Famous icon of Rublev. Andrey Rublev biography
At the turn of the 14th - 15th centuries, the greatest of the masters of ancient Rus', Andrei Rublev, worked in Moscow, who essentially became the founder of the independent Moscow art school.
The creative activity of this greatest Russian icon painter greatly contributed to the revival of Rus', crushed by the Mongol invasion. The self-awareness of medieval people was largely determined by the church; any historical movement was filled with religious meaning for them. In this dark time for Rus', the time of the Asian elements, Christianity is opposed to the gloomy reality as the spiritual rise of overrun Rus'.
The father of the Russian Renaissance, monk Sergius of Radonezh, built the Trinity Church, which became the home of Andrei Rublev, who grew up in this monastery. Andrei Rublev revered Sergius of Radonezh as his own father, shared his views, dreams and hopes.
In 1400, Andrei moved to Moscow, where, together with Theophan the Greek and other masters, he painted first the Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin, and then the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir and other churches. Rublev was very grateful to Theophanes the Greek, who taught him free strokes of the brush, the ability to understand and convey living gestures and gait in an icon. And yet how different Rublev’s apostles are from the formidable elders of Theophanes! So alive, so human. what contradictory characters!
The dramatic, stormy temperament of the Greeks is replaced by a feeling of peace, thoughtful silence. This property is purely Russian. The people depicted by Rublev, while participating in events, are at the same time immersed in themselves. The artist is interested in not the external, but the internal state of mind, thought and feeling in a person. Rublev's color is amazingly joyful and harmonious, its clear, pure glow is an image of light emanating from the icon.
Rublev painted these icons, as they had painted before him for many hundreds of years, but under his brush they were filled with a quiet light, precisely the light of kindness and love for all living things. Every movement of his brush was meaningful and reverent. Behind his concentrated, in-depth work were forever vivid impressions of the exciting days celebrated throughout Rus' from generation to generation. And now, centuries later, peering at these works filled with subtle poetry, we will only understand the great artist’s intention if we turn to the meaning of the images and, first of all, to the plots that formed their basis and which were well known to both artists and viewers - contemporaries Rublev, those for whom they were written.
(To describe the icons, material from the book “Rublev”, author Valery Sergeev, was used)
In icons common in ancient Russian painting, “The Savior on the Throne” and the version “The Savior is in Power” are often depicted. The plot of the icons is very similar.
Rublev's Savior solemnly sits on the throne, against a red and black background. His figure is strictly straightened, the folds of his clothing lie motionless. Concentrated, and in its concentration, an inaccessible gaze is directed straight ahead. The gesture of the blessing right hand raised in front of the chest is restrained, calm and clear. With his left hand, the Savior holds the Gospel on the page where the Law is inscribed, according to which he calmly and firmly carries out his Judgment, a Law that clearly and immutably provides the path of salvation, the opportunity to obtain the blessing that the raised right hand brings.
The Gospel text on the open page reads: “I am the light of the whole world; whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have eternal life,”
The Annunciation is an image of the spring March (old style) holiday. March, according to the old Russian calendar, is the first month of the year. It was also considered the first month of creation. It was argued that the earth and waters, the firmament, plants and animals, and the first man on earth began their existence in March. And then, in March, the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary took place about the birth of the savior of the world from her. Since childhood, Andrei heard this story many times, since childhood he remembered familiar sensations - the smell of melting snow, gray. a warm morning and amid the mournful days of Lent, joyful singing, blue smoke from incense, hundreds of burning candles and slowly, chanting words announced by a deacon in the middle of the church.
He now painted this gospel scene on a golden background, as it had been painted since ancient times. Archaeologists date the Roman catacombs, where the oldest surviving image of a messenger kneeling before the Virgin Mary is now located, to the second century AD.
In the icon, the Archangel Gabriel is in motion, with raised wings, with moving folds of clothes, with a blessing hand extended towards Mary. He looks at her with a long, deep gaze. Maria doesn’t seem to see Gabriel, she lowered her head and thinks. In her hands is a scarlet thread of yarn; extraordinary news finds her at work. Lightly shaped chambers, semicircular arches on slender columns. The scarlet cloth falling from the chambers is pierced by a ray of light with a soaring dove in a round sphere - an image of the spirit, unearthly energy sent down by Mary. Free, airy space. Subtle and pure sound of cherry-brown, red, from delicate and transparent, showing through with a light yellowness, to thick, deep. Golden ochres, flashes of white, even light of gold, cinnabar.
In honor of Sergius of Radonezh, the inspirer of the unification of Russian lands, Andrei Rublev painted his most famous icon, the Trinity, which became a symbol of the resurgent Rus'. Icons of the Holy Trinity were created in those days throughout the Orthodox world.
The basis for Andrei Rublev's Trinity was the biblical story about the hospitality shown by the forefather Abraham and his Sarah to God, who visited them in the form of three travelers. Having accepted the treat, God announced a miracle to the couple: despite their extreme old age, they would have a son, and from him would come a nation, great and strong, and in him all the nations of the world would be blessed.
Before Rublev, icon painters usually sought to convey this story in full detail. Three travelers (and these were God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) in the form of beautiful, formidable angels, sit at a table in the shade of the oak grove near which Abraham lived. The forefather brought them food, and Sarah’s wife listened to the conversation of the guests in the tent.
Rublev gave this story his solution. The country groans under the Mongol yoke, is torn apart by civil strife, and Andrei Rublev bases the plot on the idea of unity, which is what Sergius of Radonezh dreamed of. Neither Abraham nor his wife Sarah are on the Rublev icon, because It's not the main point of the plot. In the center are three angels - travelers. they do not look like menacing rulers, but sadly and tenderly bow to each other, forming a single circular group around a round bowl. The love emanating from themselves draws them towards each other and binds them together.
For his masterpiece, Rublev took out lapis lazuli, a paint that was valued more than gold, because it was made from turquoise. Its ringing blue turned the cloaks of angels into the likeness of a precious gem embedded in an icon.
Stable rumors about the icon, like ripples on water, spread throughout Rus'. The Russian people cherish the memory of their famous artist, Andrei Rublev.
Before us is the image of the Apostle Paul, who had a very dramatic fate - at first he was an ardent persecutor of Christians, and then became an apostle-preacher. Rublev did not show the drama of formation, the complexity of the apostle’s life path. Rublev presented an ideal, perfect image of a contemplative thinker. Peering into this face, into the eyes surrounded by deep shadows, you clearly realize that the apostle sees something inaccessible to the external, physical gaze. The combination of enormous inner power and peace is one of the striking features of the icon.
Blue, with white glimpses, and faded lilac, with a gray tint, clothes are illuminated with a mysterious, slightly cold light. Their folds are complex and not entirely calm. The clothes are unfolded on a plane and contrast with the almost sculptural volumes of the hunched back, powerful neck and superbly sculpted head of the apostle. The pronounced plasticity of the face, the transparency of the pictorial technique of the face soften the sharp features, smoothes them out, highlighting the internal state and thought.
Pavel is not young, but has retained his physical strength. A sign of age - a head bald in front - reveals the wisdom of Paul, revealing the huge dome of his forehead. The folds of the forehead not only highlight the relief, their movement seems to express a high degree of comprehension and knowledge. Rublev shows Paul as a righteous man of high spiritual potential.
Michael, as a formidable commander of the heavenly powers, was always depicted as a stern messenger in the armor of a warrior. In this icon, a meek and self-absorbed light-haired archangel, with a gently bowed curly head, is not involved in evil. In this decision of the image there is a mature thought that has long become close to Rublev: the fight against evil requires the greatest heights, absolute immersion in goodness. Evil is terrible not only in itself, but also because, causing the need to resist it, it gives birth to its germ in good itself. And then, in the shell of truth and under its banner, the same evil is reborn in a different form and “the last is worse than the first.” Here, solving for myself the eternal question of good and evil as incommensurable, incontiguous principles. Rublev, as it were, founded a tradition that has never become scarce in the Russian culture of the future.
Something fresh, youthful, morning permeates the very image of the archangel, mood, color. The bright expression of wide eyes, the tenderness of a softly rounded, pinkish glowing face. Elastic waves curly hair, soft hands. Sky-azure and pink, like dawn, clothes, warm glow of golden wings. An azure headband holding his wavy, soft hair ends in flowing ribbons behind his head. They were called in Old Russian language“toroks”, or “rumours”, and denoted the property of angels - constant hearing of the higher will, connection with it. The archangel’s right hand is stretched forward, and its hand is barely noticeably rounded, as if in this hand he is holding something round and completely transparent, which is not an obstacle to the view. This “mirror” outlined with a light line is an image of the constant contemplation of Christ.
There is a famous icon of the “Vladimir Mother of God” from the 12th century, painted by an unknown Constantinople artist. At first it was in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, and later it was transported to Moscow. But Vladimir also did not want to be left without such an icon, and Andrei Rublev, being in Vladimir in 1408, created his own “list” from that icon. (It should be said that there was such a tradition then - icon painters made lists of various icons beloved by the people.)
The Rublevskaya icon of the “Vladimir Mother of God” is one of its most famous repetitions, created in order to replace the ancient shrine in the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir.
Naturally, the artist, when creating this icon, tries not to deviate from the original, preserving, according to the ancient Russian expression, the “measure and likeness” of the ancient icon, repeating its size and all the characteristic features. Indeed, even now, looking at Rublevskaya’s “Vladimirskaya”, we recognize in it an ancient prototype: the beautiful Mother of God and her mysterious infant Son, endowed with childish wisdom, appear in the same poses caressing each other, and her hand is also extended in a gesture of prayer to him. But in comparison with the ancient icon, the beautiful recognizable features of the Mother of God are softer here, the pupils of her elongated eyes are more transparent, the thin eyebrows above them are lighter, the oval of her face shining with pink light is more rounded and softer. And the immeasurable maternal feeling that animates these features takes on a different shade: pure, tender and enlightened is the all-encompassing, concentrated love with which the face of the Mother of God is filled here.
The holiday "Lazarus Saturday" falls on the Saturday before Palm Sunday, always in the spring, in April or May. In nature, everything seems to be waiting. It seems that winter has passed, and the snow has almost melted, and the first drops are ringing, but there are still frosts in the mornings. And only in the afternoon, when the sun comes out, will the thawed earth smell excitingly. On the forest edges there are modest Central Russian primroses, fluffy balls of blossoming willow...
