The first Christian icons. Encaustic icon painting
For a Christian, the main icon is the icon of Christ. When and how did the first icon of the Lord Jesus appear? Of course she was. We have a special holiday in her honor in our Church. According to the calendar, the holiday falls on the day after the Assumption Holy Mother of God.
August 29 is a holiday in honor of the Image of the Lord Jesus Christ Not Made by Hands. The first icon of Christ was not painted, nor was it created by human hands. It was not a figment of the imagination of an ancient artist.
The first icon was given to us directly from the Lord. According to church tradition, the first icon was an imprint of the face of Jesus Christ miraculously appearing on canvas.
Giving people an icon was God’s will, not a human wish.
We Orthodox Christians should know this well.
The icon is a gift from God.
Why did the Lord give it to us?
Every gift from the Lord serves people for something important. Why does a Christian need an icon? What is the spiritual benefit of it? - Invaluable! There is a lot to be said about this.
During the Soviet persecution of the Church, icons were preached. That's literally what they said knowledgeable people. And they were not mistaken. How was it?
At that time, the authorities tried to destroy church sermons outside the church and even extinguish sermons from the pulpit. So, in addition to the sermon sounding word , the sermon reached the people in a visible way- an icon. And the sermon spread throughout the churches and far beyond the church fence. Icons were preached in museums. They preached in art albums on ancient Russian art.
The preaching of icons reached people who were very far from the idea of coming to church services.
Icon in a political detective story
I remember a popular feature film from the mid-eighties. Political detective "TASS is authorized to declare" based on the script by Yulian Semyonov.
As expected, the plot is sharp: a coup is taking place in an African country, behind which are the American intelligence services. The CIA managed to recruit some Soviet specialist high level. State security officers are trying to identify him and neutralize him. The topic, frankly speaking, is aside from religious life.
And yet, in one episode of the detective story, a dialogue about an icon flashed.
I'll retell it. A KGB officer comes to his ward, a seasoned artist, and gives him a letter written on behalf of a witness to the recruitment. The anonymous letter was planted at our embassy by someone who personally saw how the Americans treated the Russian specialist. The artist was asked the question: “Who do you think is the author of the letter? And how sincere is the author?”
The artist confirms the authenticity and sincerity of the letter. He believes that its author is a former Vlasov member. The intelligence officer seems to agree with the artist. However, he wonders why the interlocutor decided that the letter was real.
The old artist, at one time close to Vlasov circles, recalls a short story in response. He had a friend who restored icons. This colleague once showed his work; he copied a Russian icon of the 16th century. The copy turned out to be successful. And there was a little argument:
– Listen, why don’t you take up icon painting?
The restorer just laughed:
- What you! I'll never be able to do that.
– You, a talented artist with such an excellent school, will do worse work than this illiterate god?!
Then the restorer put the original next to it and said:
– Don’t you see the difference? This artist painted an icon with faith in God. But faith is difficult to fake. It's not even possible.
The 16th century icon was genuine. And the recruitment letter was hard-won, it was genuine...
I am still surprised: in a political detective story, the icon testified to genuine human religious feelings. Perhaps the icon here, from the Soviet television screen, preached about the religious experience that lies behind church art.
Yes, you can master the technique of icon painting, you can learn to copy ancient samples. But faith in the One you write cannot be copied, it cannot be faked. To paint a genuine icon, you need the gift of God, the gift of faith, the gift of communication with the Lord.
Iconography begins with experience
What kind of experience is this? The experience of a real encounter with the real Christ. And the experience of prayerful communication with Him. Without this, there would be no true icon on Earth.
The Lord allows us to see His Face and turn to Him. Let us thank Him for this happiness.
The word "icon" is of Greek origin.
Greek word eikon means “image”, “portrait”. During the period of the formation of Christian art in Byzantium, this word denoted any image of the Savior, the Mother of God, a Saint, an Angel or an event in Sacred History, regardless of whether this image was monumental painting or easel, and regardless of what technique it was executed. Now the word “icon” is applied primarily to prayer icons, painted, carved, mosaic, etc. It is in this sense that it is used in archeology and art history.
Orthodox Church asserts and teaches that the sacred image is a consequence of the Incarnation, is based on it and therefore is inherent in the very essence of Christianity, from which it is inseparable.
Sacred Tradition
The image appeared in Christian art initially. Tradition dates the creation of the first icons to apostolic times and is associated with the name of the Evangelist Luke. According to legend, he depicted not what he saw, but the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child of God.
And the first Icon is considered to be “The Savior Not Made by Hands”.
The history of this image is connected, according to church tradition, with King Abgar, who ruled in the 1st century. in the city of Edessa. Having fallen ill with an incurable disease, he learned that only Jesus Christ could heal him. Abgar sent his servant Ananias to Jerusalem to invite Christ to Edessa. The Savior could not answer the invitation, but He did not leave the unfortunate man without help. He asked Ananias to bring water and a clean linen, washed and wiped his face, and immediately the face of Christ was imprinted on the fabric - miraculously. Ananias took this image to the king, and as soon as Abgar kissed the canvas, he was immediately healed.
The roots of the visual techniques of icon painting, on the one hand, are in book miniatures, from which the fine writing, airiness, and sophistication of the palette were borrowed. On the other hand, in the Fayum portrait, from which the iconographic images inherited huge eyes, a stamp of mournful detachment on their faces, and a golden background.
In the Roman catacombs from the 2nd-4th centuries, works of Christian art of a symbolic or narrative nature have been preserved.
The oldest icons that have come down to us date back to the 6th century and were made using the encaustic technique on a wooden base, which makes them similar to Egyptian-Hellenistic art (the so-called “Fayum portraits”).
The Trullo (or Fifth-Sixth) Council prohibits symbolic images of the Savior, ordering that He should be depicted only “according to human nature.”
In the 8th century, the Christian Church was faced with the heresy of iconoclasm, the ideology of which completely prevailed in state, church and cultural life. Icons continued to be created in the provinces, far from imperial and church supervision. The development of an adequate response to the iconoclasts, the adoption of the dogma of icon veneration at the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787) brought a deeper understanding of the icon, laying down serious theological foundations, connecting the theology of the image with Christological dogmas.
The theology of the icon had a huge influence on the development of iconography and the formation of iconographic canons. Moving away from the naturalistic rendering of the sensory world, icon painting becomes more conventional, gravitating towards flatness, the image of faces is replaced by the image of faces, which reflect the physical and spiritual, the sensual and the supersensible. Hellenistic traditions are gradually being reworked and adapted to Christian concepts.
The tasks of icon painting are the embodiment of the deity in a bodily image. The word “icon” itself means “image” or “image” in Greek. It was supposed to remind of the image that flashes in the mind of the person praying. This is a “bridge” between man and the divine world, a sacred object. Christian icon painters managed to complete difficult task: to convey through picturesque, material means the intangible, spiritual, ethereal. Therefore, iconographic images are characterized by extreme dematerialization of figures reduced to two-dimensional shadows of the smooth surface of a board, a golden background, a mystical environment, non-flatness and non-space, but something unsteady, flickering in the light of lamps. The golden color was perceived as divine not only by the eye, but also by the mind. Believers call it “Tabor,” because, according to the biblical legend, the transfiguration of Christ took place on Mount Tabor, where his image appeared in a blinding golden radiance. At the same time, Christ, the Virgin Mary, the apostles, and saints were really living people who had earthly features.
To convey the spirituality and divinity of earthly images, a special, strictly defined type of depiction of a particular subject, called the iconographic canon, has developed in Christian art. Canonicity, like a number of other characteristics of Byzantine culture, was closely connected with the system of worldview of the Byzantines. The underlying idea of the image, the sign of essence and the principle of hierarchy required constant contemplative deepening into the same phenomena (images, signs, texts, etc.). which led to the organization of culture along stereotypical principles. The canon of fine art most fully reflects the aesthetic essence of Byzantine culture. The iconographic canon performed a number of important functions. First of all, it carried information of a utilitarian, historical and narrative nature, i.e. took on the entire burden of descriptive religious text. The iconographic scheme in this regard was practically identical to the literal meaning of the text. The canon was also recorded in special descriptions of the saint’s appearance; physiognomic instructions had to be followed strictly.
