and attacked Moscow. Failing to seize Moscow, they burnt down many towns and churches in the surrounding area, including the Cathedral of St. Trinity in Sergiev Posad. The hegumen, Nikon of Radonezh, was eager to rebuild the monastery. In 14231424 in place of the old wooden one, a new white-stone monastery was built. Andrey Rublev and Danil Cherny were invited by Father Nikon to decorate the monastery. The icon Trinity became Rublevs greatest masterpiece, created for the Cathedral of St. Trinity. And if the name of Rublev personifies the art of old Russia, the icon Trinity symbolizes the peak of that culture. The exact date of its creation is unknown - it could be either 1411 or 14251427. Apparently, Rublev painted this icon in honor of St. Sergey of Radonezh. The plot of the icon has its origins in the Bible: a deity in the form of three wonderful

youngsters appeared in front of the elder Abraham foretelling the birth of a son. The main idea of the image is life in peace and agreement; something that people in the 15th century dreamt about but could not have. In his book The Trinity-St. Sergy Monastery and Russia, the philosopher and priest Pavel Florensky describes the icon and the style of the great master: What marvels and startles us in Rublevs work is not the subject or the numeral three or a cup on the Communion table, but the fact that it shows us truly the Revelation beheld by Him. Under restless circumstances, in the midst of local wars, general savagery and the Tatar

Image from www.pafnuty-abbey.ru intervention, with this lack of peace that had depraved Rus, this infinite, indestructible peace of the world opened to the eye And this inexplicable world, this incomparable sky-blue, this ineffable grace of the mutual bows, this peaceful unwordliness, this infinite submissiveness to each other - is the artistic content of the Trinity.

The question Who is who in the Trinity? has sparked many heated arguments; Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible posed the question to the Stoglavy Sobor (The Book of 100 Chapters containing 69 questions asked and answered by the Great Council) in 1551. The answer was: Christ is the angel in the middle, the one higher than God the Father and God the Spirit. Thus, in the Orthodox Church, God the Son was put higher than God the Father, while in the Catholic Church they are equal. Four hundred years later the Sobors decision was supported by some distinguished art critics, while opposed by most theologians. But as evidenced by the geometry of the Trinity, for Rublev, all three hypostases were equal and placed in a circle. The lines of the wings and clothes fade into each other creating a feeling of balance and calmness. The ideal proportions of the three figures are united by the perfect correlation of colors. The light colors do not compete with the dark ones, but create a glimmering mosaic of light. After the death of his friend and colleague Danil Cherny, who was buried in the St. Trinity monastery, Andrei Rublev went to Moscows Andronikov Monastery where he painted the frescos of the Savior Cathedral, which became his last work. According to the letter of the saint Epiphanies the Wise, Rublev also worked on the construction of the church in 1426-1427. The frescos were painted in 1428-1430. Andrei Rublev died in the Andronikov Monastery in 1430. At present there is a museum in the monastery displaying the epoch and art of Andrei Rublev. Rublevs art came to be perceived as the ideal of Church painting and of Orthodox iconography and already in his lifetime his icons were worth their weight in gold. In 1988

Andrei Rublev became the first Russian painter to be canonized a saint by the Orthodox Church. The church commemorates Rublev on 4 July.