Jesus and a few disciples wander through the rocky deserts and villages of Palestine. He does many good deeds, heals the sick and crippled. More and more definitely in his words there are recognitions of his heavenly messenger. But the Jews were not waiting for such a “messiah” - a savior. Many would agree to consider him both a teacher and a prophet, but he preaches patience and meekness, calls to give one’s own and not to take someone else’s. And completely strange, unbearable thoughts are sometimes heard by the crowd that he attracts with his speeches. Not only one people on earth has been chosen by God, there are others, and the honor of being chosen will soon be taken away from “stiff-necked Israel.”
The Jewish authorities and scribes are looking for a way to seize Christ and kill him. But there are also those who understand, are grateful, and thirsty for learning. And yet times come true, his death hour is near. But Jesus is still evading the hands of his pursuers and goes to Transjordan, to those places where his predecessor, the “forerunner” John, had recently called the people to cleansing and repentance. During Jesus' absence in Bethany, a village near Jerusalem, his friend Lazarus dies. When Jesus, returning back, passed this village, the sisters of the deceased, Martha and Mary, reported that their brother had been dead for four days...
And now Andrei Rublev paints the icon “The Return of Lazarus”. Human figures and chambers have already been outlined... At the entrance to the burial cave, Jesus, his disciples, and a crowd. On the right, in grief, he outlines a figure with swaddled legs and arms...
“Throw away the stone,” says Jesus, and already in a loud voice cries out: “Lazarus, come!” And the dead man came out, wrapped hand and foot in burial shrouds...
He writes out details with quick strokes. The last strokes...Here the grateful Martha and Mary fall at the feet of Jesus. This swiftness is emphasized by Rublev and the bent figures of young men moving in the opposite direction, carrying a heavy slab rolled away from the cave. Lazarus moves slowly and awkwardly, but is already outside the grave. The young man to the right of Lazarus turned in a lively movement towards the resurrected one, in his hand the end of the ribbon with which the burial shrouds were wrapped.
The whole action takes place against the backdrop of golden, softly glowing hills, between which in the distance a building of almost the same color is visible, apparently the abandoned house of Lazarus. This warm glow imparts a mood of festive joy and peace to the entire image.
This is a celebration of the victory of light, life over the theme of death.
The action takes place on Earth. The horse slides at the entrance to the cave, the soft hilly roundness at the bottom of the icon, small trees and bushes scattered here and there - all this is an image of the earthly space, along which the sages of the East gallop for a long time following the mysterious star moving across the sky to the place of the Nativity, to Bethlehem - Magi (they are depicted in the upper left corner of the icon). These are also the peaks from which the shepherds hear the singing of angels. And that part of the path across the earth that the shepherds, informed by the wonderful angelic singing, made, is also depicted by these forested hills and hills.
Here in the upper right corner, three angels in shining robes are highlighted from the singing angelic host. The first of them holds his hands in the folds of his clothes. Covered hands are an ancient symbol of reverence and respect. Here it is a sign of admiration for what is happening. The middle angel, talking with the first, seems to learn about the event... The third of them, bowing down, turns to the two shepherds, telling them the good news. They listen attentively, leaning on their knobby staffs. They were the first on earth to discover the wondrous birth.
These shepherds, guarding their cattle day and night in an area remote from the village, “were purified by solitude and silence.” Here is one of them - an old man in clothes sewn from skins with the fur on the outside, which was called a mantle among the Greeks and Slavs and was the clothing of the poorest, poorest people, standing. bowing with benevolent attention before Joseph, Mary’s betrothed. Joseph is depicted by Rublev thinking about miraculous events. Behind the shepherd, under the shade of a tree, lie several animals - sheep, goats. They, like people, plants, the earth itself, are participants in an event that is so significant that it concerns the entire creation, every single creature.
And in the center of the icon, in accordance with tradition, Andrei depicted a scarlet bed on which Mary, wrapped in crimson-brown clothes, reclines, leaning on her hand. Her figure is outlined by a flexible, melodious line. She is not shocked or tired, the extraordinary birth is painless. But it is difficult to accommodate in human consciousness. Therefore, Maria realizes what happened in deep thought. She is located in a cave, but according to the laws of space inherent in icon painting, her bed is “brought” to the foreground by the artist and is shown against the background of the cave in a larger form than the other figures. The viewer sees everything at once: the mountain, the entrance to the cave, and what is happening inside it. Behind Mary’s bed, in a manger-feeding trough for animals, lies a swaddled baby, and above him stand animals - an ox and a horse-like donkey. Nearby is another group of angels, bent over, with covered hands.
Downstairs, the maids bathe the newborn "otracho mlado". One of them, bending over, pours water from a jug into the font, the other holds a half-naked baby on her lap, who is reaching out to her with his childish little hand...
Personal. a lively and touching experience of the event, deep poetry are characteristic of this Rublevsky creation.
Perhaps more has been written about this outstanding work, where not only the style, but also the worldview of the great artist is most clearly visible, than about all other festive images from the Annunciation Cathedral. “The “Transfiguration” is especially good, designed in a cold silvery tones. One must see in the original these silvery-green, malachite-green, pale green and white colors, subtly harmonizing with the strokes of mauve, pinkish-red and golden ocher, so that to appreciate the exceptional... gift of the artist" (V.I. Lazarev).
In August, Transfiguration Day is celebrated in Rus' - since ancient times it has been celebrated publicly and joyfully. Early, already on a cold morning, people hurried to the blessing of the first ripened apples. Hence the colloquial name for the holiday - “apple” saved. Baskets, clean linen bundles with selected, best fruits. Light, almost floral scent. The blue sky is still summer, but it gives off a pre-autumn chill. The green foliage turns silver in the wind. The grass begins to wilt slightly and turn yellow. Autumn is showing its first signs. Time to reap the fruits of the year's labors on earth...
But this is not an ordinary holiday. The legend says that on the feast of the Savior of Apples, the Savior and his three closest disciples, his closest confidants, John, Peter and James, once went from a noisy city to a distant, secluded place, Mount Tabor. And there the students were given the opportunity to see something strange, mysterious... The teacher’s body before their eyes suddenly shone with an extraordinary light. Many considered this phenomenon to be a manifestation of the deity in Jesus Christ. (Although later researchers thought, argued, and did not come to a consensus about this wonderful light, about its meaning, and most importantly, about its origin, nature).
Rublev's icon shines with a light and even light from the inside. We do not see the rays from which the apostles hid. They contemplate the light within themselves. It is diffused throughout creation, quietly and almost invisibly enlightening people, the earth, and plants. People's faces are not turned to the external, they are concentrated, in the movements of the figures there is more thoughtfulness than instant shock. Mysterious light everywhere. In the icon, Rublev very subtly conveyed the image of summer nature on the day of the holiday itself, when the colors fade barely noticeably, the reflections of summer become more transparent, colder and silverier, and even from afar one can feel the beginning of the movement towards autumn. This insight into the meaning of the holiday in the images of nature itself is a national, Russian trait.
In the center of the icon on the blue waters of the Jordan stands Jesus Christ, to whom a desperate hand points, towards whom a dove flies. And according to a tradition dating back to ancient times, in the waters of the Jordan the figures of an old man and a young man are the personification of the river, and fish splash next to them.
The appearance of Christ here so clearly reveals his miraculous nature that, comprehending the miracle, the gaze of all participants in the event - both the Forerunner and the angels on the other side - is turned not to heaven, but to him. John reverently touches it with his hand while performing the ritual, and this reverence is all the more touching because not only has the traditional power of Christ the Forerunner not lost here, but it is also emphasized by the broad outline of his figure.
The entire icon is flooded with light, illuminating all the figures on the icon, filling the tops of the hills behind Christ with gold.
The Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated on January 6 (18). This holiday follows 12 days after Christmas. Since ancient times, this has been the most fun and joyful time of the year - Christmastide. Christmas joys, fun and merriment are still known to us from numerous descriptions in Russian literature. Both in the images of the Nativity of Christ and in the images of the Baptism of the Lord in Russian art the motif of joy that both birth and the appearance of God for its sake brings to the world has never disappeared.
The holiday "Candlemas" was known already in the 4th century. In Rome, in the Church of Mary the Great, the oldest surviving image, dating back to the 5th century, has survived to this day. The meaning of the Meeting is closely related to Christmas. It was celebrated on the fortieth day after the Christmas celebrations. In Rus' in the first days of February (now it is February 15), according to the old folk superstition, after windy, snowy days the frost intensified. It was deep winter. But preparations began for spring field and other work. The days are still short. A quiet time conducive to reflection. The holiday itself is strict, and the mood of repentance grows in its chants. You look at Rublev’s icon, and the first impression is that it depicts a ceremony full of triumph and significance. Mary and Joseph bring the forty-day-old Jesus to the temple. Here, at the temple, the prophetess Anna lives. She predicts an extraordinary fate for the newborn. They are met in the temple itself, hence the name of the event "meeting" - meeting, Elder Simeon, to whom the promise had long been given that he would not taste death until he saw and accepted into his arms the savior of the world born on earth. And now he recognizes, clearly feels that this moment has come...
In the icon, walking steadily towards Simeon, at the same distance from each other, a mother with a baby in her arms, Anna, followed by the betrothed Joseph. Rublev depicted their tall, slender figures in such a way that they appear connected, flowing into one another. Their measured movement, solemn, steady and irrevocable, as if indicating its significance, is echoed by the easily curving wall that depicts the vestibule of the temple. And the old servant of the Old Testament temple stretches out his hands, reverently covered with robes, towards the baby in a deep, humble bow. Now he accepts in his arms...His own death. His work on earth is finished: “Now send thy servant away, O lord, according to thy word, in peace...” The old, ancient one is replaced by a new world, a different covenant. And he, this new one, such is the universal and all-encompassing law of life, will have to take root in the world only through sacrifice. The young “adolescent” will face shame, reproach, and torture on the cross. In Christianity, the “Descent into Hell” completed the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ and was the limit of Christ’s humiliation and at the same time the beginning of his glory. According to Christian doctrine, Jesus, with his free suffering and painful death on the cross, atoned for the original sin of his first parents and gave the strength to fight its consequences to their descendants.
Standing on the crossed doors of the gates of hell, Christ took the hand of Adam, represented on the right kneeling in his stone tomb. Little Eve in a red robe stood up behind Adam. The forefathers are crowded behind them, behind them is the son of Simeon the God-Receiver, on whose behalf the event is told in the apocrypha.
On the left are Kings David and Solomon. Above them stands the large figure of John the Baptist, turning to the prophets following him.
The light blue glory of Christ circles against the background of a black cave. Above rises a wide, gentle rock with two peaks reaching into the upper corners of the icon. Rublev used golden and greenish ocher for his painting, Blue colour, cabbage roll and bright cinnabar. The icon creates a mood of joy and hope.
