Iconography by Andrei Rublev. Rev. Andrei Rublev, icon painter
The legendary name of Andrei Rublev, who worked in the 15th century, was preserved in popular memory, and works of different times were often associated with him when they wanted to emphasize their extraordinary historical or artistic significance. Thanks to restorations and the liberation of monuments from later layers, it became possible to recognize the master’s original paintings. In parallel with the restoration discoveries, information from historical sources was accumulated, which began to be used for systematic searches for the works of Andrei Rublev. Thus, the true discovery of Rublev painting took place in the twentieth century.
It is not known exactly when Andrei Rublev was born, to what class he belonged, or who was his teacher in painting. Most researchers consider the year 1360 to be the date of birth of the artist. The earliest information about the artist goes back to the Moscow “Trinity Chronicle”. Among the events of 1405, it is reported that “the same spring began to sign the stone church of the Holy Annunciation at the Great Prince’s court, and the masters were Theophan the icon-maker Grechin, and Prokhor the elder of Gorodets, and the monk Andrei Rublev.” The last mention of the master’s name, according to the then tradition, meant that he was the youngest in the artel. But at the same time, participation in the honorary order to decorate the house church of Vasily Dmitrievich, the eldest son of Dmitry Donskoy, along with the then famous Feofan the Greek in Rus', characterizes Andrei Rublev as already a fairly recognized, authoritative master.
The following message from the Trinity Chronicle dates back to 1408: On May 25, “the great stone cathedral church of the Holy Mother of God in Vladimir began to be signed by the order of Prince the Great and the masters Danilo the icon painter and Andrei Rublev.” Daniil mentioned here is Andrei’s “comrade”, better known under the name Daniil Cherny, a comrade in subsequent works. 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 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 of the spiritual and cultural tradition of Rus' in the era of national independence after the victory on the Kulikovo Field.
From the works of Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny in the Vladimir 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.
In 1768-1775, the dilapidated iconostasis of 1408, due to inconsistency with the tastes of Catherine’s era, was removed from the cathedral and sold to the village of Vasilyevskoye near Shuya (now Ivanovo region). Information about the later fate of the iconostasis prompted the Central State Restoration Workshops to organize a special expedition, which in 1919-1922 removed the surviving monuments. After restoration, these icons entered the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery and the State Russian Museum. The iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral included icons of the Deesis, festive and prophetic rows. In accordance with the size of the cathedral, its iconostasis is one of the largest that has come down to us. Thus, the Deesis icons (eleven of them in the gallery’s collection) have a height of 3.14 m. The composition and composition of the ancient Russian iconostasis developed on Moscow soil at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries, and in this we see a certain merit of Theophanes the Greek and Russian masters, to the circle which belonged to Andrei Rublev.
The Vladimir Deesis is a stylistically integral ensemble of a single epically solemn rhythm, perfectly correlated with the scale of the interior and the compositional structure of the fresco images. The coloristic solution of the Deesis is harmoniously clear. Calm, unclouded, pure colors are ideally consistent with the overall sublime and enlightened intonation. The ideological concept of the Deesis composition (translated from Greek “Deesis” means “prayer”) is associated with the theme of the “Last Judgment” and reflects the idea of the intercession and prayer of saints for the human race before the Savior. The program of the “Last Judgment” in the frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral is executed with particular insight. The vast space of the temple is filled with images of sublime beauty and nobility. In the icon deesis, which correlates with the images of the fresco ensemble, the individual characteristics of the Savior and the saints represented in prayer before him are, as it were, strengthened and sharpened.