There is a Christian symbolism of color, the foundations of which were developed by the Byzantine writer Dionysius the Areopagite in the 4th century. According to it, the cherry color, which combines red and violet, the beginning and end of the spectrum, means Christ himself, who is the beginning and end of all things. Blue sky, purity. Red is divine fire, the color of the blood of Christ, in Byzantium it is the color of royalty. Green youth, freshness, renewal. Yellow is identical to gold. White is a symbol of God, similar to Light and combines all the colors of the rainbow. Black is hidden secrets God. Christ is invariably depicted in a cherry tunic and a blue cloak - himation, and the Mother of God - in a dark blue tunic and cherry veil - maphoria. The canons of the image also include reverse perspective, which has vanishing points not behind, inside the image, but in the person’s eye, i.e. in front of the image. Each object, therefore, expands as it moves away, as if “unfolding” towards the viewer. The image “moves” towards the person,
and not from him. Iconography is as informative as possible; it reproduces a complete world.
The architectural structure of the icon and the technology of icon painting developed in line with ideas about its purpose: to bear a sacred image. Icons were and are written on boards, most often cypress. Several boards are held together with dowels. The top of the boards is covered with gesso, a primer made with fish glue. The gesso is polished until smooth, and then an image is applied: first a drawing, and then a painting layer. In the icon there are fields, a middle-central image and an ark - a narrow strip along the perimeter of the icon. The iconographic images developed in Byzantium also strictly correspond to the canon.
For the first time in three centuries of Christianity, symbolic and allegorical images were common. Christ was depicted as a lamb, an anchor, a ship, a fish, a vine, and a good shepherd. Only in the IV-VI centuries. Illustrative and symbolic iconography began to take shape, which became the structural basis of all Eastern Christian art.
Different understandings of the icon in the Western and Eastern traditions ultimately led to different directions in the development of art in general: having had a tremendous influence on the art of Western Europe (especially Italy), icon painting during the Renaissance was supplanted by painting and sculpture. Icon painting developed mainly on the territory of the Byzantine Empire and countries that adopted the eastern branch of Christianity-Orthodoxy.
Byzantium
The iconography of the Byzantine Empire was the largest artistic phenomenon in the Eastern Christian world. Byzantine artistic culture not only became the ancestor of some national cultures (for example, Old Russian), but throughout its entire existence it influenced the iconography of other Orthodox countries: Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Rus', Georgia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt. Also influenced by Byzantium was the culture of Italy, especially Venice. Byzantine iconography and the new stylistic trends that emerged in Byzantium were of utmost importance for these countries.
Pre-Iconoclastic era
Apostle Peter. Encaustic icon. VI century. Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai.
The oldest icons that have survived to our time date back to the 6th century. Early icons of the 6th-7th centuries preserve the ancient painting technique - encaustic. Some works retain certain features of ancient naturalism and pictorial illusionism (for example, the icons “Christ Pantocrator” and “Apostle Peter” from the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai), while others are prone to conventionality and schematic representation (for example, the icon “Bishop Abraham” from the Dahlem Museum , Berlin, icon “Christ and Saint Mina” from the Louvre). A different, not ancient, artistic language was characteristic of the eastern regions of Byzantium - Egypt, Syria, Palestine. In their icon painting, expressiveness was initially more important than knowledge of anatomy and the ability to convey volume.
The Virgin and Child. Encaustic icon. VI century. Kyiv. Museum of Art. Bogdan and Varvara Khanenko.
Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. Encaustic icon. 6th or 7th century. Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai.
For Ravenna - the largest ensemble of early Christian and early Byzantine mosaics, preserved to this day and mosaics of the 5th century (Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Orthodox Baptistery) are characterized by lively angles of figures, naturalistic modeling of volume, and picturesque mosaic masonry. In mosaics from the late 5th century (Arian Baptistery) and 6th century (basilicasSant'Apollinare Nuovo And Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Church of San Vitale ) the figures become flat, the lines of the folds of clothes are rigid, sketchy. Poses and gestures freeze, the depth of space almost disappears. The faces lose their sharp individuality, the mosaic laying becomes strictly ordered. The reason for these changes was a purposeful search for a special figurative language capable of expressing Christian teaching.
Iconoclastic period
The development of Christian art was interrupted by iconoclasm, which established itself as the official ideology
empire since 730. This caused the destruction of icons and paintings in churches. Persecution of icon worshipers. Many icon painters emigrated to the distant ends of the Empire and neighboring countries - to Cappadocia, Crimea, Italy, and partly to the Middle East, where they continued to create icons.
This struggle lasted a total of more than 100 years and is divided into two periods. The first was from 730 to 787, when the Seventh Ecumenical Council took place under Empress Irina, which restored the veneration of icons and revealed the dogma of this veneration. Although in 787, at the Seventh Ecumenical Council, iconoclasm was condemned as a heresy and the theological justification for icon veneration was formulated, the final restoration of icon veneration came only in 843. During the period of iconoclasm, instead of icons in churches, only images of the cross were used, instead of old paintings, decorative images of plants and animals were made, secular scenes were depicted, in particular, horse racing, beloved by Emperor Constantine V.
Macedonian period
After the final victory over the heresy of iconoclasm in 843, the creation of paintings and icons for the temples of Constantinople and other cities began again. From 867 to 1056, Byzantium was ruled by the Macedonian dynasty, which gave its name
the entire period, which is divided into two stages:
Macedonian "Renaissance"
Apostle Thaddeus presents King Abgar with the Image of Christ not made by hands. Folding sash. 10th century
King Abgar receives the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands. Folding sash. 10th century
The first half of the Macedonian period was characterized by increased interest in the classical ancient heritage. The works of this time are distinguished by their naturalness in the depiction of the human body, softness in the depiction of draperies, and liveliness in the faces. Vivid examples of classical art are: the mosaic of Sophia of Constantinople with the image of the Mother of God on the throne (mid-9th century), a folding icon from the monastery of St. Catherine on Sinai with the image of the Apostle Thaddeus and King Abgar receiving a plate with the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands (mid-10th century).
In the second half of the 10th century, icon painting retained classical features, but icon painters were looking for ways to give the images greater spirituality.
Ascetic style
In the first half of the 11th century, the style Byzantine icon painting changes sharply in the direction opposite to the ancient classics. From this time, several large ensembles of monumental painting have been preserved: frescoes of the church of Panagia ton Chalkeon in Thessaloniki from 1028, mosaics of the katholikon of the monastery of Hosios Loukas in Phokis 30-40. XI century, mosaics and frescoes of Sophia of Kyiv of the same time, frescoes of Sophia of Ohrid from the middle - 3 quarters of the 11th century, mosaics of Nea Moni on the island of Chios 1042-56. and others.
Archdeacon Lavrenty. Mosaic of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. XI century.
All of the listed monuments are characterized by an extreme degree of asceticism of images. The images are completely devoid of anything temporary and changeable. The faces are devoid of any feelings or emotions; they are extremely frozen, conveying the inner composure of those depicted. For this reason, huge symmetrical eyes with a detached, motionless gaze are emphasized. The figures freeze in strictly defined poses and often acquire squat, heavy proportions. Hands and feet become heavy and rough. The modeling of clothing folds is stylized, becoming very graphic, only conditionally conveying natural forms. The light in the modeling acquires supernatural brightness, bearing the symbolic meaning of Divine Light.
This stylistic trend includes a double-sided icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria with a perfectly preserved image of the Great Martyr George on the reverse (XI century, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin), as well as many book miniatures. The ascetic trend in icon painting continued to exist later, appearing in the 12th century. An example is the two icons of Our Lady Hodegetria in the Hilandar Monastery on Mount Athos and in the Greek Patriarchate in Istanbul.
Komnenian period
Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Beginning of the 12th century. Constantinople.
The next period in the history of Byzantine icon painting falls on the reign of the dynasties of Douk, Comneni and Angels (1059-1204). In general it is called Komninian. In the second half of the 11th century, asceticism was again replaced by
classic shape and harmonious image. The works of this time (for example, Daphne's mosaics around 1100) achieve a balance between classical form and spirituality of the image, they are elegant and poetic.
The creation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God (TG) dates back to the end of the 11th century or the beginning of the 12th century. This is one of best images Comnenian era, undoubtedly the work of Constantinople. In 1131-32 the icon was brought to Rus', where
became especially revered. From the original painting, only the faces of the Mother of God and the Child have been preserved. Beautiful, filled with subtle sorrow for the suffering of the Son, the face of the Mother of God is a characteristic example of the more open and humane art of the Comnenian era. At the same time, in his example one can see the characteristic physiognomic features of Komninian painting: an elongated face, narrow eyes, a thin nose with a triangular pit on the bridge of the nose.
Saint Gregory the Wonderworker. Icon. XII century. Hermitage.
Christ Pantocrator the Merciful. Mosaic icon. XII century.
The mosaic icon “Christ Pantocrator the Merciful” from the State Museums Dahlem in Berlin dates back to the first half of the 12th century. It expresses the internal and external harmony of the image, concentration and contemplation, the Divine and human in the Savior.