The ascension into heaven of Jesus Christ, God incarnate and the Son of God, is the great, final event of gospel history. one of the greatest Christian holidays was established in his honor. Even in Byzantine art, a canon of depicting the Ascension was formed in those details and details that were inherited by ancient Russian icon painters. filling the images of the Ascension with the joy that his holiday seeks to reveal to people.
Here in Rublev’s icon the Ascension appears before us. The white hills, flooded with light, represent both the Mount of Olives and the entire land abandoned by the ascended Jesus Christ. The ascended One himself hovers above her; his human clothing has already been transformed into garments pierced with gold, and the shining turquoise circle of mandorola - glory - surrounds him with a sign of divine light.
Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel, ascended himself, but here angels carry his mandorola, eternal companions God, giving him honor. Jesus Christ appears here as the true Almighty, who conquered suffering and death inherent in human nature. And therefore such joy and hope are brought by the blessing that he sends from the shining light, raising his right hand, to the land he leaves, to the witnesses of his Ascension standing on it. Directly below Jesus Christ stands the Mother of God. She rejoices at the victory of the Son, and the light of this joy permeates her clothes with light, thin strokes. The Apostles surround the Mother of God on both sides. Their gestures are filled with joyful shock, light fills their scarlet, dark pink, and soft yellow clothes. Between the Mother of God and the apostles on both sides, two angels who appeared at the place of the Ascension solemnly look at her. Their figures in snow-white robes and shimmering golden halos enhance the feeling of light and joy emanating from the icon. And their raised hands point to the ascending Jesus Christ as a source of joy not only for the apostles, but also for everyone who looks at this icon.
Rublev's "Savior" amazed his contemporaries. The Russian person highlighted the most important thing that he saw in the Savior - love, readiness to suffer for one's neighbor, even to the point of painful death. The same idea was clearly expressed in the inscription that was once drawn by Rublev on the open pages of the book in the hands of Jesus. This inscription has been lost, since only the head and a small part of the clothes have survived from the icon. Presumably the words were: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Since ancient times, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles has been revered as a most important event: in it the Spirit of God descended into the world manifested itself, sanctifying the beginning of the preaching of Christ’s teaching, the beginning of the Church as a community of people united by one faith. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles is commemorated 50 days after Easter. On the second day of this holiday, which is called the Spiritual Day, special veneration is given to the Holy Spirit, who apparently descended on the disciples of Christ.
They began to depict the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles from ancient times. For this purpose, a very simple and expressive composition was developed in Byzantine art.
In the center of the composition there are closed doors - a sign of the closed upper room in which the apostles remained in essence on the day of Pentecost - they sit here as if on the sides of a semi-oval turned towards the viewer. As a sign that the Holy Spirit had descended on them, there were golden halos around the apostles, golden light was poured around, giving the apostles strength. A sign of their high, world-facing teaching are the scrolls in the hands of the four apostles and the hands of the saints raised in blessing.
Andrei Rublev (c. 1360-1428) is the greatest of ancient Russian painters, author of icons, frescoes and book miniatures.
Only fragmentary information from chronicles has reached us about his life. There is no exact information about where the icon painter was born (probably in Moscow or Novgorod), but it can be assumed that he came from a family of artisans. The nickname “Rublev” hints at this, since the “ruble” is a tool for leather production. The icon painter received the name Andrei after taking monastic vows at the Andronikov Monastery. His worldly name has not reached us.
Russian culture. Andrey Rublev
At the end of the 1390s, Rublev worked on the decoration of the “Khitrovo Gospel”, book miniatures of which became the first works of the master that have come down to us. In 1405 he, together with the famous Feofan the Greek and Prokhor from Gorodets painted Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Obviously, Rublev's older co-authors were his teachers. The paintings of the Annunciation Cathedral did not last long: in 1416 the temple was completely rebuilt. Only the iconostasis has survived, for which Rublev painted 7 icons of the festive order.
In 1408, Rublev painted frescoes and icons in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, together with his true friend and co-poster Daniil Cherny. In the 1410s, the master worked on the paintings and iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral on Gorodok in Zvenigorod. Three icons depicting the Savior, Archangel Michael and Apostle Paul, attributed to the brush of Rublev, have survived. Today they are in the Tretyakov Gallery.
Andrey Rublev. Spas Zvenigorodsky. 1400
In 1425-1427, Rublev, together with Daniil Cherny, painted the interiors of the Trinity Cathedral Trinity-Sergius Monastery, founded by Sergius of Radonezh, but these frescoes have not survived to this day. Probably, the Trinity icon, the most famous of the Rublev icons, was painted for the iconostasis of this temple.
Andrey Rublev. Trinity. OK. 1411
In the spring of 1428, Rublev worked on the painting of the Spassky Cathedral of the Andronikov Monastery. He was buried near the bell tower of the cathedral in the fall of the same year, having died during the plague epidemic.
As we see, only a few works by Rublev have reached us. But even the little that we have today allows us to unconditionally judge his work as the pinnacle of ancient Russian painting. In his art, Rublev combined the traditions of Byzantine painting, refined and noble, but somewhat harsh, gloomy and ascetic, with characteristic features Moscow icon painting, with its bright lyricism and sincerity.
Rublev’s images are not just surrounded by an aura of warmth and humanity, they carry great inner strength, extraordinary moral purity and spirituality. I want to look at Rublev’s icons for a long time, immersing myself in an atmosphere of goodness, love and peace, universal peace and harmony, consonant with the soul of any Russian person. An impeccable sense of color and composition, perfection of forms and proportions, harmonious softness of the painting style make one speak of Rublev’s works as the best examples of Russian painting.
Andrey Rublev. Our Lady of Vladimir. OK. 1408
Andrei Rublev was famous during his lifetime, and after his death his name literally became a legend. Almost all Moscow icon painters of the 15th-16th centuries were influenced by the Rublev style. In 1551, at the Stoglavy Cathedral, Rublev’s icons were officially proclaimed as role models.
According to contemporaries, Rublev was distinguished by extraordinary wisdom and righteousness. Since the 16th century, he has been revered as a local Moscow saint. In 1988, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Andrei Rublev as a saint.
In 1966, the “cult” film director Andrei Tarkovsky directed the historical drama “Andrei Rublev” based on the life and spiritual quest of the great icon painter. In it, unfortunately, he did not avoid a disdainful attitude towards Ancient Rus', which was persistently propagated by the then dominant communist ideology.
Based on materials from the works of I. I. Mosin. For other articles about ancient Russian art, see below, in the block “More on the topic...”
completed by: 8th grade student of the Central School of Education Adodina Anna
St. Petersburg, Kolpino
2009
Introduction
A bunch of miraculous icons appeared in Rus', they saved from diseases, troubles, and streamed myrrh. Looking at icons, I often think about their creation. How to paint an impartial image, how, it seems, an ordinary image can work miracles, who were the first icon painters...
The icon is an integral part of the Orthodox tradition. It’s impossible to imagine without icons Orthodox church. In the home of every Orthodox person, icons always occupy a prominent place. When traveling, when visiting new places, an Orthodox Christian has an icon, before which he prays, just as he wears a small cross on his chest, first placed at baptism. The icon gives a feeling of the tactile presence of God.
There has always been a tradition in Rus': when a person was born or died, got married or started some important business, he was accompanied by an iconographic image. An icon is a common Christian spiritual heritage. Today, it is the ancient icon that is perceived as a relevant revelation necessary for modern man. An icon, as a sacred image, is one of the manifestations of Church Tradition, along with written Tradition and oral Tradition. Therefore, icons are rightly often called “theology in colors.” Many holy fathers attributed icon painting to the field of theology. For example, St. Basil the Great says: “What the word of narration offers to the ear, silent painting shows through images.”
History of the icon
In the Christian Church, the use and veneration of icons began in ancient times. According to the most ancient church tradition, the first Christian icon was the image of Christ the Savior, imprinted by Himself on the ubrus for the Edessa prince Abgar. Church tradition considers the first icon painter to be St. ev. Luke, who painted icons of the Mother of God, which were passed down from generation to generation (in our country - the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God). - In the 2nd and 3rd centuries. sacred images were undoubtedly also used. Of course, icon veneration then, due to the circumstances of the time, could not be widespread, and the images themselves were primarily symbolic in nature. The most common were images of the Savior under the guise of the Good Shepherd, under the symbol of a fish, lamb, phoenix (symbol of resurrection), etc. Images were found in the catacombs various events sacred history, e.g. The Nativity of the Savior, His Baptism, the transformation of water into wine, a conversation with the Samaritan woman, the resurrection of Lazarus, etc. Opened in the catacombs are images of the Mother of God, with and without the Child, as well as images of the events of St. stories related to Her. Preserved in the catacombs are also images of Old Testament persons and events - Abraham, Moses, the prophets, etc. All these images undoubtedly had religious significance among the ancient Christians, since they were located in places of worship and bloodless sacrifice. Church teachers and writers of that time testify to the use and veneration of icons in the first three centuries of Christianity: such are Minucius Felix, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, etc.
Since the 4th century, since the triumph of Christianity, sacred images began to appear in significant numbers. The Fathers of the VIIth Ecumenical Council finally approved the dogma of icon veneration, giving the corresponding definition of faith: “Following the divine teaching of our holy fathers and the tradition of the Catholic Church.... we determine “like the image of an honest and life-giving cross to be placed in the holy churches of God, on consecrated vessels and clothes , on walls and on boards, in houses and on paths: honest and holy icons, painted with paints and from fractional stones (mosaics) and from other substances capable of this, constructed, like icons of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, and the immaculate Lady our holy Mother of God, as well as the honorable angels and all saints and reverend men... For the honor given to the image passes to the prototype, and the one who worships the icon worships the being depicted on it. This is how the teaching of our holy fathers is affirmed, this is the tradition of the Catholic Church, which has received the Gospel from end to end of the earth.”
The first icon painter was the holy evangelist Luke, who painted not only the icon of the Mother of God, but, according to legend, the icon of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and perhaps others.
He is followed by a whole host of icon painters, almost unknown to anyone. Among the Slavs, the first icon painter was Saint Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Bishop of Moravia, educator of the Slavic peoples. The Venerable Alipius the icon painter and ascetic of the Kiev Pechersk Monastery is well known in Rus'.
In the XIV-XV centuries, many great masters created outstanding icons. The will of St. Joseph of Volokolamsk gives the names of the icon painters of that time: Andrei Rublev, Savva, Alexander and Daniil Cherny.
The life and work of St. Andrei Rublev.