The central icon of the Deesis “Savior in Power” depicts Jesus Christ with the opened text of the Gospel, seated on a throne. The red rhombus, bluish-green oval and red quadrangle framing Christ symbolize his glory and “powers,” heavenly (in the oval) and earthly (symbols of the four evangelists in the corners of the rhombus). The Icon of the Savior, like most of the icons on the iconostasis, was repeatedly renewed, repainted and strengthened. Restoration opening of the monument revealed the author's surface with areas of insertions on a new ground and thorough abrasion of the original painting with the loss of delicate transparent upper layers (glazes). But thanks to the technological thoroughness of the monument, the beautifully executed multi-layered painting of the face, a modern viewer, even in this state of the icon, is able to comprehend the depth and sublime nobility of the image, to appreciate the pure, soft-sounding tones of the icon, its solemn, classically clear rhythm. The majesty of the appearance of the Savior, combined with spiritual gentleness, allows us to see here the national Russian ideal, fundamentally different from the Greek one, the presence of which is so noticeable in the monuments of the pre-Rubble era. In the expressive face of the Savior, the viewer will easily notice Slavic ethnic features. His image embodied popular ideas about justice, trampled upon in real life. The saints praying before the Savior, represented on other icons, are filled with selfless faith in a fair trial. Surprisingly accurate, soulful characteristics were found for each character, without at the same time violating the intonation unity of the entire ensemble. The ability to unite large multi-figure groups with a single emotional sound is one of the features of Andrei Rublev’s compositional gift. The image of the Mother of God emphasizes a capacious, monumental character, a smooth flowing silhouette, broken by the accentuated gesture of hands outstretched in prayer. The entire image is imbued with meek and sad prayer, intercession “for the human race.” In the image of John the Baptist, attention is focused on the theme of majestic sorrow, “spiritual lamentation,” in the old expression. John calls for repentance, as stated in the large inscription of the charter on the unfolded scroll in his hand. John the Theologian and Andrew the First-Called, Gregory the Great and John Chrysostom turn to the Savior with epic concentration and trust. In the image of Gregory the Great, wise from the experience of a long life, majesty was combined with meek calm and thoughtfulness. The face is smoothly painted in several layers in a warm tone, traversed by the elegant graphics of the top drawing. The special beauty of the pure, exquisitely composed tone is marked by the scarlet stripes of the sakkos lining, the pale green omophorion with the finest tints, and the green edge of the Gospel, the lid of which is intricately ornamented.
A true decoration of the coloring of the Deesis series are sections of red cinnabar, arranged in certain places and with a certain calculation, different in area and configuration. These are the geometric frames of the figure of the Savior on the throne in the center, the wide cloaks of the archangels and narrow expressive inclusions on the icons of Saints Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.
The presence in the Deesis composition among the praying saints of two figures of archangels, Michael and Gabriel, goes back to the long tradition of depicting the “heavenly powers” worshiping him on the sides of the central image of Jesus Christ (Savior). In the paintings of Andrei Rublev, images of angels are given special significance. In the fresco ensemble of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, numerous faces of angels present a spectacle of exceptional beauty and diversity, drawing a person into the world of sublime feelings and moods. The angels on the Deesis icons organically complement the images of angels trumpeting heaven and earth, twisting the vault of heaven, standing behind the apostles in the “Last Judgment,” worshiping the Mother of God, solemnly sitting on the throne.
The festive row located above the Deesis, illustrating the Gospel events, has not been completely preserved. In total, five icons have reached us: “The Annunciation”, “The Descent into Hell”, “The Ascension” (in the Tretyakov Gallery collection), “The Presentation” and “The Nativity of Christ” (in the State Russian Museum collection). Most researchers tend to consider these monuments as works of the workshop of Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny. Three holiday icons from the gallery’s collection were executed by different masters, but they are united by unity of scale, compositional, rhythmic and coloristic principles, and impeccable design. According to ancient tradition, the authors of the drawing or graphic design were leading masters; they were called bannermen. Probably, such bannermen of the Vladimir “holidays” were “comrades” Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny. A lot was included in the preliminary drawing, so that the subsequent work with paints, no matter how individual it was, retained the basic properties of the image intended by the leading master. That is why the Vladimir “holidays” do not fall out of the single ensemble of the iconostasis. Perhaps important images or details were painted by the main masters. The Ascension icon stands out for its most perfect execution, and is attributed by many researchers to Andrei Rublev himself. Unfolded on a relatively small space of the icon surface, the image of Christ ascending to the heavenly world in a circle of glory, accompanied by gracefully soaring angels, breathtakingly conveys the greatness of the moment. The figures of two angels standing among the apostles in white clothes, as if permeated with light, point with raised hands to the evidence of the miracle taking place. On the tops of the mountainous landscape, which serves as a backdrop to what is happening, fragments of trees with lush crowns, as if illuminated by a mystical light and shimmering blue-white-red highlights on fruits or flowers, have been preserved. The image of these trees is correlated with the idea of a “life-giving tree,” one of the ancient symbols of Christ and the Resurrection. Nature, responding to an event presented as a cosmic event, is depicted by the artist with an understanding of the most ancient symbolic identifications, rooted in deep pre-Christian antiquity.