Annunciation. Icon. End of the 12th century Sinai.
In the second half of the 12th century, the icon “Gregory the Wonderworker” was created from the State. Hermitage. The icon is distinguished by its magnificent Constantinople script. In the image of the saint, the individual principle is especially strongly emphasized; before us is, as it were, a portrait of a philosopher.
Comnenian mannerism
Crucifixion of Christ with images of saints in the margins. Icon of the second half of the 12th century.
In addition to the classical direction, other trends appeared in the icon painting of the 12th century, tending to disrupt balance and harmony in the direction of greater spiritualization of the image. In some cases, this was achieved by increased expression of painting (the earliest example is the frescoes of the Church of St. Panteleimon in Nerezi in 1164, the icons “Descent into Hell” and “Assumption” late XII century from the monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai).
In the latest works of the 12th century, the linear stylization of the image is extremely enhanced. And the draperies of clothes and even faces are covered with a network of bright whitewash lines, which play a decisive role in constructing the form. Here, as before, light has the most important symbolic meaning. The proportions of the figures are also stylized, becoming overly elongated and thin. Stylization reaches its maximum manifestation in the so-called late Comnenian mannerism. This term primarily refers to the frescoes of the Church of St. George in Kurbinovo, as well as a number of icons, for example, the “Annunciation” of the late 12th century from the collection in Sinai. In these paintings and icons, the figures are endowed with sharp and rapid movements, the folds of clothing curl intricately, and the faces have distorted, specifically expressive features.
In Russia there are also examples of this style, for example, the frescoes of the Church of St. George in Staraya Ladoga and the reverse of the icon “Savior Not Made by Hands,” which depicts the veneration of angels to the Cross (Tretyakov Gallery).
XIII century
The flourishing of icon painting and other arts was interrupted by the terrible tragedy of 1204. This year the knights of the Fourth crusade captured and terribly plundered Constantinople. For more than half a century, the Byzantine Empire existed only as three separate states with centers in Nicaea, Trebizond and Epirus. The Latin Crusader Empire was formed around Constantinople. Despite this, icon painting continued to develop. The 13th century was marked by several important stylistic phenomena.
Saint Panteleimon in his life. Icon. XIII century. Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai.
Christ Pantocrator. Icon from the Hilandar monastery. 1260s
At the turn of the XII-XIII centuries, in the art of the entire Byzantine world there was a significant change stylistics. Conventionally, this phenomenon is called “art around 1200.” Linear stylization and expression in icon painting are replaced by calm and monumentalism. The images become large, static, with a clear silhouette and a sculptural, plastic form. A very characteristic example of this style are the frescoes in the monastery of St. John the Evangelist on the island of Patmos. A number of icons from the monastery of St. date back to the beginning of the 13th century. Catherine on Sinai: “Christ Pantocrator”, mosaic “Our Lady Hodegetria”, “Archangel Michael” from the Deesis, “St. Theodore Stratelates and Demetrius of Thessalonica." All of them exhibit features of a new direction, making them different from the images of the Comnenian style.
At the same time, a new type of iconography arose. If earlier scenes of the life of a particular saint could be depicted in illustrated Minologies, on epistyles (long horizontal icons for altar barriers), on the doors of folding triptychs, now scenes of life (“stamps”) began to be placed along the perimeter of the middle of the icon, in which
the saint himself is depicted. The hagiographic icons of St. Catherine (full-length) and St. Nicholas (half-length) have been preserved in the collection at Sinai.
In the second half of the 13th century, classical ideals predominated in icon painting. In the icons of Christ and the Mother of God from the Hilandar monastery on Mount Athos (1260s) there is a regular, classical form, the painting is complex, nuanced and harmonious. There is no tension in the images. On the contrary, the living and concrete gaze of Christ is calm and welcoming. In these icons, Byzantine art approached the highest possible degree of proximity of the Divine to the human. In 1280-90 art continued to follow the classical orientation, but at the same time, a special monumentality, power and emphasis of techniques appeared in it. The images showed heroic pathos. However, due to excessive intensity, the harmony decreased somewhat. A striking example icon painting of the late 13th century - “Matthew the Evangelist” from the icon gallery in Ohrid.
Crusader workshops
A special phenomenon in icon painting are the workshops created in the east by the crusaders. They combined the features of European (Romanesque) and Byzantine art. Here, Western artists adopted the techniques of Byzantine writing, and the Byzantines executed icons close to the tastes of the crusaders who ordered them. As a result
the result was an interesting fusion of two different traditions, intertwined in various ways in each individual work (for example, the frescoes of the Cypriot Church of Antiphonitis). Crusader workshops existed in Jerusalem, Acre,
in Cyprus and Sinai.
Palaiologan period
The founder of the last dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, Michael VIII Palaiologos, returned Constantinople to the hands of the Greeks in 1261. His successor on the throne was Andronikos II (reigned 1282-1328). At the court of Andronikos II, exquisite art flourished magnificently, corresponding to the chamber court culture, which was characterized by excellent education and an increased interest in ancient literature and art.
Palaiologan Renaissance- this is what is commonly called a phenomenon in Byzantine art in the first quarter of the 14th century.
Theodore Stratilates» in the State Assembly meeting. The images on such icons are unusually beautiful and amaze with the miniature nature of the work. The images are either calm,
without psychological or spiritual depth, or, on the contrary, sharply characteristic, as if portraiture. These are the images on the icon with the four saints, also located in the Hermitage.
Many icons painted in the usual tempera technique have also survived. They are all different, the images are never repeated, reflecting different qualities and states. So in the icon “Our Lady of Psychosostria (Soul Savior)” from Ohridhardness and strength are expressed in the icon “Our Lady Hodegetria” from the Byzantine Museum in Thessalonica on the contrary, lyricism and tenderness are conveyed. On the back of “Our Lady of Psychosostria” the “Annunciation” is depicted, and on the paired icon of the Savior on the back is written “The Crucifixion of Christ”, which poignantly conveys pain and sorrow overcome by the power of the spirit. Another masterpiece of the era is the icon “The Twelve Apostles” from the collectionMuseum of Fine Arts. Pushkin. In it, the images of the apostles are endowed with such a bright individuality that it seems that we are looking at a portrait of scientists, philosophers, historians, poets, philologists, and humanists who lived in those years at the imperial court.
All of these icons are characterized by impeccable proportions, flexible movements, imposing poses of figures, stable poses and easy-to-read, precise compositions. There is a moment of entertainment, concreteness of the situation and the presence of the characters in space, their communication.
Similar features were also clearly manifested in monumental painting. But here the Paleologian era brought especially
many innovations in the field of iconography. Many new plots and expanded narrative cycles appeared, and programs became rich in complex symbolism associated with the interpretation of Holy Scripture and liturgical texts. Complex symbols and even allegories began to be used. In Constantinople, two ensembles of mosaics and frescoes from the first decades of the 14th century have been preserved - in the monastery of Pommakarystos (Fitie-jami) and the monastery of Chora (Kahrie-jami). In the depiction of various scenes from the life of the Mother of God and from the Gospel, previously unknown theatricality appeared,
narrative details, literary quality.
Varlaam, who came to Constantinople from Calabria in Italy, and Gregory Palama- scientist-monk with Athos . Varlaam was raised in a European environment and differed significantly from Gregory Palamas and the Athonite monks in matters of spiritual life and prayer. They fundamentally differently understood the tasks and capabilities of man in communication with God. Varlaam adhered to the side of humanism and denied the possibility of any mystical connection between man and God . Therefore, he denied the practice that existed on Athos hesychasm - the ancient Eastern Christian tradition of prayer. Athonite monks believed that when they prayed, they saw the Divine light - that
the most you've ever seen the apostles on Mount Tabor at the moment Transfiguration of the Lord. This light (called Favorian) was understood as a visible manifestation of uncreated Divine energy, permeating the whole world, transforming a person and allowing him to communicate with God. For Varlaam, this light could have an exclusively created character, and no
There could be no direct communication with God and no transformation of man by Divine energies. Gregory Palamas defended hesychasm as originally Orthodox teaching about the salvation of man. The dispute ended with the victory of Gregory Palamas. At the cathedral in
Constantinople in 1352, hesychasm was recognized as true, and Divine energies as uncreated, that is, manifestations of God himself in the created world.
The icons of the time of controversy are characterized by tension in the image, and in artistic terms, a lack of harmony, which only recently became so popular in exquisite court art. An example of an icon from this period is the half-length Deesis image of John the Baptist from the Hermitage collection.