(Memorial Day: July 4)
No one will find, among the many thousands of ancient manuscripts preserved in large and small book depositories in Russia, any records about Rublev’s childhood, since they never existed. Sources are silent about what constitutes an essential part of the biography of the most ordinary person of modern times - where, in what year and in what environment he was born. Even the name given to the future artist at birth will remain hidden forever, for Andrei is his second, monastic, name...
St. Andrew was born around 1360. There is no reliable information that would allow one to accurately establish his place of birth. He came from educated circles and was distinguished by extraordinary wisdom, as evidenced by his work.
In contemporary art criticism, the idea has become generally accepted that Rublev’s emergence as an independent master, with his own style and artistic personality, dates back to the 1390s. This also agrees with the approximate date of his birth - around 1360. The thirtieth birthday in Rus' in that era was considered a time of maturity, the fullness of the human personality. It was also important for the social assessment of a person, giving, for example, the right to receive priestly rank. It can be assumed that with the onset of his thirtieth birthday, and among icon painters, a talented artist with matured skill was supposed to be given the way to independent creativity. But by this age he had to go through all the stages of training and then work for some time to find his own voice.
He studied painting in Byzantium and Bulgaria. St. Andrew worked for some time with Theophan the Greek and may have been his student. The whole life of the monk is connected with two monasteries: the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the Spaso-Andronikov Moscow Monastery. The saint took monastic tonsure at the Spaso-Andronik monastery in 1405. Living in a highly spiritual environment, in an atmosphere of holiness, Monk Andrei learned from both historical examples of holiness and the living example of the ascetics around him. For about 20 years, until his death, he, together with his “companion” Daniil Cherny, led the life of an ascetic icon painter.
The famous miraculous image of the Holy Trinity, which is still an unsurpassed example in icon painting, belongs to the brush of St. Andrei Rublev. Saint Andrew painted the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, the iconostasis and the Assumption Cathedral itself in Vladimir (1408). St. Andrei Rublev painted the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God for the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir; wrote the iconostasis and painted the walls of the Assumption Cathedral in Zvenigorod (late 14th - early 15th centuries); Deesis rite in the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Savva-Storozhevsky Monastery; painted the walls and completed the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, etc.
The Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin was rebuilt in the 15th century, and its painting has not been preserved. Only the Deesis and festive rows of the iconostasis survived, moved to the now existing temple. Only a small part of the paintings has been preserved in the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral. Icons from the iconostasis of this cathedral have also reached us, now on display in the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum.
Little is known about the previous period of Andrei Rublev’s life. Compiled in the 17th century, “Tales of the Holy Icon Painters” states that he first lived in the Trinity Monastery in obedience to Nikon, a student of the monastery founder Sergius of Radonezh (Nikon was the Trinity abbot from 1390, died in 1427). According to the “Tale,” Nikon “commanded” Rublev to paint the icon of the Trinity “in praise of his father, Saint Sergius the Wonderworker.”
We know about Rublev’s other major works from the lives of Sergius and Nikon. Between 1425-1427, he, together with his friend and “spostnik” Daniil Cherny, participated in the creation of the now unpreserved paintings of the Trinity Cathedral of the Sergius Monastery, and then painted the Spassky Cathedral of the Moscow Andronikov Monastery, of which he was an elder. Rublev died there in 1430.
If the biographical information that has reached us about Rublev is replete with contradictions, then in the description of the master’s personality and in the assessment of his art, the sources reveal a rare unanimity. Andrei and Daniel appear in their depiction as “wonderful virtuous elders and painters,” “surpassing everyone in virtues.” Rublev especially emphasizes that he “far surpassed everyone in wisdom.”
To recreate the creative appearance of Rublev, the information communicated to Joseph of Volotsky in 1478 by the former abbot of the Trinity Sergius Monastery, Elder Spiridon, is very important. According to Spiridon, the amazing and famous icon painters Daniel and his student Andrei, monks of the Andronikov Monastery, were distinguished by such virtues that they were awarded unusual talents and were so successful in improving that they did not find time for worldly affairs.
These testimonies give a clear idea of the high appreciation of Rublev’s work by his contemporaries, allow us to penetrate deeper into the figurative structure of his works and comprehend the essential features of his painting method. But in order to correctly understand the meaning of the above statements, it is necessary to get acquainted with some ideas of Byzantine mysticism, which became widespread among the followers of Sergius of Radonezh. According to these ideas, in order to reliably display the objects of mental contemplation, it is necessary to return the lost natural state - harmony of feelings, clarity and purity of mind. As the mind improved, it acquired the ability to perceive “immaterial” light. By analogy with physical light, without which it is impossible to see the world around us, mental light - knowledge and wisdom - illuminated the true nature, the prototypes of all objects and phenomena. The intensity of the manifestation of this light and the clarity of speculation were placed in direct dependence on the degree of moral purity of the contemplator. The painter, more than anyone else, needed to cleanse the “eyes of the mind,” clogged with deceptive sensual “thoughts,” because, as Basil of Caesarea stated, “true beauty is contemplated only by those who have a purified mind.” In achieving moral purity, a special role was assigned to the virtue of humility. It is no coincidence that in sources the epithet “humble” is often attached to Rublev’s name. Isaac the Syrian called humility a “mysterious power” that only the “perfect” possess; It is humility that gives omniscience and makes any contemplation accessible. He considered contemplation of the Trinity to be the highest and most difficult to achieve.
After the death of St. Andrew, Daniel, who was not separated from him in his heart and after his departure, dying, received a revelation about the glorification of his spiritual brother in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The most significant works of A. Rublev.
The name of Andrei Rublev is associated with a fundamentally new stage in the development of the Russian iconostasis - the formation of the so-called “high iconostasis”. This is one of the greatest artistic miracles that the 15th century gave us. Perhaps nothing else expressed with such force the characteristic features of the thinking of Rublev’s contemporaries, the qualitative changes that occurred in the worldview of the Russian people during the 14th century. Of the three currently known iconostases that Rublev worked on, the one that is of greatest interest is the most extensive iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, placed in the main cathedral of Moscow Rus', the “universal church,” as one of the chroniclers put it.
The Vladimir Assumption Cathedral, mentioned in the chronicles, the oldest monument of the pre-Mongol era, erected in the second half of the 12th century under princes Andrei Bogolyubsky and Vsevolod the Big Nest, was the metropolitan's cathedral. The temple, devastated and burned by the Horde conquerors, needed restoration. Moscow Prince Vasily Dmitrievich, a representative of the branch of the Vladimir princes, descendants of the Monomakhs, undertook the renovation of the Assumption Cathedral at the beginning of the 15th century as a certain logical and necessary act associated with the revival after the victory on the Kulikovo field of the spiritual and cultural traditions of Rus', the era of national independence. From the works of A. Rublev and D. Cherny in the Assumption Cathedral, the icons of the iconostasis have survived to this day, forming a single ensemble with frescoes, partially preserved on the walls of the temple. The iconostasis had 4 rows of icons. Above the local row, which has not survived, there was a huge Deesis rank (height 314 cm). Unfortunately, the Assumption iconostasis has reached us only partially. The Deesis tier of the Vladimir iconostasis consisted of 21 figures, of which only 13 have survived: images of the Deesis itself, the apostles and teachers of the church.
Andrey Rublev. Savior in power, 1408, State Tretyakov Gallery.
“Savior is in power” is given symbolically, as if against the backdrop of the universe: the blue-green oval means the sky with heavenly powers- angels; a large red square - the earth with four corners, cardinal points: East, West, North and South. The symbols of the evangelists are painted on the corners: the angel corresponds to Matthew, the eagle to John, the lion to Mark, the calf to Luke. Similar compositions were in use in Rus' at that time. Rublev’s “Savior in Power” has not been completely preserved: his face has been altered, the gold on his clothes has been lost, and the color has become darker. New graphs (cut lines) of clothing folds are also unsuccessful. The former charm of this work can be judged by the surviving small, miniature-like icon on the same theme (“The Savior is in Power”) from the early 15th century, attributed to Rublev. The pitted edges of the icon, lost over time, and the uneven dark wood, exposed in places, do not interfere with the complete perception of the image and contrasts with the freshness of the bright colors. The face of the Savior, glowing with transparent reflections, is full of life, painted tenderly and lightly. The movement of the head and neck is natural and speaks volumes about how skillfully the artist paints the human image. The gold shading of the clothing and the shining gold background have been preserved.
Above there was a festive row, of which only 5 icons survived. The iconostasis ended with waist-length icons of the prophets (this is the first example of the prophetic order); only 2 of them have survived. It is interesting that studies of the fastening of the iconostasis revealed the uneven arrangement of the rows of icons. The Deesis rite was brought forward to the worshipers, and the holidays were located a few
The next most important work of A. Rublev was the so-called Zvenigorod rank(between 1408 and 1422), one of the most beautiful icon ensembles of Rublev painting. The rite consists of three waist-length icons: the Savior, the Archangel Michael and the Apostle Paul. They come from Zvenigorod near Moscow, in the past a central appanage principality. Three large icons were probably once part of the seven-figure Deesis. In accordance with the established tradition, the Mother of God and John the Baptist were located on the sides of the Savior, on the right the icon of the Archangel Michael corresponded to the icon of the Archangel Gabriel, and paired with the icon of the Apostle Paul there should have been an icon of the Apostle Peter on the left. The surviving icons were discovered by restorer G. Chirikov in 1918 in a woodshed near the Assumption Cathedral on Gorodok, where the princely temple of Yuri of Zvenigorod, the second son of Dmitry Donskoy, was located.
The Zvenigorod rank combined high pictorial merits with depth of figurative content. The soft, soulful intonations, the “quiet” light of his coloring amazingly resonate with the poetic mood of the landscape of the Zvenigorod outskirts. In the Zvenigorod rank, Rublev acts as an established master who reached the pinnacle of that path, an important stage of which was the painting of 1408 in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. Using the possibilities of a half-length image, which seems to bring enlarged faces closer to the viewer, the artist expects long-term contemplation, attentive peering, and an interview.
Andrey Rublev. Spas, 1410s, Tretyakov Gallery
The icon of the Savior (Savior) was the center of the composition of the Zvenigorod Deesis rank (row).
Rublev's Savior is a work that had a huge influence on the artist's contemporaries, and on all subsequent generations of Russian people. He is lively, open, majestic, and at the same time there is a softness in him, in accordance with the Slavic type; he has medium-sized facial features framed by a light brown silky beard. The color scheme consists of golden, different shades of ocher, darkish light azure himation (on clothes). Facial expression combined with color scheme creates the impression of wise calm. The painting on the surface of the board is poorly preserved; only a part with the image of the face of the Savior remains. But everything that has survived is so magnificent that this work is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces of ancient Russian art. The noble simplicity of the image of “The Savior” and its monumental character are typical features of Rublev’s style.