Against the background of the light clothes of the angels, the figure of the Mother of God stands out in the center of the group. Hand gestures emphasize her state: the left hand with an open palm seems to be in contact with the divine energy that fills the space, the right hand in a gesture of conversation is turned towards the Apostle Peter, who gradually extended his hand in a similar position. On either side of the Mother of God, the apostles, filled with sublime joy, contemplate the miracle of the Ascension. It should be noted the typological similarity of the faces of the icon with similar images in frescoes and the Deesis. In the ensemble of 1408, most of the characters acquired those characteristic features by which, in the future, the Rublevsky type would be determined.
The Ascension icon, like no other of the multi-figure holiday icons, has a special rhythmic organization of the composition. Here the sense of harmony and plastic balance characteristic of Andrei Rublev was manifested. The coloring of the icon is diverse due to the nuances of each tone. The picturesque planes of the main tones are enlivened by the richness of the upper modeling pattern and glazes.
The next work by Andrei Rublev in terms of creation is the so-called “Zvenigorod Chin”, one of the most beautiful icon ensembles of Rublev painting. The rite consists of three waist icons: the Savior, the Archangel Michael and the Apostle Paul. They come from Zvenigorod near Moscow, the former center of an 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.O. Chirikov in 1918 in a woodshed near the Assumption Cathedral on Gorodok during an examination by an expedition of the Central State Restoration Workshops of this ancient princely temple of Yuri Zvenigorodsky, the second son of Dmitry Donskoy. Since the nature of the arrangement of icons on the altar barrier is not entirely clear, the rite could have been included in the iconostasis of both the princely Assumption Cathedral and the neighboring Nativity Cathedral of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, the patron of which was the Zvenigorod prince.
In relation to this group of monuments, the authorship of Andrei Rublev, unfortunately, is not verified by any of the written sources that have reached us, contemporary paintings. After the restoration of the rank, I.E. Grabar, who first published it, based on the data of stylistic analysis, attributed the icons as the works of Andrei Rublev. This attribution, not disputed by any of the researchers of the artist’s work, is also confirmed by historical facts. The alleged customer of the rank, Yuri Zvenigorodsky, is known for his connections with the Trinity-Sergius Monastery; he was a godson St. Sergius Radonezh and erected the stone Trinity Cathedral over his tomb (1422). It is natural to assume that Andrei Rublev, who worked at the Trinity Monastery, could fulfill the order of a large investor, who was also the godson of the founder of the monastery.
Later information has been preserved that is associated with the Zvenigorod rank. According to the inventory of 1697-1698, seven Deesis icons were hung on the walls of the Assumption Cathedral in Gorodok. It is difficult to say due to what circumstances the Deesis was not located on the altar barrier at that time. Perhaps the icons were transferred from the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, perhaps they were transferred from the altar barrier of the Assumption Cathedral.
The “Zvenigorod” rank combined high pictorial merits with depth of figurative content. The soft, sincere intonations, the “quiet” light of his coloring amazingly resonate with the poetic mood of the landscape of the Zvenigorod outskirts, the most beautiful places near Moscow, personifying for us the image of the Motherland. In the Zvenigorod rank, Andrei Rublev acts as an established master who has reached the pinnacle of the 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.