Source not specified
The Seventh Ecumenical Council, held in 787, ended the era of iconoclasm. The veneration of holy icons has become one of the dogmas of Christianity, common to both Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Today there are many different sacred images: painted on wood or metal, icons made of stone, measured icons, but what did the original sources look like?
Miraculous Image of the Savior
The first Christian icon was the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The King of Edessa, sick with leprosy, having heard about the miracles performed by Christ, wanted to be healed. He wrote a letter to the Savior asking him to come to him and gave it to the painter Ananias. In case of refusal, he had to at least draw a face so that the king would have consolation in his illness.
Arriving in Jerusalem, Ananias saw Christ teaching the people, and began to secretly draw a portrait of him. But he didn’t succeed: the Savior’s face was constantly changing, his features were impossible to capture. The Lord Knower of Hearts, seeing the stranger’s futile labor and his grief, called him over for a conversation. During the conversation, Christ asked for water. After washing, he dried himself with a towel - and lo and behold, the image of his face was imprinted on it! This is how the Miraculous Image appeared. Handing it to Ananias, the Lord said: “Go and give this to the one who sent you.” Having prayed before the Icon brought by a faithful servant, King Abgar was cleansed of leprosy. In gratitude for the healing, he ordered the Image to be hung over the city gates, so that everyone passing through them would worship it.
How did the icons of the Mother of God appear?
The first icons of the Mother of God were painted by the Evangelist Luke at the request of believers. First, he made a picturesque image of the Queen of Heaven with the Baby in her arms on the board. Then, having painted two more similar icons, he brought them to the Most Holy Theotokos. She, seeing her image on the icons, remembered the previous prophecy: “From now on, all generations will bless Me” and added: “May the grace of the One born of Me and Mine be with these icons!” Soon many miracles began to happen from these icons. Luke sent one of the painted icons to Antioch as an apostolic blessing, where it was highly revered. Later it was moved to Jerusalem, and then to the Blachernae Temple in Constantinople. Residents of the Byzantine capital, seeing many miracles occurring from this icon, called it Hodegetria or Guide. Later it became known as Hodegetria a whole series icons where the Mother of God, holding the Baby in her hand, points to Him.
It should also be added that Luke made images of the apostles Peter and Paul, which served as the basis for all later icons. We can say that each image is a portrait of the Savior, the Blessed Virgin Mary or some saint. Moreover, their features were captured during their lifetime, which gives the icons enormous historical authenticity. However, just as in a good portrait it is easy to read the character of the person depicted, so from each icon the Lord, the Queen of Heaven, or some person who has pleased God with his life looks at us. You should remember this in order to treat holy images with due respect. (FROM THE INTERNET)
GOU VPO "Transbaikal State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University named after. N.G. Chernyshevsky"
Faculty of Art Education.
1.2 Russian schools of icon painting, style features, traditions
1.3 Veneration of icons in Rus'
2. Images of the Mother in icons
2.1 Intercessor of the Russian land
2.2 Variants of iconographic schemes in Russian icons of the Mother of God, revisions, deviations from the canons
Conclusion
References
Introduction
In this work we have to look at the image of the Mother in Russian icons. The interest in ancient Russian painting in our country is now enormous, and the difficulties of perceiving it for those who turn to it today are no less enormous. The main difficulty in studying icon painting is that it is built on church dogmas, which are almost unknown in our time. We don't know well Scripture, the lives of saints and church hymns are unknown, and the “word” that underlies ancient Russian painting is also closed. The discoveries of archaeologists and art historians of the 20th century led to a revival of interest in ancient Russian art and icons in particular. Many ancient icons, which even in the 19th century had no artistic value due to their darkening and “closedness,” have been cleared. Now that freedom of religion has been proclaimed in Russia, Orthodoxy and, accordingly, icon painting are being revived and spreading.
Interest in ancient Russian art began to appear at the beginning of the 19th century. A hundred years after Peter’s reforms, a new Russian culture, the Russian intelligentsia, created precisely as a result of the reforms, turned to him. Interest in ancient Russian culture prompted an appeal to its painting. Already in “The History of the Russian State” Karamzin mentions ancient Russian artists and provides information about their works. At the end of the 19th century, numerous collections were formed in Russia. The most famous of them are the collections of A.V. Morozov and I.S. Ostroukhov, in which icons were collected not as monuments of antiquity, but as works of art. The discovery of ancient Russian painting at the beginning of the 20th century and the recognition of its artistic significance also revived the understanding of its true spiritual meaning. Since the post-war years, when interest in national culture began to revive, the icon as a phenomenon of this culture began to return to museum exhibitions: at first very timidly, but in the 60s - 80s it was already quite wide and open. The mysterious, enigmatic beauty of the icon delighted and captivated; its artistic language, so different from the language of European art, became the subject of study and research by specialists. The topic of icon painting is addressed by M. V. Alpatov, N. A. Barskaya, V. N. Lazarev, L. D. Lyubimov and many other art historians. Church authors also write about the icon, such as O. B. Ionaitis, Archbishop Anatoly (Martynovsky), N. M. Tarabukin. N. Roerich, V. S. Solovyov, G. P. Fedotov and S. N. Bulgakov also address the theme of the icon. Fundamental research in iconography was carried out by N. P. Kondakov and V. D. Likhacheva, Yu. G. Bobrov.
For many centuries, ancient Russian painting brought to people, embodying them unusually brightly and fully in images, the spiritual truths of Christianity. The main, central image of all ancient Russian art is the image of Jesus Christ, the Savior, as he was called in Rus'. Next to the images of the Savior in ancient Russian art, in their meaning and significance, in the place they occupy in the consciousness and spiritual life of people, stand the images of the Mother of God - the Virgin Mary, from whom the Savior was incarnated, became human, and the images of his earthly mother. To study the image of the Mother of God, we need to consider the history of the appearance of the icon in Rus', the development of the main Russian icon painting schools. It is also necessary to consider the reasons for such all-encompassing and devoted service to the icons of the Mother of God. To do this, we will consider the topic of the worship of icons, which grew in Byzantium from theological dogmas and organically entered into Russian Christian culture. In the second part of the work, we examine the attitude of the Russian people to the Mother of God as the intercessor and patroness of the Russian land, since this is what determines the appearance of so many icons of the Mother of God in Rus'. In conclusion, we will consider the iconography of the Mother of God, the main iconographic schemes and variants of their execution in Russian icons. We will also look at the most common versions and individual icons from a picturesque point of view.
1. Icon in Rus'
1.1 Origin of the icon
The art of icon painting arose in Byzantium long before the emergence of pre-Christian culture in Rus' and became widespread in the Orthodox world. The roots of the visual techniques of icon painting, on the one hand, are in book miniatures, from which the fine writing, airiness, and sophistication of the palette were borrowed. On the other hand, in the Fayum portrait, from which the iconographic images inherited huge eyes, a stamp of mournful detachment on their faces, and a golden background. The task of icon painting is the embodiment of the deity in a bodily image. The icon was supposed to remind the person praying of the image that flashes in the consciousness of the person praying. Therefore, iconographic images are characterized by extreme dematerialization of figures, reduced to “two-dimensional shadows on the smooth surface of the board,” (5, p. 18), a golden background, “a mystical environment, not a plane or space, but something unsteady, flickering in the light of lamps.” (5, p. 19). Growing out of ancient images and allegorical images, in the IV - VI centuries. Illustrative and symbolic iconography gradually took shape, becoming the structural basis of all Eastern Christian art.
The icon came to Rus' with the adoption of Christianity. At this time, Byzantium was experiencing the heyday of spiritual life. Church art is developed here like nowhere else in Europe. It should be noted that for the rapid development of the Byzantine heritage in Rus' there were favorable prerequisites and already prepared soil. Recent research suggests that pagan Rus' had a highly developed artistic culture. All this contributed to the fact that the cooperation of Russian masters with Byzantine ones was extremely fruitful. The newly converted people turned out to be able to accept the Byzantine heritage, which nowhere found such favorable soil and nowhere gave such results as in Rus'. Rus' is creating its own school of icon painting, powerful not only in terms of content and artistic skill, but significant in size. No country had such iconography as Ancient Rus'. The icon became so widespread in Rus' because “its form corresponded to the mindset of the Russian Orthodox consciousness” (6 p. 27). With their decorativeness, ease of placement in the church, and the brightness and durability of their colors, icons painted on boards were ideally suited for the decoration of Russian wooden churches. The mysterious, mysterious beauty of the icon delights and captivates; its artistic language, so different from the language of European art, becomes the subject of study and research by specialists.