Trinity.
The most famous work of Andrei Rublev, the famous “Trinity,” is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. Created in the prime of his creative powers, the icon is the pinnacle of the artist’s art.
During the time of Andrei Rublev, the theme of the Trinity, which embodied the idea of a triune deity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), was perceived as a certain symbol of time, a symbol of spiritual unity, peace, harmony, mutual love and humility, readiness to sacrifice oneself for the common good. Sergius of Radonezh founded a monastery near Moscow with a main church in the name of the Trinity, firmly believing that “by looking at the Holy Trinity, the fear of the hated discord of this world was overcome.”
Andrei Rublev's worldview was largely shaped by the ideas of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
The personality of Sergius of Radonezh had special authority for his contemporaries, and Andrei Rublev, as the spiritual heir of these ideas, embodied them in his work.
In the twenties of the 15th century, a team of masters, headed by Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, decorated the Trinity Cathedral in the monastery of St. Sergius, erected above his tomb, with icons and frescoes. The iconostasis included the “Trinity” icon as a highly revered temple image, placed according to tradition in the lower (local) row on the right side of the Royal Doors. There is evidence from one of the sources of the 17th century about how the abbot of the monastery Nikon instructed Andrei Rublev “to paint the image of the Most Holy Trinity in praise of his father Saint Sergius.”
The plot of “Trinity” is based on the biblical story of the appearance of deity to righteous Abraham in the form of three beautiful young angels. Abraham and his wife Sarah treated the strangers under the shade of the Mamre oak, and Abraham was given to understand that the deity in three persons was embodied in the angels. Since ancient times, there have been several options for depicting the Trinity, sometimes with details of the feast and episodes of the slaughter of a calf and the baking of bread (in the gallery’s collection these are 14th-century Trinity icons from Rostov the Great and 15th-century icons from Pskov).
In the Rublevskaya icon, attention is focused on the three angels and their condition. They are depicted seated around a throne, in the center of which is placed eucharistic chalice with the head of a sacrificial calf, symbolizing the New Testament lamb, that is, Christ. The meaning of this image is sacrificial love.
Left angel, meaning God the Father, right hand blesses the cup. The middle angel (Son), depicted in the gospel clothes of Jesus Christ, with his right hand lowered onto the throne with a symbolic sign, expresses submission to the will of God the Father and readiness to sacrifice himself in the name of love for people. The gesture of the right angel (the Holy Spirit) completes the symbolic conversation between the Father and the Son, affirming the high meaning of sacrificial love, and comforts the doomed to sacrifice. Thus, the image of the Old Testament Trinity (that is, with details of the plot from the Old Testament) turns into the image of the Eucharist (the Good Sacrifice), symbolically reproducing the meaning of the Gospel Last Supper and the sacrament established at it (communion with bread and wine as the body and blood of Christ) They see in the circle a reflection of the idea of the Universe, peace, unity, embracing plurality, cosmos. When comprehending the content of the Trinity, it is important to understand its versatility. The symbolism and polysemy of the images of the “Trinity” go back to ancient times. For most peoples, such concepts (and images) as a tree, a bowl, a meal, a house (temple), a mountain, a circle, had symbolic meaning. The depth of Andrei Rublev's awareness in the field of ancient symbolic images and their interpretations, the ability to combine their meaning with the content of Christian dogma, suggest a high level of education, characteristic of the enlightened society of that time and, in particular, of the artist’s likely environment.
The symbolism of the “Trinity” is correlated with its pictorial and stylistic properties. Among them, color is the most important. Since the contemplated deity was a picture heavenly world, the artist, with the help of paints, sought to convey the sublime “heavenly” beauty that was revealed to the earthly gaze. Andrei Rublev's paintings are distinguished by their special purity of color, the nobility of tonal transitions, and the ability to impart a luminous radiance to the color. Light is emitted not only by golden backgrounds, ornamental cuts and assists, but also by the delicate melting of bright faces, pure shades of ocher, and the peacefully clear blue, pink and green tones of the angels’ clothes. The symbolism of color in the icon is especially noticeable in the leading sound of blue-blue, called Rublevsky cabbage roll.
By comprehending the beauty and depth of content, correlating the meaning of the “Trinity” with the ideas of Sergius of Radonezh, we seem to come into contact with the inner world of Andrei Rublev, his thoughts translated into this work.
The icon was in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity Monastery, which later became a monastery, until the twenties of the 20th century. During this time, the icon underwent a number of renovations and copy-pasting. In 1904-1905, on the initiative of I.S. Ostroukhov, a famous collector of icons and trustee of the Tretyakov Gallery, the first thorough clearing of the “Trinity” from later records was undertaken. The work was supervised by the famous icon painter and restorer V.P. Guryanov. The main notes were removed, but the writings were left on the inserts of the new gesso, and in accordance with the restoration methods of that time, additions were made in places of loss that did not distort the author’s painting.
In 1929, “Trinity”, as a priceless masterpiece of ancient Russian painting, was moved to the Tretyakov Gallery.
The list of Rublev's works does not end there. “Reverend Father Andrei of Radonezh, icon painter, nicknamed Rublev, painted many holy icons, all miraculous.” In addition to the works mentioned above, a number of icons that have not survived are mentioned in various sources. Several monuments that have reached us are associated with the name of Rublev by oral tradition. Finally, in a number of works Rublev’s authorship is established by stylistic analogies. But even in cases where Rublev’s involvement in the work on the monument is documented - this is the case with the icons from the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral - it is extremely difficult to identify works belonging to his hand, since they were created jointly large group masters under the leadership of Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, who, according to the author of “The Tale of the Holy Icon Painters,” “wrote many wonderful icons with him.”
Andrei Rublev managed to fill traditional images with new content, correlating it with the most important ideas of the time: the unification of Russian lands into single state and universal peace and harmony.
The era of Rublev was an era of revival of faith in man, in his moral strength, in his ability to sacrifice himself in the name of high ideals.
Locally revered as a saint since the 17th century, in our time he has become one of the all-Russian saints: he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988; The church celebrates his memory on July 4 (17). Since 1959, the Andrei Rublev Museum has been operating in the Andronikov Monastery, demonstrating the art of his era.
Conclusion
Throughout the history of Christianity, icons have served as a symbol of people's faith in God and his help to them. Icons were protected: they were protected from pagans and, later, from iconoclast kings.
An icon is not just a picture depicting those whom believers worship, but also a kind of psychological indicator of the spiritual life and experiences of the people of the period in which it was painted.
Spiritual ups and downs were clearly reflected in Russian icon painting of the 15th-17th centuries, when Rus' freed itself from the Tatar yoke. Then Russian icon painters, believing in the strength of their people, freed themselves from Greek pressure and the faces of the saints became Russian.
Icon painting is a complex art in which everything has a special meaning: the colors of paints, the structure of temples, the gestures and positions of saints in relation to each other.
Despite numerous persecutions and destruction of icons, some of them have still reached us and are of historical and spiritual value.
Every national culture has ideals to which it strives, and there is a realization of these ideals, which is not always perfect, and sometimes, when the tasks set by the ideals are very difficult, and completely imperfect. But we must always judge national culture, first of all, by its ideals. This is the highest thing that national culture creates.
The national ideals of the Russian people are most fully expressed in the works of its two geniuses - Andrei Rublev and Alexander Pushkin.
D. S. Likhachev
MAIN DATES IN THE LIFE OF ANDREY RUBLEV
| 60s of the 14th century | Time of birth of Andrei Rublev. |
| 1405 | Together with Feofan the Greek and Prokhor from Gorodets A. Rublev participates in the painting of the Annunciation Cathedral Moscow Kremlin |
| 1408 | A. Rublev and Daniil Cherny supervise the work on paintings of the Assumption Cathedral city of Vladimir |
| 1425-1427 | A. Rublev and Daniil Cherny supervise the painting work Trinity CathedralSergius Monastery |
| 1427-1430 | A. Rublev supervises the painting of Spassky Moscow Cathedral Andronikov Monastery |
| First quarter 15th century |
Created "Trinity" and "Zvenigorod Chin" |
| 1430 | Year of the painter's death |
Very little is known about the life of Andrei Rublev. The historical evidence that has reached us about the life and work of Andrei Rublev is extremely poor in chronological data and largely contradicts each other, but, nevertheless, the time of Andrei Rublev’s life coincides with turning point in the liberation struggle of the Russian people against Tatar-Mongol yoke. The work of the famous icon painter marks important milestone in the history of Russian art. His name is associated with the emergence of an artistic movement that determined the development of Russian painting for many decades.
We do not know exactly when Andrei Rublev was born. Most researchers believe that he was born in central Russia, around 1360. But the first mention of it dates back to 1405. The chronicle record telling about Andrei Rublev's participation in the painting of the Annunciation Cathedral calls him a “monk” - a monk, but it is possible that he lived a significant part of his life in the “world”. Most likely, Rublev belonged to the number of Moscow grand-ducal masters. Having taken monastic vows, he became a monk and then a cathedral elder of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery. His early works include frescoes of the Assumption Church on Gorodok in Zvenigorod (c. 1400), which, however, require additional research.
In the festive icons of the Annunciation iconostasis, Rublev or his alter ego, in terms of worldview and artistic thinking, declares himself to be an unusually bright and gifted creative personality. These icons stand out for their sonority and purity of color, which can be called poetic. The leading master of the left part of the festive series appears to us as an artist who not only creates beautiful subject compositions, but also thinks, first of all, about the unity of the pictorial ensemble. It’s like waves of color run through the festive row when the eye takes in the whole thing. In Annunciation, green and brown tones predominate, in Nativity and Candlemas, brown and red. “Baptism” and “Transfiguration” - the most beautiful icons of the series - are painted as if with a greenish haze. In “The Raising of Lazarus,” the color red flashes again, but more brightly and intensely, joyful and alarming at the same time. The icon painter, thus, shows himself capable of simultaneously and in close connection with each other solving formal and meaningful artistic problems.