The central icon of the Deesis “Spas” is marked by special significance, the endless, inexhaustible depth of its content. With this mature work, Rublev affirms a fundamentally different iconographic type of Christ from the Byzantine one, the previous version of which were similar images in the ensemble of 1408 (the fresco Savior the Judge from the “Last Judgment” and the icon “Savior in Power”, which we discussed above). The Zvenigorod “Spas” seems to lose the certain abstractness of the images of the deity and appears humanized, inspiring trust and hope, bearing a good beginning. The master endows Christ with Russian features both externally and allows them to be felt internally, in a special tonality of state: clarity, benevolence, active participation. Despite the fragmentarily preserved face and half of the figure, the impression of the image is so complete and complete that it suggests something fundamental, increased value in the art of Andrei Rublev it is the face and eyes that are expressive. In this, the master follows the precepts of pre-Mongol art, which left excellent examples of the psychological expressiveness of faces: “Our Lady of Vladimir”, “Ustyug Annunciation”, Novgorod’s “Savior Not Made by Hands”, “Angel of the Golden Hair”, “Savior of the Golden Hair”. Giving the Savior a Slavic appearance, the master paints the face in exclusively soft light tones.
The expressiveness of the Byzantine faces of that time was achieved by the contrast of the brown-green lining tone (in Greek “sankir”) with a light, highly bleached layer of subsequent modeling (ochre). In the Byzantine faces, the whitening strokes - “movers”, placed on top of the modeling layers, which were sometimes arranged fan-shaped, sometimes in pairs or combined into groups, stood out sharply. Cinnabar stains also sound contrastingly and artistically striking in Greek faces: on the lips, as a “brown,” in the shape of the nose, along the contour of the eye sockets and in the inner corner of the eyes (tearpiece). This is exactly how the faces of Theophan’s Deesis from the Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin are painted, including the face of the icon of the Savior.
Rublev's painting of faces is different. The Russian icon painter prefers a soft chiaroscuro style, the so-called float, that is, smoothly, “floatingly,” as the icon painters said, and laid down tones in several layers, taking into account the transmission of the brighter lining through the transparent and light upper ones. The most prominent places were covered with light modeling ocher several times, so that these areas of multi-layered writing give the impression of emitting light, luminiferous. To revive the painting of the face, between the final layers of ocher, a thin layer of cinnabar was laid in certain places (called “rudgy” by icon painters). The facial features were outlined with a confident, calligraphically clear upper brown pattern. The modeling of the form was completed with very delicately placed bleaching “slides”. They were not painted as actively in the faces of the Rublev circle and were not as numerous as those of Theophanes and the Greek masters. Thin, graceful, slightly curved, they did not contrast with the tone on top of which they were laid, but served as an organic completion of the light sculpting of the form, becoming part of this smooth highlighting, as if its culmination.
Moving on to the image of the Archangel Michael, it should be noted that it is close to the circle of angelic images in the murals of the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral. The grace and flexibility of the contour, the proportionality of movement and rest, the subtly conveyed thoughtful, contemplative state - all this especially makes the image similar to the angels on the slopes of the large vault of the cathedral. Among the fresco images there is an angel, which can be considered as preceding the Zvenigorod one. It is located on the southern slope of the large vault, in the second row, where it rises above the seated Apostle Simon. But the fresco angel is perceived in the circle of his many brothers, the entire fresco angelic host or cathedral. His figurative characteristics seem to be dissolved in the environment of others like him. The Zvenigorod Archangel Michael is an icon from the Deesis. Like, probably, its counterpart, the now lost icon of the Archangel Gabriel, it embodied the quintessence of the “angelic theme,” since through these two images in the Deesis the “heavenly powers” approaching Christ, praying for the human race, are perceived.
The Zvenigorod Archangel was born in the imagination of an artist of the highest thoughts and embodied the dream of harmony and perfection that lived in his soul in spite of all the hardships and tragic circumstances of his life at that time. The image of the archangel seemed to merge distant echoes of Hellenic images and ideas about the sublime beauty of the heavenly inhabitants, correlated with a purely Russian ideal, marked by sincerity, thoughtfulness, and contemplation.
The pictorial design of the icon is exceptionally beautiful. The pinkish tones predominant in the personal body are slightly enhanced by a splash of pink along the line of the nose. Delicate, slightly plump lips, painted in a more intense pink, seem to concentrate this leading tone. Golden blond hair in soft curls framing the face gives the color a warmer tone that matches the golden assist of the angel wings painted in bright ochres and the gold background. The turquoise-blue headband in the hair, as if permeated with light, is woven into this golden palette like a splash of noble enamel. It is tonally echoed by blue, a more muted shade in the paportki (wings) and in small areas of the chiton with a gold patterned shoulder. But the predominant color in the pre-face (a term in icon painting, meaning the entire painting except the face, that is, what is painted before the face) turns out to be pink again. This is the tone of an angelic himation, draped over the shoulders and draped in exquisite folds. Filling most of the pictorial surface, the pink tone is masterfully modeled by whitened folds, emphasized by the top pattern of a condensed coral pink tone. The color scheme of this icon, combining golden yellow, pink and blue tones, enriched with gold background, ornament and assistive shading of angel wings, seems to ideally correspond to the image of an archangel, a heavenly celestial.