An icon cannot be perceived only as a work of art or cult. It shows us a synthesis of faith and creativity, a person’s talent and his worldview. “Great cultures are always religious, non-religious cultures are decadent,” wrote N. Trubetskoy, and history itself confirms this idea (Trubetskoy N. S. Religions of India and Christianity // Literary studies. 1991. No. 6. P. 144). Such is the ancient Russian icon painting: “Icon painting is the vision of God and the knowledge of God... For its implementation, it requires the combination in one person of an artist and a religious contemplative theologian” (Bulgakov S. N. Orthodoxy: essays on the teachings of the Orthodox Church. M. 1991. P. 304). The ability to combine various layers of human existence made the icon close to the soul of the Russian person, and as a result, the icon reflected the vision of Russia, its history, its ideas. The icon became an integral part of Rus' itself. “The most characteristic thing that distinguishes Russian Orthodox iconography from Byzantine iconography is its internal focus and sophia. An icon, unlike mural painting, is intimate, self-absorbed and requires a concentrated connection between it and the person praying. These features of Orthodox consciousness served as a stimulus for the development of the icon in Rus' and its extraordinary distribution, both in churches and home life"(6, p. 31).
In the 13th century, Rus' fell under the Tatar yoke, and creativity, especially the construction of temples, froze. “But the more painfully the foreign yoke was experienced, the more powerful the consciousness of national unity matured, the more deeply the religious element took root in the consciousness of the enslaved people. The 14th century finds Rus' on the rise. Partially liberated from the Mongols, the country is growing and strengthening in its spiritual power. The Battle of Kulikovo, the rise of Moscow, the founding of the Trinity Monastery, the scale of temple construction and the flourishing of icon painting are all symptoms of national upsurge. Rus' realized its originality. Byzantine influences were reworked, and on their basis national art flourished.”(6, p. 18) During this period, the most significant part of the temple became a purely Russian creation - the iconostasis. It is not just a partition between the altar and the rest of the temple, but is like an open book, the contents of which are presented in visual images. The entire history of the church in its main moments is presented in the iconostasis and revealed to the eyes of the worshipers. If we add to this the prevalence of icons in everyday life, when the “red” corner was completely filled with icons, then we can explain the prevalence of icons in Rus'.
The Russian icon is distinguished, in addition to the above points, by a number of other qualities. Thus, if in royal Byzantium the stern image of the Mother of God Hodegetria was widespread, then in Rus' the image of Tenderness became a favorite.
If Byzantium creates and disseminates the image of the Savior Pantocrator, the inaccessible king and Almighty, then Rus' resorts to the simple and close image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. Images of Nicholas the Wonderworker, a particularly revered saint in Rus', are widespread.
In terms of color, the Russian icon is more colorful, the composition is complex and rhythmic. By the XIII – XIV centuries. The main schools of icon painting are already emerging, each of which has its own characteristics of composition, color and technique.
1.2 Russian schools of icon painting
Unfortunately, the icons of the pre-Mongol period painted in the southern cities of Rus' have not reached us. Therefore, the oldest period of icon painting in Rus' can be judged on the basis of Novgorod samples due to the geographical remoteness of Novgorod. The first Russian icons followed Byzantine models, which were characterized by a combination of sophistication and asceticism. The stamp of the Byzantine school can be traced back to the 14th-15th centuries, when national features increasingly appeared in icon painting. Perhaps this is due to the cessation of ties with Byzantium, which spiritually nourished local icon painters. In addition, at this time feudal fragmentation Russian state leads to the emergence of a number of local schools. The mutual influence of these schools, if there was one, was slow due to the vast territory of the Russian state and poorly developed communications.
Currently, art historians identify such main schools of icon painting as Novgorod, Pskov and Moscow. As for such cultural centers as Rostov, Suzdal, or Nizhny Novgorod, then we can say about them that they had their own cadres of icon painters who had their own dialect of work; however, they were unable to rise to such a height of artistic creativity that they could talk about establishing their own school.
Novgorod school.
The works of Kyiv masters right up to the Mongol-Tatar invasion (1237-1240) served as models for local schools that emerged during the period of feudal fragmentation in many principalities. The damage caused to ancient Russian art by the Mongol-Tatar invasion, the destruction it caused, the capture of artisans, which led to the loss of many skills and secrets of craftsmanship, did not break the creativity in the lands Ancient Rus'. The most fully preserved ancient monuments of Novgorod painting.
The icon painting school of Veliky Novgorod has a number of distinctive features. This is also due to the geographical remoteness of Novgorod, its special political structure and the uniqueness of the economic activities of the Novgorodians. In some works the influence of Byzantine art can be traced, which speaks of the broad artistic ties of Novgorod. Novgorod icons are characterized by the contrast of red and white, as well as some features of real life. At the same time, the icon is a symbol that only hints, but does not show. Often the icons depict scenes of an apocryphal nature, that is, representing legends that are not recognized by the official church, but are widely circulated among the people. As an example, we can cite the hagiographic icon of St. George the Victorious, as well as St. Nikola Ugodnik.
The compositions of Novgorod icons, no matter how complex they are - one-, two- or three-figure or multi-story, narrative in nature - they are all simple, perfectly inscribed in the plane and consistent with the form. All elements are distributed evenly, there are no overloaded or empty spaces. The figures, mountains, and trees are arranged symmetrically, but this symmetry is broken by the turns of the figures, the tilts of their heads, and the various shapes of mountains, buildings, trees, and other images.
At this time, so-called hagiographic icons became widespread. On such icons, in the middle field there is a close-up image of the saint in full growth, or in the belt; and the side stamps depict miniature episodes from his life. The composition is always built in one plane, decoratively. Complex compositions are sometimes made in several tiers, but always in the same plan, and the principle of soft dark and light silhouettes is strictly observed. They are characterized by monumentality, majestic calmness of the image, and a desire for laconicism, even in narrative subjects.
Novgorod painting is not rich in images of vegetation. All types of trees are decorative, conventionally designed, and sometimes resemble an ornament. Mountains usually have beautiful soft silhouettes in soft yellowish, greenish, blue and purple-pink tones. Grasses and trees are dark green tones.
Icons in the Novgorod style were painted in most cases in light yellow tones.
The image of a person is characterized by a graphic design of arms, legs, and body. The figures are somewhat elongated in proportion against nature, which gives them strict harmony and grandeur. The tones of the figures are soft, sonorous, but very deep. The color scheme is always calm and at the same time strong. The figures and their clothing contain bright and dark details that enliven the calm tones. Gold is used very little, only in particularly solemn scenes (for example, “Christ in Glory”, “Christ in Resurrection”). Here, clothes were painted with gold ink, angel wings and furnishings were decorated.
The heads of the figures are characterized by their dark yellowish soft silhouette, simplicity and clarity of description of the eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth and hair.
In the 30s of the 15th century, a new movement emerged, associated with the penetration of Paleologian art. It is characterized by more flattened and elongated figures, more movements, and flowing robes.
Convincing transmission of dogmatic points will become the most typical feature of Novgorod icon painting of subsequent icons. The most picturesque structure of the icon, which combines red-brown, dark yellow, greenish and blue tones in combination with a large golden assist, is characterized by amazing nobility and restraint. The design and plasticity of forms are marked by almost Hellenistic perfection.
“The Icon of the Dormition from the Novgorod Desyatinny Monastery (the first third of the 13th century) has a dimly glittering golden background, in combination with the soft lilac and grayish-blue clothes of the angels and apostles, reproducing the favorite coloring of Kyiv mosaics. The finest writing on the icon resembles a miniature. The complex iconography of the “Assumption” with the psychological acuity of the faces is interesting. The monumentality of the design was unusual for Byzantium. There is no expression in the icon. Everything is contained. Gestures and poses are majestic and solemn. The apostles surrounding the bed with the deceased Mother of God stand in mournful silence and deep reverence. They [the icons] contain purely local, Novgorod features: impressiveness, severity, generalization and simplicity of lines, enlargement of all forms and details” (6, pp. 35-37).
Pskov school.
Pskov iconographic painting has its own original face: it is an asymmetrical, unstable, imprecise drawing, but always expressive; and a rich color of dark, dark green, cherry with an orange or pink tint, as well as blue tones. The writing style is sweeping and expressive. In terms of forms of expression, the Pskov school was the most direct and impulsive of all Russian icon painting schools; it was characterized by increased expression of images, sharpness of light highlights, impasto brush strokes (icons “Cathedral of Our Lady” and “Paraskeva, Varvara and Ulyana” - second half of the 14th century) . Obviously, this is connected with both democratic and independent political system Pskov, and with the penetration of the plebeian element into the Pskov clergy.