The repose of the icon painter Andrei Rublev in the Andronikov Monastery. Book miniature
Transfiguration is undoubtedly an outstanding work of art. The master here interprets the theme of the nature of the Tabor light, which worried his contemporaries, solving it ideologically in the spirit of the teachings of the hesychasts, but offering a very individual artistic embodiment. It does not depict the dazzling radiance of sharp streaks of light or long rays. But the entire icon glows, as if from within, with a soft silvery glow. In Transfiguration, the principles of composition organization characteristic of Rublev found a vivid expression, in particular, the close connection of the image with the configuration of the compositional field and the subtle rhythmic balance of the parts. The contours of the clothes and heads of the prophets, connecting with the upper segment of the round head of Christ, form an elastic arc, with its ends facing down, parallel to the edges of the iconic ark. An image of an invisible circle appears. At the same time, the upper group of figures turns out to be connected to the lower one, spread out at the edge of the composition, as if by an invisible force field. Christ and the prophets seem to float at the very top of the icon. In the rhythmic structure of the icon, the following relationships can be distinguished: the stretched out almost vertical figure of Jacob - the above-located group of trees - the raised right hand of Christ; smoothly lowered and “continued” by a hanging himation left hand Christ - the lower group of trees - the figure of Peter crouched to the ground.
The icon “The Raising of Lazarus” is unique in its construction. Traditional details are arranged here in a new way, and therefore the composition as a whole has acquired new meaning. This is new - the location of the apostles on the icon: not behind Christ, as is customary, but in front of him. There is not a single previously created Raising of Lazarus, either in the East or in the West, where a similar iconographic scheme was used. What is its meaning? Apparently, the artist wanted to show what was happening through the eyes of Christ’s disciples, elevating the viewer to highest level spiritual vision and knowledge. Very restrained in the reproduction of immediate emotions, he denotes the relationships of the characters with the symbolism of color spots and the nature of linear constructions. The central group is sharply divided inside by the contrast of dark and light. Christ is in dark green and brown attire. John opposing him is in red robes. A large bright red spot, sonorous and in a major key, was “splashed out” into the center of the icon board, set at full strength of tone.
The master followed an extremely rare path in the practice of medieval icon painting to create an original artistic composition. This was a step of extraordinary courage, testifying to the breadth of the artist’s creative needs.
One of the first, of course, reliable pages in artistic biography Andrei Rublev opens the year 1408 for us. This year, he and his closest friend and long-time comrade-in-arms, Daniil Cherny, decorated with frescoes and icons the most revered temple of Moscow Rus' - the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, in which, according to tradition, the solemn ceremony of elevating the next rulers of Rus' from the house of Kalita to the grand-ducal table took place.
Ascension of the Lord, 1408
Among the fragments of fresco painting that have survived to this day, the image of the Last Judgment, which once occupied western part space of three main naves. The artists set aside the central part to show the beginning and process of judgment - trumpeting angels, at the signal of whose trumpets the earth and sea “give up” the resurrected people, Christ descending from heaven, the “prepared throne”, the apostle-judges surrounded by an angelic army. Tasked with depicting the action not on a flat wall surface, but on complex system vaults, arches and pillars, Andrei Rublev, Daniil Cherny and their assistants managed to create an amazingly complete pictorial composition. Its center was the image of Christ in a halo of glory, surrounded by a ring of “heavenly powers,” which was written at the zenith of the vault. Everything around us gravitates towards this image. The silhouettes of trumpeting angels and apostles on the arch, facing the inside of the scene, close the ring of images from the west and east. From the southern pillar and from the arch of the passage into the southern nave, a host of saints move towards the Savior. The rhythmic aspiration to the center is the main motive for the depiction of the angelic army.
Savior in power, 1408
The frescoes of the southern nave, dedicated to the theme of paradise, are also closed in a circle. And here some of the righteous walking behind the Apostle Peter impatiently peer into the heavenly tabernacles painted on the opposite side of the arch, and from there righteous babies look at them with curiosity.
Descent into Hell, 1408-1410.
Thus, the space in which the viewer actually moved, looking at this or that detail of the image, was at the same time the space of the captured eschatological drama. These frescoes expressed the ability of medieval muralists to establish contact between the characters of the Christian legend resurrected by their brush and the viewer, to create the “effect of participation” in the latter.
“The Last Judgment” by Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, for all its outward traditionality, is a completely unusual artistic phenomenon. This is not a court of punishment and retribution that makes a person tremble, but the final great triumph of good, the apotheosis of justice, prepared and suffered through the entire previous existence of mankind. That is why Christ is so energetic and bright (albeit looking at sinners with an “ardent eye”), the wise conversation of the apostles is calm, the poses of beautiful angels are distinguished by such grace, opening with the sounds of their trumpets the last action in the play of life. “The Last Judgment” by Rublev and Daniil is a symphony of smooth, flowing rhythms and joyful, pure colors. The mere sound of a major, sonorous ensemble of blue, light green, lilac, golden, cherry, red-brown tones determined the emotional structure of the fresco. One of the best scenes of the composition, warmed with sincere feeling, is “The Saints Are Going to Heaven.” The image of the Apostle Peter is especially significant - the leader of the people following him not by the power he received, but by his strength of character, by his readiness to devote himself to serving the common good.
Nativity. Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin
Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny did not just paint the future of humanity as they imagined it. The artists acted as passionate defenders of their moral position. Evidence of their preaching pathos is the introduction into the composition of “The Last Judgment” of three medallions, in the central one is written “the hand of God” with the souls of the righteous, and in the side ones are the prophets David and Isaiah with angry messages denouncing sinners. Laconic artistic means Rublev and Daniil formulated a call for a pure, righteous life, which sounded especially acute in an era of continuous enemy invasions and feudal strife, heated debates about faith and truth.
Archangel Michael, 1408. Cycle of icons of the Deesis tier of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir
The remains of fresco painting by Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny in the Assumption Cathedral have preserved many other examples of their skill. The face of Christ in the composition of “Baptism” was marked by deep lyricism, somewhat foreshadowing the angels of “Trinity”. There is a lot that is touching and tender in the figure of Mary’s mother, Anna, wrapped in a reddish-purple veil, bending over the Virgin Mary in the “Introduction to the Temple.” “Transfiguration” is distinguished by its subtle compositional rhythm. Full of inner significance and magnificent in the design of the faces of the apostles in the Descent of the Holy Spirit. The torso of a warrior on one of the pillars delights with the sophistication of the colorful range. In the altar of the cathedral, scenes from the life of John the Baptist and the face of St. Eleutherius, memorable for its purity of lines and high spirituality, have survived. On the altar pillars are images of Old Testament kings and martyrs.
The painting of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir testified to the final formation of the creative individuality and artistic skill of Andrei Rublev. Perhaps already here (but not earlier than 1410), he, together with his friend Daniel and other artists, solved the problem of creating an unprecedented monumental temple iconostasis, consisting of three rows, the total height of which was about 6 meters (the history of this icon complex is not sufficiently clear). Muscovite Rus' knew nothing like this not only before, but also for many years later. The iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir has long become a role model.
In the Deesis tier of the iconostasis, the artists apparently introduced images of Russian saints, in particular Metropolitan Peter and Leonty of Rostov. The “co-presence” of Moscow and Vladimir saints expressed in painting the idea of Moscow inheriting the rights and traditions of “old Vladimir,” which became the central idea of Moscow journalism and was a reflection in the minds of contemporaries of the process of unification of Russian lands. The new iconostasis radically reorganized the artistic space of the temple, becoming its focus, ideological, compositional and coloristic center. The components of the iconostasis were connected into a single whole by a complex color and linear rhythm.
Archangel Gabriel, 1408. Cycle of icons of the Deesis tier of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir
Among the best icons of the Vladimir iconostasis is the “Apostle Paul” from the Deesis rank. This is a true masterpiece. The apostle, wrapped in an unusual green himation, is depicted in slight movement, clutching the gospel in his hands and with an expression of deep thought on his face. Elongated, elongated proportions give the huge three-meter figure exaggerated slenderness and, as it were, weightlessness. There is even more reason to attribute to the brush of Rublev himself the local image of “Our Lady of Vladimir,” the beauty of which is in its impeccable “construction,” the unmistakably accurately found relationship between the figure of the Mother of God and the icon field, the integrity of the silhouette, and the beauty of the artist’s embodiment of a tender maternal feeling.
Archangel Michael from the Deesis rank, 1414
In 1918, three icons were discovered in a woodshed near the Assumption Cathedral in Zvenigorod - “Savior”, “Archangel Michael” and “Apostle Paul”, known since then under the name of the Zvenigorod rite.
Spas, 1410s
Apostle Paul from the Deesis rank, 1410s.
They were once part of a nine-figure, apparently Deesis tier, painted by Andrei Rublev at the beginning of the 15th century for the Zvenigorod palace church of Prince Yuri Dmitrievich. The Zvenigorod rank belonged to the most common type of Deesis rank even in the 15th century - the half-figure one. However, its iconography belongs to a new time. The Savior from Zvenigorod is almost identical to the Almighty depicted in the dome. And the lost figure of the Mother of God with her hand pressed to her chest resembled Mary in the scene of the Crucifixion. The iconography of the rite reflected those new ideas in the field of liturgics and interpretation of the symbolism of the altar (in particular, the experience of the “passionate” theme), which were characteristic of the era of hesychasm and were embodied with maximum completeness in the Deesis compositions of the high iconostases. At the same time, the icon ensembles, based on the “Zvenigorod” type of deesis, were still deprived of the majestic solemnity and iconographic complexity of the new iconostases. Their images are more chamber, intimate and close to the person praying. For God himself appeared here not in a frighteningly dazzling radiance of glory, but in the guise of a “perfect man,” in the modest clothes of the gospel Jesus - teacher and preacher. This is exactly how the Savior appears on Rublev’s Zvenigorod icon. Despite the extreme fragmentation of the surviving painting (the face and a small part of the figure), this work captivates both with its forms and, most importantly, with the extraordinary inner beauty of the image, born from the pure soul of the artist.
Our Lady, 1408, Cycle of icons of the Deesis tier of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir
The figure of Christ is shown in a smooth, almost imperceptible movement. His torso is slightly turned to the right. We see a slight bend in the neck. The face of Christ is almost frontal. The heavy head of hair hangs on the right, echoing the turn of the body, which makes the turn of the head barely noticeable. And in order to find contact between the Savior and the viewer, the icon painter slightly moves the pupils to the right. In everything here there is some minimum of movement, something elusive that separates Rublev’s creation from the numerous “Spas” that inhabited ancient Russian churches and homes. Zvenigorod Spas, with his soft, unexaggerated features and attentive, slightly sad eyes fixed on the viewer, embodies typically Russian ideas about the external and internal beauty of a person.
Gregory the Theologian, 1408. Cycle of icons of the Deesis tier of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir
John Chrysostom, 1408. Cycle of icons of the Deesis tier of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir
The image of the Zvenigorod Savior is one of the highest achievements of the artistic genius of Andrei Rublev. There were other icons of the rank to match this work. The archangel Michael, the incarnation, is distinguished by the amazing perfection of his forms perfect beauty youth. Spirituality and wisdom emanate from the face of the Apostle Paul, pondering the lines of the ajar Gospel. On the apostle's clothes, lapis lazuli shines like a gem - the famous Rublevsky cabbage roll, which later became the basis for the color scheme of the Trinity icon.