The third character of the rank, the Apostle Paul, appears in the master’s interpretation as completely different from how he was usually depicted in the circle of Byzantine art of that time. Instead of the energy and determination of the Byzantine image, the master revealed features of philosophical depth and epic contemplation. The apostle's clothing, with its color, rhythm of folds, and subtlety of tonal transitions, enhances the impression of sublime beauty, peace, enlightened harmony and clarity.
The Tretyakov Gallery also houses the most famous work of Andrei Rublev - the famous “Trinity”. 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 symbol of the reflection of universal existence, the highest truth, a symbol of spiritual unity, peace, harmony, mutual love and humility, readiness to sacrifice oneself for the sake of the common benefits. 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.”
St. Sergius of Radonezh, under the influence of whose ideas Andrei Rublev’s worldview was formed, was a holy ascetic and an outstanding personality in the history of mankind. He advocated for overcoming civil strife, actively participated in the political life of Moscow, contributed to its rise, reconciled warring princes, and contributed to the unification of Russian lands around Moscow. A special merit of Sergius of Radonezh was his participation in the preparation of the Battle of Kulikovo, when he helped Dmitry Donskoy with his advice and spiritual experience, strengthened his confidence in the correctness of his chosen path and, finally, blessed the Russian army before the Battle of Kulikovo. The personality of Sergius of Radonezh had special authority for his contemporaries; a generation of people during the Battle of Kulikovo was brought up on his ideas, 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 the 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 Rublev icon, attention is focused on the three angels and their condition. They are depicted seated around a throne, in the center of which is a Eucharistic cup with the head of a sacrificial calf, symbolizing the New Testament lamb, that is, Christ. The meaning of this image is sacrificial love. The left angel, signifying God the Father, blesses the cup with his right hand. 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). Researchers emphasize the symbolic cosmological significance of the compositional circle, into which the image fits laconically and naturally. In the circle they see a reflection of the idea of the Universe, peace, unity, which embraces multiplicity and 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 a 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 of the heavenly heavenly world, the artist, with the help of paints, sought to convey the sublime “heavenly” beauty that was revealed to the earthly gaze. The painting of Andrei Rublev, especially the Zvenigorod rank, is distinguished by a special purity of color, 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 the color in the icon is especially palpable in the leading sound of blue-blue, called Rublevsky cabbage roll. Comprehending the beauty and depth of content, correlating the meaning of the “Trinity” with the ideas of Sergius of Radonezh about contemplation, moral improvement, peace, harmony, 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 our 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 member of the Moscow Archaeological Society, a famous artist, 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 1918-1919 and 1926, the best masters of the Central State Restoration Workshops carried out the final clearing of the monument. In 1929, “Trinity”, as a priceless masterpiece of ancient Russian painting, was moved to the Tretyakov Gallery. There is also, as it were, a second circle of monuments created in the traditions of Andrei Rublev’s painting, probably by his students and followers.
The gate canopy with the image of the Eucharist rises to the Trinity iconostasis, for which Andrei Rublev wrote “Trinity”. The compositional and iconographic scheme of the canopy closely follows the design of the two icons of the Trinity iconostasis (“Communion with bread” and “Communion with wine”), and it is possible that it was written specifically for the Royal Doors of the Trinity Cathedral. The monument comes from the Annunciation Church located near the Trinity Monastery (Lavra) in the village of Annunciation, or Prince, the ancient estate of the extinct family of Radonezh princes. The village was donated as a contribution to the monastery by Prince Andrei Vladimirovich of Radonezh. The subtly conveyed thoughtful and contemplative state of the characters in “Eucharist” is close to the character and spirit of Rublev’s works.