The earliest surviving Pskov icons date back to the 13th century: “The Assumption” from the church of the same name on Paromenye and “Our Lady Hodegetria” from the Church of St. Nicholas of Kozh. These icons are distinguished by their heaviness and ponderous forms, and the undisguised primitiveness of their composition; faces of the same type with wide eyes and large hooked noses have not yet acquired any specifically Pskov features.
The most significant of the early icons of Pskov, where Pskov features are increasingly making their way to the surface, is the hagiographic icon of the Prophet Elijah, now kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. It is an example of the emerging Pskov style with all its characteristic features. The image is flattened as much as possible; within the same board we see a blind combination of topics that are in no way related to each other. On the other hand, we do not see here another characteristic Pskov element - a combination of intense green and orange colors.
Since 1378, the famous icon painter Theophanes the Greek has been working in Novgorod; and this circumstance could not but affect the art school of neighboring Pskov. It must be said that the development of the Pskov school occurred at a slower pace than in neighboring Novgorod. Perhaps the Pskov sculptors came to Novgorod to marvel at Feofan’s skill and subsequently began to use artistic techniques in their work that they were able to get acquainted with during the trip. Among the icons painted in a style new to Pskov are “Deesis” in the Novgorod Museum, “Paraskeva, Varvara and Ulyana”, as well as “The Cathedral of Our Lady” in the Tretyakov Gallery. In these works there is a special liveliness and passion.
The 15th century in Pskov art is distinguished by its stop creative development. The masters clung to their grandfather's legacy and no longer created new masterpieces.
Moscow school.
In Vladimir-Suzdal Rus', judging by the surviving remains of frescoes from Pereslavl-Zalessky, Vladimir and Suzdal, as well as individual icons and facial manuscripts, local artists of the pre-Mongol period relied on the creative heritage of Kyiv. The icons of the Vladimir-Suzdal school are distinguished by their softness of writing and subtle harmony of colors. The legacy of the Vladimir-Suzdal school in the 14th – 15th centuries served as one of the main sources for the emergence and development of the Moscow school of icon painting. The Moscow school is the youngest, since Moscow for a long time was an insignificant and mediocre settlement. Obviously, the beginning of the Moscow school can be counted from the 14th century, when the metropolitans of All Rus' settled in Moscow. Since metropolitans at that time often came from Byzantium, they preferred to invite Greek craftsmen to work in Moscow. If we consider that in the 14th century the new Palaiologan style was gaining strength in Byzantium, it becomes clear that the first icons of the Moscow school bear a significant imprint of the artistic technique of the Greek masters. Thus, the painting of the Moscow school of the 14th century was a synthesis of local traditions and advanced trends of Byzantine and southern Russian art. As examples, we can name the icons “Boris and Gleb”, “Savior the Ardent Eye”, “Savior of the Shoulder”, 1340 or “Trinity”.
The second half of the 14th century was marked by the work of Theophanes the Greek and his followers. However, this style was not destined to gain a foothold for long, since Andrei Rublev, who very soon moved away from Feofan, did not share Feofan’s working methods, and often used the exact opposite.
In the work of Andrei Rublev, the central place, without a doubt, is occupied by “Trinity”.
Rublev's work marks the highest point in the development of the Moscow school of icon painting. It was Rublev who was the first to move away from Byzantine severity and asceticism, breathing into the ancient canons new life. The traditions of the art of Rublev, Theophan the Greek and Daniil Cherny were developed in the icons and paintings of Dionysius, attracting with the sophistication of proportions, decorative festivity of color, and balance of compositions.
Other art centers.
In addition to Novgorod, Pskov or Moscow, separate icon-painting workshops operated in many ancient Russian cities, such as Yaroslavl, Uglich, Rostov and others. However, their small number did not allow them to create a separate school of icon painting. Although local masters mainly used old grandfather’s techniques and changed techniques, only receiving an impulse from Moscow or Novgorod, nevertheless, they also often created original works of high artistic value.
The icons and miniatures of the Tver school are characterized by severe expressiveness of images, intensity and expression of color schemes, and emphasized linearity of writing. In the 15th century, its previously characteristic orientation towards the artistic traditions of the countries of the Balkan Peninsula intensified.
The Yaroslavl icon painting school emerged at the beginning of the 16th century during the period rapid growth population of the city. The works of Yaroslavl masters of the early 13th century have reached us, works of the 14th century are known, and in terms of the number of surviving monuments of painting of the 16th century, the Yaroslavl school is not inferior to other ancient Russian schools. The art traditions of Ancient Rus' were carefully preserved in the works of Yaroslavl masters. Yaroslavl icon painters wrote compositions in which the love for large masses, for strict and laconic plots, for a clear and clear structure of scenes is strongly felt.
We have described the most ancient schools of icon painting. On their basis, new schools were created in the 16th–17th centuries. Based on the traditions of the Novgorod school, the Stroganov school emerges, characterized by miniature writing, small size, rich colors, delicacy of poses and gestures, and complex landscape backgrounds. With the introduction of oil painting into tempera painting, the “Fryag style” of icon painting appears, which conveys the form more voluminously. Thus, each of the icon painting schools formed an original painting technique and made its contribution to both Russian and world artistic culture.
1.3 Veneration of icons
In the Orthodox Church for a very long time there was a question about the imageability of God and the veneration of the icon. The Seventh Ecumenical Council (787) firmly defines the nature of the veneration of icons. “The veneration of icons by the Orthodox Church is based and invariably established on the dogma of the incarnation of the Son of God” (12, p. 342). That is, firstly, man, being the likeness of God, is already “a certain primitive icon, a God-given image, an inexhaustible source of holiness” (12, p. 357). And secondly, Orthodoxy honors Christ as God “incarnate.” Thus, the image of Christ is a confirmation of his earthly incarnation, a reinforcement of the faith of the person praying. The definition of the image is transferred to the Proto-Image. The veneration of an icon becomes veneration of the image imprinted on it. “The light of the Transfiguration of Christ fills the icons with itself, illuminates them, and is for them that creative principle that determines the very nature of the icon” (12, p. 354). Hence the belief in the miraculous nature of icons, the belief in the intercession of the saint depicted on it.
The history of Russian miraculous icons dates back to the first centuries after the baptism of Rus'. The first temple erected in Kyiv by Vladimir the Red Sun, the Church of the Tithes, was dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos - Her Dormition. Yaroslav the Wise erected An unbreakable wall- the famous mosaic image of the Virgin Mary Oranta in the altar of the Kyiv St. Sophia Cathedral. This image is the creation of Greek masters called by the prince to Rus'; the explanatory inscription of the mosaic is also made in Greek: “God is in the midst of Her - and will not be shaken.”
Despite the highest degree of religious veneration of the Mother of God in the Byzantine Church, there was no such phenomenon as the transformation of one of the icons - the Vladimir - into the main shrine of not only one temple or city, but the entire Russian state.
“The Christian world is literally full of shrines - including Orthodox shrines dating back to the era of the Undivided Church. There is also a miraculous icon of the Mother of God, called “The Salvation of the Roman People,” but this is only a local icon of one temple, one of dozens of revered icons...
There was no such icon in the second Rome - in Constantinople. The peculiarities of the Byzantine state system, with its imperial and ecclesiastical centralism, led to a huge concentration of Orthodox shrines in the capital of the empire. There are indications from chronicles that there were especially revered icons in the imperial palace, revered by the patronesses of Constantinople and the empire against external and internal enemies (one of these miraculous icons of Constantinople was “Nicopea” - “Victorious”, taken out in 1204 from the city plundered by the crusaders and now located in the Cathedral of San Marco in Venice). But in Constantinople, the main guardian of the empire is secretly kept in the imperial palace, and is only a personal shrine and personal protection of the emperor” (9, p. 31).
The icon reflected the features of Russian religiosity, national character, philosophical and theological quests, and the history of the state. On the other hand, the icon directly took part in all the events of Russia: it was blessed for great feats of arms, it was taken into battle, it was taken away as a symbol of conquest, it was given as a sign of submission. For example, the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God was given to Prince Vsevolod upon his marriage to the daughter of Constantine IX, Anna. Then the icon passes to their son Vladimir Monomakh. In general, in Rus' there is a custom of passing on the icon from generation to generation as the main value of the family. As mentioned above, churches and monasteries are built in honor of the icons: the Tithe Church, the Tolgsky Monastery, the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow, the Sretensky Monastery, the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv - only a small part of what was built to glorify the miraculous icons of the Mother of God alone.
There are many legends about how icons helped Russian princes in battles, how they protected cities from destruction, how they warded off the enemy, etc. In general, we can say that in Rus' there is a special attitude towards the icon, not just as an image of God or a saint, but as “a blessed image that can perform miracles to establish the Glory of God on earth and strengthen the Orthodox faith throughout the ages” (15, p. 216).