Holy Trinity, 1410s.
“Trinity” - the most perfect among the surviving icons of Andrei Rublev and the most beautiful creation of ancient Russian painting - was painted by the artist, most likely, at the very beginning of the 10s of the 15th century. It is generally accepted that it was created by Rublev for the cathedral iconostasis of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. However, surviving documents indicate that the icon is a contribution to the monastery of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. And the Trinity, apparently, ended up in the royal palace after the Moscow fire of 1547. It is possible that the icon was intended by Rublev for the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral on Gorodok in Zvenigorod, i.e. it was part of the same ensemble with the Zvenigorod rite.
John the Theologian, 1408. Cycle of icons of the Deesis tier of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir
John the Baptist, 1408
Iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral
The development of the Trinity cult in Rus' was associated with the personality and activities of Sergius of Radonezh, who created the Trinity Monastery, “so that by looking at the Most Holy Trinity the fear of the hateful strife of this world could be overcome” (Epiphanius the Wise). Thus, the theme of the Trinity was understood by the advanced Russian people of that time, whose standard-bearer was Sergius, and as a deeply civil theme, as a theme of national unity. Probably, Rublev painted his icon in “praise” of Sergius, a man whose faithful follower he was. This apparently determined the scale of the master’s creative plan and the extraordinary capacity of the artistic image he created. There is also no doubt that the composition and color scheme of the Trinity was greatly influenced by the nature of the iconostasis of which it was a part. The large size of the figures and the coloring of the clothes of Christ and the archangels in the half-length Deesis rank are reflected in the corresponding components of the characteristics of the angels of the Trinity.
Andrew the First-Called, 1408. Cycle of icons of the Deesis tier of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir
Annunciation, 1405
Transfiguration, first quarter of the 15th century.
The plot of the “Trinity”, or “Hospitality of Abraham”, is the reception and entertainment of the elder Abraham and his wife Sarah under the Mamrian oak of three wandering men, in whose image the triune God appeared. The wanderers predicted to Abraham the birth of his son Isaac. Typically, artists, illustrating this plot, focused on the details of the biblical story, depicting Abraham and Sarah offering food, as well as a servant “slaying” the calf. Rublev, taking the Byzantine iconographic scheme of the Trinity composition as a basis, subjected it to a radical rethinking and, as a result, created something completely new and original. The scene was freed from details that gave it genre coloring. Concentrating the action around three angels talking before a meal, in the center of which stands a bowl with the head of a calf - a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross - Rublev “reads” the composition in a completely different meaningful way, revealing its theological and worldview symbolism. There is no story - therefore, there is no passage of time; eternity does not “flicker” through the veil of “today,” but, as it were, directly appears to man. For the strangers do not predict the birth of a son to Abraham, but remain in an inaudible conversation. Before them is not a banquet table, but a sacred meal, not fruits and bread, but a Eucharistic cup. This is the eternal advice about the Father sending the Son to suffer in the name of saving people. This is the love and harmony of three, seen in the artist’s mind’s eye, making one. Almost alone among the painters of the Middle Ages, Rublev manages to solve an almost insoluble creative problem - to show the Trinity as a trinity. Usually this theological thesis perplexed the Byzantine and Russian masters, who either concentrated attention on God the Son - Christ, or wrote all three angels in exactly the same way. Rublev achieved success by following not the path of scholastic illustration of dogma, but the path of its artistic interpretation and experience.
Angel. Miniature of Andrey Rublev. Gospel of Khitrovo, XIV century.
Rublev's three angels are united not because they are identical, but because, first of all, they are connected by a single rhythm, movement in a circle or circular motion. This is the first thing that immediately and powerfully captures you when contemplating Rublev’s “Trinity”. Since ancient times, the circle has been a symbol of harmonious completeness, a symbol of sky and light. In Rublev’s icon, it is captured all the more clearly by the viewer’s inner gaze because in reality it is not there. The circle is formed by the poses, movements of the angels, and the correlation of their figures. To do this, Rublev had to completely rethink the image of the left angel - the most static character of the Byzantine Trinity. He painted his figure in such a way that the angel's legs moved to the center of the stage, filling the "vacuum" in its lower part. At the same time, Rublev moved the figure of the middle angel to the left of the central axis. These were brilliant discoveries. Thanks to them, static balance was overcome in the composition, that harmonious asymmetry arose, that movement of motionless figures, which constitute one of the main secrets of Rublev’s “Trinity”. The circle in it is experienced as an active principle, as a symbol of the eternal flow of life. It defines internal organization images, plasticity of bodies, design of poses, bowing of heads, bending of hands, closes the wings of angels into a light golden curtain, “bends” the mountain and tree above their heads.
The invisible, “imaginable” circle is inscribed in the invisible octahedron formed by the sections of the bases, the sections of the wings, the configuration of the chambers and the mountain. Thus, the internal geometry of the image gradually merges with the geometry of the icon field. Perhaps, in the countries of the Eastern Christian world, no work with such a perfect harmonic organization has yet been created, nor has an artist appeared who so clearly gravitated towards ideally correct and creatively transformed forms. It is no coincidence that “Trinity” constantly evokes associations among researchers with works of ancient art. Of course, Rublev never saw these works. But through medieval and early Christian thinkers, through Dionysius the Areopagite and other prominent theologians, he could become familiar with the laws of beauty first formulated by the philosophers of antiquity, for example, the Pythagorean doctrine of number as the basis of world harmony or the Platonic universal principle of measure (the names of Plato and Pythagoras were known to Moscow scribes of Rublev’s time).
If the motif of circular movement serves as a means of artistic expression of the unity of angels, then, characterizing each figure, the master strives to reveal its individuality - by pose, gesture, position in the iconic space, and finally, color. The right angel is dressed in a blue chiton and a light green himation, the left one is dressed in a blue chiton and a pinkish-lilac himation, the middle one is dressed in a cherry chiton and a blue himation. Cherry-blue colors are the colors of Christ’s clothes, whose image was all the more easily perceived by the viewer’s consciousness because he saw him like this in the center of the waist rank and was accustomed to associate him with the central character of the Trinity.
Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery
Andrey Rublev and Daniil Cherny performed at different times
several large works in the churches of Zvenigorod –
in the Assumption Cathedral on Gorodok and the Cathedral
Nativity of the Virgin Mary of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery
In Rublev’s icon, the theme of the middle angel, Christ, is inextricably linked with the theme of the cup, which appears in the composition several times, gradually intensifying, like the main theme of a symphonic work. The bowl is formed by the lines of the feet. The shape of the bowl is taken by the table (on which the real bowl stands), limited by the outlines of the bent legs of the side angels. Finally, when the viewer’s gaze, glancing over the silhouettes of the extreme figures, moves on to comprehend other quantities, he again sees, as it were, a giant bowl in which the figure of the middle angel, Christ the Lamb, is immersed. Thus, the idea of an atoning sacrifice is embodied by Rublev not only through the conversation of the divine Trinity at the bowl with the head of a calf. It is also embodied through the comparison of a real bowl at a meal with the one that is formed from the relationship of figures and which is seen as if by “reasonable eyes,” disappearing as soon as the attention of the contemplator returns to the objects of the external world. In order for this image to arise, so that the divine thought - providence - is expressed through artistic means, Rublev subjects the silhouette of the right angel to severe linear deformation.
The subtlety of the soul, the submissive bow of the head, the inward gaze and the characteristic gesture of the hand extended to the cup allow one to see the Holy Spirit in the right angel, and the signs of God the Father in the straightened figure and stern face of the left one.
The middle angel is the main character of the Rublev icon. Here the master placed the most intense colorful spot. The purple chiton contrasts with the rich blue color of the himation. Precious lapis lazuli, set in full tone and accompanied by the accompaniment of the most delicate and richest halftones, itself appears on the icon as an unprecedented artistic marvel, capable of bewitching and evoking a deep response in the soul. The outer angels look like color reflections of the central figure, the colors of their clothes sound like somewhat muted reflexes of the main colorful spot.
The distinction of the angels of the Trinity is, therefore, achieved not by attributive theological, but by purely artistic means, which is an important achievement for the medieval painter.
However, one should hardly think that Rublev set himself the task of identifying with all certainty each of the hypostases of the Trinity. It would be unhistorical to think this way. Only the hypostasis of the middle angel has been revealed, since a person could enter into communion with the Trinity only through Christ (as a result of his incarnation). But the Son was at the same time the image of the Father. Therefore, another “reading” of the hypostatic relationships of angels is possible. Polysemy is inherent in the very concept of Rublev's Trinity. The viewer probably perceived it differently, depending on which facet of the Trinity dogma he was thinking about, depending on the level of his spiritual culture.
The artistic and ideological richness of Rublev's Trinity seems inexhaustible. Despite significant damage to the paint layer (especially the painting of faces), the eye never tires of finding new beauties in its extraordinary rhythm, eloquent color harmonies, in the constantly varying correlation of even and odd, two and one. The silhouettes of angels, especially the central angel, have such musical expressiveness of lines that it would be in vain to look for in the creations of Byzantine artists (in this regard, perhaps, Rublev is closer to the Italian masters). Such a work could only be the fruit of the greatest creative effort and many years of search and reflection. It is obvious that in the process of creativity Rublev repeatedly turned to the theme of the Trinity and created a number of its interpretations, some of which became models for later Russian icon painters.
Andrei Rublev's life was filled with intense creative work. He carried out numerous private orders and decorated churches with frescoes. The last works of the great artist are, unfortunately, almost no surviving paintings of the Cathedrals of the Trinity-Sergius and Spaso-Andronikov Monasteries (20s of the 15th century).
In the Trinity Cathedral, icon painters from Rublev’s squad created a beautiful three-tiered iconostasis that has survived to this day, in which the master himself may have created the general concept and iconographic samples of the compositions. In the Trinity iconostasis, Rublev’s students and followers had their say, who were destined to embody and carry on his ideological and artistic behests. Not being able to perceive the art of the brilliant master in its entirety, in all its depth and complexity, they developed individual motives and aspects of it. The most charming icon of the festive rite of the Trinity iconostasis is “Myrrh-Bearing Women,” the author of which reworked Rublev’s surprisingly poetic composition in the direction of refined artistry. Like three beautiful flowers on a single stem, three flexible, graceful female figures standing in front of the tomb of Christ are welded together - a kind of symbol of the heartfelt lyrical experience of the miracle of the resurrection.