The Rublev monuments stored in the Tretyakov Gallery were created during the peak of Moscow painting in the 15th century. Having joined in the 14th century, due to historical conditions, the Byzantine (Constantinople) art of the so-called Palaiologan style (that is, the period of the Palaiologan dynasty in Byzantium), a style that influenced the culture of most countries of the Eastern Christian world, Moscow masters, having mastered its individual elements and techniques, managed to overcome the Byzantine legacy. Rejecting the asceticism and severity of Byzantine images, their abstraction, Andrei Rublev, however, sensed their ancient, Hellenic basis and translated it into his art. Andrei Rublev managed to fill traditional images with new content, correlating it with the most important ideas time: the unification of Russian lands into a single state and universal peace and harmony.
Academician D.S. Likhachev noted that “the national ideals of the Russian people are most fully expressed in the works of its two geniuses - Andrei Rublev and Alexander Pushkin. It was in their work that the dreams of the Russian people about the very good person, about ideal human beauty. 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.”
Chronology of the life and work of Andrei Rublev
Around 1360 - Andrei Rublev was probably born in middle lane Russia. According to other sources, he was born in 1365.
Late 1390s - Creation of miniatures for the book "The Gospel of Khitrovo".
Before 1405 - He became a monk with the name Andrei at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. According to other sources - in the Andronikov Monastery.
1405 - Worked together with Theophan the Greek and Prokhor, “the elder from Gorodets,” on decorating the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the home church of the Moscow princes, with icons and frescoes. "Transfiguration".
1408 - Together with Daniil Cherny, he worked on the painting and iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. “The Mother of God”, “John the Theologian”, “Apostle Andrew”, “The Savior is in power”.
Between 1408-1422 - Creation of the Belt Zvenigorod rank. "Savior", "Archangel Michael", "Apostle Paul".
Around 1411 (according to other sources 1427) - Icon of the Trinity.
Between 1422-1427 - Together with Daniil Cherny, he supervised the painting and creation of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. The temple image of the Trinity is painted.
All subsequent ancient Russian painting experienced and continues to experience the enormous influence of Rublev’s work. In 1551, at the Stoglavy Cathedral, Rublev’s icon painting was proclaimed a perfect role model.
Rublev’s rebirth occurred already in the 20th century, when numerous restorations of his works were carried out, studies of the master’s life and clarification of his biography were carried out. Gradually, Rublev's name becomes a legend, a kind of symbol of the lost Holy Rus' and all ancient Russian art. The clearest expression of this legend was Andrei Tarkovsky's film "Andrei Rublev", filmed in 1971, which clearly emphasized the amazing contrast between an extremely cruel historical era and the peaceful and harmonious images of the reverend painter.
Andrei Rublev is revered as one of the great Russian saints.
Andrei Rublev is a famous ancient Russian icon painter, famous for his paintings of the cathedrals of Moscow, Vladimir and the monastery in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Little biographical information about his life has been preserved; they are described in his biography, which we will present to you below. His most famous icon, kept in the Tretyakov Gallery, is “Trinity”.