2. Images of the Mother in icons
2.1 Intercessor of the Russian land
ABOUT The image of the Virgin Mary occupies a very special place in Russian art. From the very first centuries of the adoption of Christianity in Rus', love and veneration of the Mother of God entered deeply into the soul of the people. One of the first churches in Kyiv - Desyatinnaya, built under Prince Vladimir, was dedicated to the Mother of God. In the 12th century, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky introduced into Russian church calendar a new holiday - the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, thereby marking the idea of the patronage of the Mother of God of the Russian land. Then, in the 14th century, Moscow would take over the mission of the city of the Mother of God, and the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin would be called the House of the Mother of God. In fact, from this time on, Rus' recognizes itself as dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
How many prayers were offered to the Blessed Virgin on this earth, how many icons were dedicated to Her. Many of these icons became famous as miraculous, many were witnesses and participants in Russian history. A striking example of this is the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which accompanied Russia at all stages of its history. The solemn meeting of the icon is described in the chronicles, in memory of it the feast of the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was introduced, at the place where Muscovites, led by Metropolitan Cyprian, met the miraculous icon, the Sretensky Monastery was founded, and the street along which the procession with the shrine moved was named Sretenka . In 1395, all of Moscow prayed in front of the Vladimir Icon for the salvation of Moscow from the terrible invasion of Tamerlane, and the Mother of God led the way. In 1480, the Intercessor turns the troops of Khan Akhmat away from the borders of Rus'. The Ugra River, where Akhmat’s troops were stationed, was popularly called the Belt of the Virgin Mary; it was here, according to legend, that the Shining Virgin appeared to the khan and ordered him to leave Russian borders. In 1591, the Russians again resorted to the intercession of the Most Pure One, and in this year Kazy-Girey approached Moscow. Then Muscovites prayed in front of the Vladimir and Don icons. And again God granted victory. In the days of unrest and intervention at the beginning of the 17th century, the people's militia troops were fighting not just for Moscow and the Kremlin, but for their national shrine - “for we must die rather than betray the image of the Most Pure Mother of God to desecration.” In early chronicle sources, the victory over the invaders is attributed to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.
In the 17th century, the royal icon painter Simon Ushakov painted the icon “The Mother of God - the Tree of the Russian State.” In the center of the icon is the image of Vladimir like a beautiful flower on a tree, which is watered by Metropolitan Peter and Prince Ivan Kalita, who laid the foundations of Moscow statehood. On the branches of this wonderful tree, like fruits, holy ascetics are depicted. Below, behind the Kremlin wall, near the Assumption Cathedral, from which the tree grows, stand the then living Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Tsarina Irina “from their children.” Thus, Simon Ushakov immortalized and glorified the palladium of the Russian land - Vladimir icon Our Lady. No other icon has received such an honor.
“The Mother of God dogmatics is based on the mystery of the Incarnation, and through the image of the Mother of God the depth of divine-human relations is revealed to us. Mary, who gave life to God in His human nature, becomes the mother of God (Theotokos). And since this motherhood is supernatural, Her Virginity is also mysteriously preserved in it. The mystery of the Mother of God is that through Virginity and Motherhood She is a new creation. And her veneration is connected precisely with this” (15, p. 35).
From the Mother of God dogmatics,
– The word “icon” is Greek and means “image”, “image”. An icon is a sacred image of the Lord, the Mother of God, angels, and saints. Icons are painted strictly in accordance with the iconographic canon.
An icon is an image that raises the mind to a prototype, helping to spiritually connect with those to whom one prays.
Who painted the very first icon and when?
– Church Tradition claims that the first icon of the Savior appeared during His earthly life. This is the image that we know as “The Savior Not Made by Hands.” A detailed account of the origin of the Image Not Made by Hands is found in the Chetya Menaion. Briefly, it boils down to the following: King Abgar of Edessa, suffering from leprosy, sent his archivist Hannan (Ananias) to Christ with a letter in which he asked Christ to come to Edessa and heal him. Hannan was an artist, and Abgar instructed him, if the Savior could not come, to paint His image and bring it to him. Hannan found Christ surrounded by a dense crowd; he stood on a stone from which he could see better and tried to portray the Savior. Seeing that Hannan wanted to make His portrait, Christ asked for water, washed himself, wiped His Face with a cloth, and His image was imprinted on this cloth. The Savior handed this board to Hannan with the command to take it with a reply letter to the one who sent it. In this letter, Christ refused to go to Edessa Himself, saying that He must fulfill what He was sent to do. Upon completion of His work, He promised to send one of His disciples to Abgar. Having received the portrait, Avgar was healed of his main illness, but his face remained damaged. After Pentecost, the holy Apostle Thaddeus, one of the 70, went to Edessa, completed the healing of Abgar and converted him to Christianity. Abgar attached the image to the board and placed it in a niche above the city gate, removing the idol that was there.
Church Tradition attributes the first icons of the Mother of God to the Holy Evangelist Luke. Currently, there are about ten such icons in the Russian Church. Of course, all these icons belong to the evangelist not in the sense that they were painted by his hand; Not a single one of the icons he painted himself has reached us. The authorship of the holy evangelist Luke must be understood in the sense that these icons are copies (or rather, lists of lists) from icons once painted by the evangelist.
Some icons are said to be miraculous, but what about the rest?
– The history of the Church knows many revealed images (that is, miraculously acquired through the Providence of God), and their appearance is marked by miracles. But the line between a miraculous and a non-miraculous icon is not unconditional and not fundamental, but only factual. Each icon is blessed and can become miraculous. One can even say that any icon in front of which one fervently and sincerely prays becomes miraculous for those praying.
Why are there miracles from icons?
– A miracle is a manifestation of Divine omnipotence, it is a tangible result of the supernatural act of God in this world. Church history knows many miracles occurring through holy icons, from ancient times to the present day. To those who sincerely, with faith, pray in front of icons, asking for something useful for the salvation of the soul, the Lord gives His help.
Numerous miracles occurring from icons, holy relics, holy water prove the existence of God and the spiritual, invisible world, confirm the truth Orthodox faith. Through miracles, God tries to awaken people's petrified hearts and calls them to think about spiritual values and the meaning of life.
Why are icons blessed?
– Currently, the Church has a tradition according to which, after painting, the icon is consecrated in the temple. Special prayers are read and the image is sprinkled with holy water. However, it is important to take into account that if the consecration of any other object is the overshadowing of it with the grace of the Holy Spirit, which implies that the object is not involved in grace before consecration, then this cannot be stated in relation to the icon. An icon is holy because it depicts saints. Before consecration, the icon must be treated with the same reverence and respect as after.
For many centuries, there was no special rite for the consecration of icons. The icon was created in the Church, was inseparable from the Church and was recognized as holy by its compliance with the iconographic canon, that is, a set of rules according to which the authenticity of a sacred image is determined. Since ancient times, the icon was recognized as a holy image, thanks to the inscription on the icon of the name of the person depicted.
The modern rite of consecration of icons arose in the era of impoverishment of Orthodox icon painting, during borrowings from secular and Western painting, which were introduced into Orthodox icons, so that in order to confirm the holiness of what was depicted, such icons began to be consecrated. Actually, this rank can be understood as the Church’s testimony about the authenticity of the icon, that the one depicted is the one who is inscribed. After all, no priest will consecrate a dubious image.
How many times should icons be consecrated?
– Icons are consecrated by a priest once after they are made or purchased outside the church.
Isn’t the veneration of icons a violation of the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth below, or that is in the water under the earth; do not worship them or serve them” (Ex. 20:4,5)?
– Icon veneration does not contradict the second commandment. The Orthodox Church affirms and teaches that the sacred image is a consequence of the Incarnation, is based on it and is therefore inherent in the very essence of Christianity, from which it is inseparable. Christianity is the Revelation not only of the Word of God, but also of the Image of God, revealed by the God-man Jesus Christ. The Church teaches that the icon is based on the very fact of the incarnation of the second Person of the Holy Trinity. And this means that the Christian image not only does not mean a break, or even a contradiction with the Old Testament law, but quite the contrary - it is its direct implementation and consequence. In the Old Testament, God's direct communication with His people took place in the voice, in the word. He does not appear, remains invisible and emphasizes that, hearing His voice, Israel did not see any image. In Deuteronomy it is written: “And the Lord spoke to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire; You heard the voice of His words, but you did not see the image, but only the voice” (Deut. 4:12). After this, a strict prohibition is given: “Keep firmly in your souls that you did not see any image on the day when the Lord spoke to you on Mount Horeb from the midst of the fire, lest you become corrupt and make for yourself graven images, images of any idol. , representing a man or a woman, an image of some cattle that is on the earth, an image of some winged bird that flies under the heavens, an image of some reptile that crawls on the earth, an image of some fish that is in the waters below the earth; and lest when you look up to heaven and see the sun, the moon, and the stars and all the host of heaven, you are deceived and worship them and serve them” (Deut. 4:15-19). Apparently, speaking about the creature, Scripture prohibits its depiction. Speaking about God, it insists that He remains invisible: neither the people, nor even Moses himself saw any image of God and heard only His voice. Not seeing the image of God, they naturally could not depict Him. And how can one depict something invisible, incorporeal, having no shape, no size, no color? But already in the very insistence of the Old Testament texts, in the emphasis on the fact that Israel hears the words, but does not see either the image or the likeness, a hidden indication of future opportunity and see and depict God come in the flesh.