Among the masterpieces of Moscow book art of the Rublev era is also the Kiev Psalter, written in 1397 in Kyiv by Metropolitan Protodeacon Spiridonius and decorated with numerous miniature images in the margins. The leading master illustrator of this codex can easily be ranked among the outstanding artists of his time, the quality of the painting is so high, the drawing is so artistic, the compositions are natural and elegant, the colors are exquisitely elegant, the figures, their poses and gestures are graceful. The creators of the Acts of the Apostles miniatures from the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (first third of the 15th century) were under the cross-influence of Byzantine and Rublev traditions. Very expressive here, for example, is the “cast” silhouette of the figure of the Apostle Paul.
Spaso-Andronikovsky Monastery
Andrei Rublev probably died on January 29, 1430 and was buried in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery. The highest rise in the history of ancient Russian fine art is associated with his name. Rublev was the artist who created his own style, infinitely perfect, deeply Russian in its essence and artistic expression (although it owes much to the achievements of Byzantine art), but at the same time, with its noble simplicity, it makes one remember the art of antiquity.
Andrei Rublev made a great contribution to the development of Moscow book art. He obviously took a direct part in illustrating the Khitrovo Gospel (named after its 17th-century owner), whose animal initials are surprisingly close to the images of animals in Vladimir paintings. Most of the miniatures in this manuscript can probably be associated with Rublev. The miniatures of the Khitrovo Gospel are distinguished by their impeccably accurate, elegant design, harmonious compositions and noble color scheme, based on a combination of cold blue, lilac, whitened bluish-gray and green tones and gold. The symbol of the Evangelist Matthew - an angel - with the perfect fit of his figure in a round medallion, inside of which he moves easily and naturally, evokes vivid associations with the “Trinity”. Artists close to Rublev (in particular, probably Daniil) illustrated the Gospel of the Assumption Cathedral (Morozov Gospel) and the Gospel of the Andronikov Monastery.
Rublev's personality, to one degree or another, left its mark on all types of artistic creativity. Among the works of embroidery, the magnificent tombstone of Sergius of Radonezh, whose face apparently has portrait features, is very close to his mood. The image of Sergius has something in common with individual characters in the Vladimir frescoes, although it also contains features of patriarchal severity.
The fine plastic arts of Rublev's tradition were developed by the woodcarving master, monk Ambrose of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery.
Monument to Andrey Rublev
Rublev's style, the linear and coloristic structure of his icons and frescoes, which embodied harmony and beauty, and the new aesthetic ideal that emerged in his work, determined the face of the Moscow school of painting. Rublev's traditions were destined to have a long life in Russian artistic culture.
List of used literature:
1. Alpatov, M. Andrey Rublev [Text] / M. Alpatov. – M.: Education, 1969.
2. Guseva, E. K. A. Rublev [Text] / E. K. Guseva. – M.: Fine Arts, 1990.
3. Klyuchevsky, V. O. Course of Russian history. T. 2 [Text] / V. O. Klyuchevsky. – M.: Historical Library, 2002. – 296 p.
4. Lazarev, V. Moscow school of icon painting [Text] / V. Lazarev. M.: Art, 1980.
5. Plugin, V. A. Worldview of Andrei Rublev [Text] / V. A. Plugin. – M.: Moscow University, 1974.
6. Radugin, A. A. Culturology [Text]: course of lectures / A. A. Radugin. – M.: Center, 1996.
Partially clickable
Andrei Rublev (circa 1375/80 [source not specified 124 days] - October 17, 1428, Moscow) is the most famous and revered master of the Moscow school of icon painting, book and monumental painting of the 15th century. In 1988 he was canonized as a saint by a local council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Archangel Michael from the Deesis rank. 1410s
Biographical information
The name of Andrei Rublev is surrounded by legends, and in the 20th century - by scientific hypotheses. Real ideas about his art appear after the restoration clearing of his “Trinity” icon in 1904, but in full - starting in 1918, when the frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir were cleared and icons of the Zvenigorod rank were found.
The first mention of him dates back to 1405: according to the chronicle, he painted the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin together with Theophan the Greek and Elder Prokhor from Gorodets. Andrei Rublev is called a “monk,” that is, a monk, and is listed last in the list of names, that is, he was the youngest.
According to a later source - “The Tale of the Holy Icon Painters” (XVII century) - it is known that Andrei Rublev lived in the Trinity Monastery under Nikon of Radonezh, who became abbot after the death of Sergius of Radonezh (1392). It is believed that here he was tonsured a monk (according to another hypothesis, in the Andronikov Monastery in Moscow). In 1408, according to the chronicle, together with Daniil Cherny, he painted the ancient (12th century) Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir; named second after Daniel.
In the 1420s, according to the testimony of “The Life of Sergius of Radonezh” (edited by Epiphanius the Wise and Pachomius the Serb) and “The Life of Nikon” - sources from the 1430s-50s, both masters painted the church of St. Trinity in the Trinity Monastery, built in 1423-24 over the tomb of Sergius of Radonezh instead of the old wooden one (1411). After the death of Daniel, who was buried in the Trinity Monastery, Andrei Rublev returned to Moscow to the Andronikov Monastery, where he performed his last work - the painting of the Church of the Savior (c. 1426-27), completed c. 1428. Died on January 29, 1430 in the Andronikov Monastery (the date was established by P.D. Baranovsky based on an 18th-century copy of an inscription on a lost tombstone).
The formation of Rublev's worldview was greatly influenced by the atmosphere of the national upsurge of the 2nd half of the 14th - early 15th centuries, which was characterized by a deep interest in moral and spiritual problems. In his works within the framework of medieval iconography, Andrei Rublev embodied a new, sublime understanding of the spiritual beauty and moral strength of man. These qualities are inherent in the icons of the Zvenigorod rank ("Savior", "Apostle Paul", "Archangel Michael", all - the turn of the 14th-15th centuries, according to other studies, 1410s; Tretyakov Gallery), where the laconic smooth contours and broad brushwork are similar techniques of monumental painting.
At the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th century (according to other studies, around 1412), Rublev created his masterpiece - the icon " Life-Giving Trinity" (Tretyakov Gallery). Rublev filled the traditional biblical story with deep theological content. Departing from traditional iconography, he placed a single bowl in the center of the composition, and repeated its outlines in the contours of the side angels. The clothes of the middle angel, a red chiton, a blue himation, and a sewn stripe - clav, clearly refer us to the iconography of Jesus Christ. Two of those sitting at the table turn their head and body towards the angel written on the left, in whose appearance one can read paternal authority. His head is not bowed, his body is not bowed, but his gaze is turned to other angels. The light purple color of the clothes indicates royal dignity. All this is an indication of the first person of the Holy Trinity. Finally, the angel on the right side is depicted in a smoky green outer garment. This is the hypostasis of the Holy Spirit, behind which the mountain rises. There are several more symbols on the icon: a tree and a house. The tree - the Mamvrian oak - turned into Rublev's tree of life and became an indication of the life-giving nature of the Trinity. The house embodies God's Economy. The House is depicted behind the back of an angel with the features of the Father (Creator, Head of the House), the Tree is depicted behind the back of the middle angel (Son of God), the Mountain is behind the back of the third angel (Holy Spirit).
The central angel is highlighted by an expressive contrast of spots of dark cherry and blue flowers, as well as an exquisite combination of golden ocher with delicate cabbage roll and greenery. And the outer contours form a pentagon, symbolizing the star of Bethlehem. “Trinity” is designed for distant and near points of view, each of which differently reveals the richness of shades and virtuosic brushwork. The harmony of all elements of the form is an artistic expression of the main idea of the “Trinity” - self-sacrifice as highest condition spirit that creates harmony in the world and life.
In 1405, Andrei Rublev, together with Feofan the Greek and Prokhor from Gorodets, painted the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (the frescoes have not survived), and in 1408, Andrei Rublev, together with Daniil Cherny and other masters, painted the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (the painting has been partially preserved) and created icons for his monumental three-tier iconostasis, which became an important stage in the formation of the system of high Russian iconostasis. Of the frescoes by Andrei Rublev in the Assumption Cathedral, the most significant composition is “The Last Judgment,” where a traditionally formidable scene turned into a bright celebration of the triumph of justice, affirming the spiritual value of man. Rublev's works in Vladimir indicate that already at that time he was a mature master who stood at the head of the school of painting he created.
Creation
In 1425-27, Rublev, together with Daniil Cherny and other masters, painted the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery and created the icons of its iconostasis. The icons have been preserved; they are made in different manners and are of unequal artistic quality. The time when new internecine wars were brewing in Rus' and the harmonious ideal of man, which had developed in the previous period, did not find support in reality, also affected Rublev’s work. In a number of works, Rublev managed to create impressive images; in them one can feel dramatic notes that were not previously characteristic of him (“Apostle Paul”). The coloring of the icons is more gloomy compared to early works; in some icons the decorative principle is enhanced, in others archaic tendencies appear. Some sources call the painting of the Spassky Cathedral of the Andronikov Monastery (in the spring of 1428; only fragments of ornaments have survived) as Rublev’s last work [source not specified 124 days].
A number of works are also attributed to him, the attribution of which to Rublev has not been definitely proven: frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral on the “Gorodok” in Zvenigorod (late 14th - early 15th centuries; fragments have survived), icons - “Our Lady of Vladimir” (circa 1409, Assumption Cathedral, Vladimir) , “Savior in Power” (1408, Tretyakov Gallery), part of the icons of the festive rite (“Annunciation”, “Nativity of Christ”, “Candlemas”, “Baptism”, “Resurrection of Lazarus”, “Transfiguration”, “Entrance into Jerusalem” - all around 1405) of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (the iconostasis of this cathedral, according to the latest research, comes from the Simonov Monastery), part of the miniatures of the “Khitrovo Gospel” (around 1395, Russian State Library, Moscow).
Rublev's creativity is one of the pinnacles of Russian and world culture. The perfection of his creations is considered as the result of a special hesychast tradition [not in the source 124 days]. Already during the life of Andrei, his icons were highly valued and revered as miraculous [not in the source 124 days].
Trinity. Around 1411
Apostle Paul from the Deesis rank. 1410s
Descent into hell. 1408-1410
Andrew the First-Called. 1408
Archangel Gabriel. 1408
Archangel Michael. 1408
Ascension. 1408
Annunciation. 1405
Our Lady. 1408
Gregory the Theologian. 1408
John the Theologian. 1408
John the Baptist. 1408
Nativity
Savior is in power. 1408
Savior is in power. 10s of the 15th century. State Tretyakov Gallery
Saved. 1410s
Fully
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