andrey rublev i teophanes the greek

7/27/2019 Andrey Rublev i Teophanes the Greek

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Prominent Russians: Theophanes the Greek

Image from www.belygorod.ru

Theophanes the Greek was a Byzantine Greek artist andfamous icon painter of Muscovite Russia. He belongs tothe 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 hedecorated many churches. Unfortunately, his works

completed in Byzantium did not survive. All his preserved

and known works were produced in Rus (ancient name ofRussia), where he spent more than 30 years. During hislifetime he decorated more than 40 churches.

His manner of painting originates from the Macedonian

school (or Greek-Slavonic art), popular at the end of 14thand 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


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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 thepersonification of world tragedy.

In medieval times it was common both in Rus and Europefor 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 andaccompanied the Greek to Russia.

Novgorod had always been a very important Russian cityand one of the most ancient cultural centers. But because

of its northern location, for a long time after the Mongol-

Tatar invasion in 1237-1240 it remained completely cut

off from the south. During this period the city lost itsleading 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. TheNovgorod school owes its rebirth to Greek painters and

carpenters, who had been invited to work in the city andwith 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 highmind and later wrote that Theophanes painted only from

his thoughts. In Novgorod the first mentioned work by


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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 frescosnowadays 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 thecylindrical 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 withcompositions such as Trinity, Pillar Saints, Virgin Marywith Archangel Gabriel and others.

Image from www.pravkniga.ru

The painting of Theophanes is characterized by theRussian 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 ofwhich he distanced himself from the Lord and now could

only with fear and horror await the coming of hisuncompromised Judge. Theophanes the Greek creates a

world full of drama and tenseness of spirit. His saints are


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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 contrastedwith bright bleachings, refreshing the stern images of the

saints.

The contours were marked with clear dynamic lines. Thecolor palette was restrained with dominating orange-

brown, silver-blue colors underlining the tense spiritualstate 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, butsome 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 thechurch of Fedor Stratilat decorated by local painters.

Theophanes also contributed to the development of art and

book graphics, designing such well-known manuscripts asPsalter of Ivan Grosny (late 14th century) and Pogodins

Prologue (2nd half of the 15th century).


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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-Tataryoke, 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 TheVirgin of the Don (on the back the Dormition) was first

preserved and later moved to The Annunciation Cathedralin Moscow.

In approximately 1395 Theophanes moved to Moscowwhere 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 decoratedunprecedentedly and unbelievably beautifully.


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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 ouricon 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 ofhis innerfeelings.

Theophanes's first Moscow work was the Book of Gospels

of Boyar Koshka, for which he painted miniatures andwhich 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 AnnunciationCathedrals (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 awayfrom Theophaness dramatic severity of form, color and

expression and become one of the greatest masters ofRussian 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 havepainted many icons throughout his life, but based on

historical evidence, scholars believe that the followingnine are his: The Virgin of the Don and The Dormition of

the Virgin (Novgorod period), The Savior in Glory, The


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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 inwhich the figures of the saints were presented at full-

height. 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, thisiconostasis 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 destroyedmost of the icons. Nonetheless, the iconographic style, theuse 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 15thcentury Theophanes returned to Constantinople but there

is no confirmed evidence of this. It is suggested thatTheophanes the Greek died between 1405 and 1409.

Prominent Russians: Andrey Rublev1360-1370 - 1430


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Image from www.forum.kelia.ru

Andrei Rublev, a famous medieval painter of orthodoxicons and frescos, is considered the pride and glory of

Russian culture. The name of Rublev is connected notonly to the flourishing period of Russian art, but also tothe 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 heprobably 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 aresult of his deep thoughts.


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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 anddecorating 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 servedas 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 ofGorodets, 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 theByzantine Empire. Many artistic traditions, particularly in

regard to icon painting and church architecture, originated

in Byzantine and were


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Image from www.cirota.ru

taken over by other Eastern European countries, including

Russia. Rublev is often considered to have been a pupil ofTheophanes the Greek, a famous Byzantine painter who

worked in Russia for over thirty years. However,

Theophanes the Greeks personality, as well as his viewsof art and life, differed greatly from those of Rublev. The

elder painters images were tense and tragic, perceivingthe 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 hisTheophaness dramatic severity of form, color and

expression and developed his own light and harmoniousstyle 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 picturesof their symbols. The miniature of the angel, a symbol of


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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 joyand 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 paintedthe Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir with Danil Cherny

and other painters. The Cathedral was widely known inOld 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 onelost in the 12th century. The surviving Cathedral frescos

represent a fragment of the famous composition

Doomsday. Analyses of the style of the frescos helpeddetermine their author: the artistic composition, musicality

and gracefulness of the lines belonged to the hand of

Andrey Rublev. The interpretation of the scene is ratherunusual: there is no fear of severe punishment and the idea

of forgiveness and enlightenment penetrates thecomposition, 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 andshow how the painter imagined his ideal character. The

Savior is full of kindness and attention, Apostle Paul ispresented as a philosopher and a thinker and Archangel

Michael represents the earthly beauty of a human being.


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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 churchesin the surrounding area, including the Cathedral of St.

Trinity in Sergiev Posad. The hegumen, Nikon ofRadonezh, was eager to rebuild the monastery. In 1423-

1424 in place of the old wooden one, a new white-stonemonastery 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 Trinitysymbolizes the peak of that culture. The exact date of its

creation is unknown - it could be either 1411 or 1425-

1427. 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


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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 theicon 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 thefact 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 infinitesubmissiveness to each other - is the artistic content of the

Trinity.


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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 bythe 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 theCatholic Church they are equal. Four hundred years later

the Sobors decision was supported by some distinguished

art critics, while opposed by most theologians. But asevidenced by the geometry of the Trinity, for Rublev, allthree 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 ofcolors. 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 wherehe painted the frescos of the Savior Cathedral, which

became his last work. According to the letter of the saintEpiphanies the Wise, Rublev also worked on the

construction of the church in 1426-1427. The frescos werepainted 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 Churchpainting and of Orthodox iconography and already in his

lifetime his icons were worth their weight in gold. In 1988


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Andrei Rublev became the first Russian painter to be

canonized a saint by the Orthodox Church. The church

commemorates Rublev on 4 July.

andrey rublev i teophanes the greek

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