As for the ban on the image of the creature given by God to Moses, this ban pursued only one goal: to prevent the chosen people from worshiping the creature instead of the Creator. The fact that the Old Testament prohibition of the image is precisely a protective measure is shown by God’s command to Moses to build “in the image shown on the mount” the tabernacle and everything that was in it, including sewn and cast cherubim (Ex. 25:18 and 26:1 ,31). This command to make cherubim indicates, first of all, the possibility of depicting the spiritual world by means of art.
In the Old Testament the Most High was not depicted because “no one has ever seen God” (John 1:18). But in the New Testament, “This is a great mystery of godliness: God was revealed in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). The Ethereal One has become incarnate and the Invisible One has become visible! Now He Himself tells the disciples: “Many prophets and righteous people wanted to see what you see, but did not see it” (Matthew 13:17). The Savior’s words mean that the apostles, unlike the ancient prophets, already directly see God appearing on earth, Who remained invisible in the Old Testament. “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), says the Lord Himself. This is the significant difference between the Gospel and the Sinai Legislation. There they did not see any image, here God appears in a concrete, visible, visible image, and therefore depictable.
All Orthodox iconography is based on the accomplished sacrament of the Incarnation. Therefore, the first icons that appeared simultaneously with Christianity are the icons of Christ - the Incarnate God and the Mother of God, through whom God became incarnate. All Christian iconography is based on these two images.
What icons are placed on the lectern in the center of the temple?
– In the center of the temple, on a lectern, an icon of the holiday is placed (if there is any church holiday) or an icon depicting a saint whose memory is celebrated on this day. On other days, the temple icon lies on the lectern, that is, the icon of the holiday or saint in whose honor the main altar of the temple was consecrated.
How to venerate icons correctly?
– You should approach the icons slowly, saying a prayer mentally. You should cross yourself twice bow from the waist, then venerate the icon as a sign of love and reverence for what is depicted on it. After this, cross yourself a third time, bow and move away. You should kiss the feet of the Savior depicted on the icon, the blessing right hand ( right hand), edge of clothing. The Mother of God and the saints have a hand or hem of a garment, and miraculous image The Savior and the head of John the Baptist - in hair.
What words and prayers should be said when approaching and kissing icons?
– Before the image of the Savior, you can say the Jesus Prayer to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Or briefly: “Lord, have mercy.” Before the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary you can say a short prayer: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us.” Before the icon of the saint: “Holy servant of God (name), pray to God for me (for us).”
How many times should one venerate an icon that depicts several saints?
– It is enough to venerate such an icon once.
Why are lamps lit in front of icons and incense performed in front of them?
– The lamps symbolize spiritual joy, warmth of faith and burning spirit of those praying in front of the icons. God Himself commanded the prophet Moses to light lamps in front of sacred images and burn incense in front of them: “And command the children of Israel to bring you pure oil, beaten from olive trees, for illumination, so that the lamp will burn at all times; in the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil, which is before the ark of the testimony, Aaron and his sons will light it from evening until morning, before the Lord. This is an everlasting statute for their generations from the children of Israel” (Ex. 27:20,21). For Orthodox worship lamps are lit as a sign of the joyful burning of the spirit before God, and fragrant incense is burned to remind believers that prayer, like incense smoke, must rise upward to the Throne of God.
What icons should I buy for my home? Can any icon be hung in the house?
– You definitely need to have icons of the Savior and the Mother of God at home. In addition, there are many icons of saints of God. Good to have in home iconostasis icons of saints whose names are borne by family members and those saints whose heavenly help is most often turned to. It is better to purchase icons in Orthodox church or in special church stores, where they are already consecrated.
How to arrange a home iconostasis?
– Icons are the greatest shrine, which serves for closer communication with God, with the Mother of God, with holy angels and saints of God. Therefore, icons should not be purchased for interior decoration or to form a rare collection.
For a home iconostasis, it is advisable to specially allocate a part of the main room (or a place in each room); according to the ancient Russian tradition, the front corner was chosen, that is, at the entrance to the room, the front corner on the right, which could often coincide with the east. In this so-called red corner, a place is created exclusively for icons, lamps, holy water, prosphora and other shrines. It is possible, if conditions do not allow, to arrange a place for icons and not in the corner of the room, the main thing is to create a kind of home iconostasis, which will become a convenient place for personal and family prayer. It is advisable to avoid close proximity to the iconostasis of a TV, tape recorder, etc. household appliances, which all serves earthly, momentary purposes. You should not place decorative objects of a secular nature next to holy icons.
How to hang icons at home, in what order?
– Icons should be placed in a holy corner or home iconostasis according to the principle of hierarchy. The main place should be allocated to the icons of the Most Holy Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos. The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, as a rule, is placed next to the image of the Savior, at His right hand (that is, to the right, on the right hand). The remaining icons are located on either side of them, depicting the assembly of saints around the Lord Jesus Christ. The holy cross must be placed in a prominent place as a symbol of saving people from eternal death.
Secular images, photographs or paintings of worldly themes should not be placed near icons - they will distract from prayer and bring extraneous thoughts into the soul. It is better to place photographs of famous elders and canonized saints of the 19th–20th centuries separately from the iconostasis, since the photograph captures a separate moment in the earthly life of the saint, and the icon depicts his glorified face in the Heavenly Kingdom.
What to do if the icon has fallen into disrepair and cannot be restored?
– Under no circumstances should such an icon simply be thrown away. Previously, such icons were floated along the river. It is best to take such an icon to the temple and give it to be burned in the church oven. We must remember that damaging an icon is a sin, so faded paper icons cannot be crushed, torn, or cut. Even a damaged icon should be treated with reverence.
What do the inscriptions on icons mean, for example, the letters on the head of the Savior?
– There are mandatory inscriptions on the icons. In ancient times, an icon was considered complete only when it was named: in a spiritual sense, this means the combination of name and image. The inscriptions on the icons are signs of holiness, glory and Divine mystery. Icons of our Lord Jesus Christ always have a aureole or halo - a symbol of Tabor light and holiness. Three letters in Greek are inscribed on the halo, which mean – Jehovah. This is the Name of God. Providentally, the Name of God, as an indication of the Holy Trinity, is written in three letters.
Is it necessary to kiss an icon? Is it okay to just touch your forehead for fear of infection?
– Kissing holy icons and worshiping them testifies to love for those depicted on them – for God, the Mother of God and the saints. Through the veneration of holy icons, the blessing of God and the love of the holy saints of God are attracted to man. No one ever gets infected through the shrine; on the contrary, numerous cases of healing from various ailments are known.
On what days can you light a lamp in front of icons at home?
– The lamp can be lit on holidays and during home prayer. You don't have to turn it off at all.
What is the difference between an Orthodox icon and a painting?
– A painting is an artistic image created by a person’s creative imagination, therefore it is a unique form of conveying the artist’s worldview. The painting is an entirely earthly image.
The Church is unworldly and iconography as a purely ecclesiastical work, unlike a painting, is addressed to what is above the earthly, temporary and subjective. Its content is not historical eras and not the wealth of human spiritual life, respectively, not earthly experiences, moods, characters, and not the fleeting beauties of the earthly world, but the mystery of salvation accomplished by God on earth, and that originally commanded goal that the saints achieved - the unity of man with God. The icon avoids individualization; it expresses conciliarity, the conciliar spiritual experience of the Church, and captures in colors Orthodox theology, so the accurate transmission of spiritual truths is important, and not one’s subjective vision, and therefore icons are never signed, unlike paintings.
How to deal with sacred images in secular magazines, newspapers, stamps, and food packaging?
– Sacred images should be carefully cut out and set aside, protecting them from being trampled upon. They cannot be thrown into the trash; they can be taken to church to be burned in a church oven or burned independently.