Andrei Rublev was born in the 60s of the 14th century; the exact place of birth is also unknown. According to some sources, he was born in the town of Radonezh, located next to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, according to others - in Nizhny Novgorod. His father was a craftsman, as can be judged by his last name, because in those days a ruble was called a tool for working with leather. According to some sources, in his youth he became a novice of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, and then a monk, receiving the name Andrei upon tonsure (his exact name is unknown). The biography of icon painter Andrei Rublev originates within these walls, where he begins to learn the art of icon painting and studies the works on philosophy of Sergius of Radonezh, the founder of the monastery. There, visiting the monastery library, he carefully and with great zeal studies the works of the masters and artists of antiquity who painted icons. The end of the 14th century became a difficult time for the Russian state: in 1364-1366 the plague raged in Moscow, and in 1365 there was a fire that destroyed almost the entire city. Then, in 1371, Moscow was besieged by Prince Olgerd, after which famine came to these lands. In the biography of Andrei Rublev, creativity and his first works as an artist are mentioned for the first time in 1405, when he, having moved to Moscow, together with Theophan the Greek, began painting the Annunciation Cathedral. The fate of the cathedral was tragic: 9 years later it was destroyed and then rebuilt several times. But some works were miraculously preserved: these are 2 tiers of the iconostasis, in which there are 7 icons made by Andrei Rublev, and 6 by Elder Prokhor of Gorodets, a famous master of icon painting of those times. Already in these works, the hand of the master is noticeable, freer and lighter compared to Elder Prokhor, but already highly professional. This series of holiday icons is the first in Rus': “Annunciation”, “Nativity of Christ”, “Baptism”, “Transfiguration”, etc. During these years, Rublev also painted a copy icon “ Our Lady of Vladimir"from a famous Byzantine image, as well as a drawing from the book "The Gospel of Khitrovo", which got its name from the name of the boyar, in whose belongings it was found in the 17th century. According to art historians, this manuscript, which has no value, in those years could only have been created with the money of either the Metropolitan of Rus' or one of the great princes. In 1918, in the town of Zvenigorod near Moscow, 3 icons dating back to 1410 were discovered in an old wooden barn. According to some sources, they were painted for the iconostasis of a local church, but according to the conclusion of modern researchers, none of the churches are suitable in size. Conventionally, they were called “Zvenigorod Chin”, “Apostle Michael”, “Savior”, “Apostle Paul”, and, undoubtedly, they can belong exclusively to the hand of A. Rublev.
At this time, the Tatar Khan Edygei gathered an army and marched on Moscow, which he could not take. However, along the way, the Tatars set fire to many settlements and cities, and were unable to save the Trinity Monastery, where Abbot Nikon served during these years. In subsequent years, Nikon made every effort to restore the monastery, and in 1424 he took on the construction of a white stone church, to which D. Cherny and A. Rublev were invited to create paintings. All works in this temple are dated 1425-1427. At the same time, the most famous icon in the biography of Andrei Rublev, “Trinity,” was painted. It was part of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral in Sergiev Posad and is considered the most artistically perfect among the icon paintings of that time. The artist reflected in it the concept of the Orthodox religion about the trinity of God.
At the end of the 1420s, having completed work in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, the icon painter’s long-time friend and comrade-in-arms, Daniil Cherny, died and was buried here. After this, A. Rublev returned to Moscow to work on the paintings of the Spassky Cathedral in the Andronikov Monastery, which he managed to complete in 1428. According to some reports, he also took part in its construction. This work was the last in the biography of Andrei Rublev. The famous painter died in 1428 in Moscow during a plague epidemic and was buried near the bell tower of the Andronikov Monastery. In 1988, the year of the millennium of the baptism of Rus', he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Andrei Rublev is a famous ancient Russian icon painter, famous for his paintings of the cathedrals of Moscow, Vladimir and the monastery in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Little biographical information about his life has been preserved; they are described in his biography, which we will present to you below. His most famous icon, kept in the Tretyakov Gallery, is “Trinity”.
Andrey Rublev: biography and creativity (briefly)
- 1360s - born in Radonezh into the family of a craftsman.
- 1405 - participates, together with other artists, in work on frescoes and icons of the Annunciation Cathedral (Moscow).
- 1408 - work in the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir together with D. Cherny, already in these years he had his own style and taught students.
- 1420 - creation of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral in Sergiev Posad, including the famous “Trinity”, considered a masterpiece of world icon painting.
- 1425 - participation in the construction and painting of the Andronikov Monastery (Moscow).
- 1428 - death from plague.
Childhood, adolescence, monasticism
Andrei Rublev was born in the 60s of the 14th century; the exact place of birth is also unknown. According to some sources, he was born in the town of Radonezh, located next to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, according to others - in Nizhny Novgorod. His father was a craftsman, as can be judged by his last name, because in those days a ruble was called a tool for working with leather. According to some sources, in his youth he became a novice of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, and then a monk, receiving the name Andrei upon tonsure (his exact name is unknown).
The biography of icon painter Andrei Rublev originates within these walls, where he begins to learn the art of icon painting and studies the works on philosophy of Sergius of Radonezh, the founder of the monastery. There, visiting the monastery library, he carefully and with great zeal studies the works of the masters and artists of antiquity who painted icons.
The end of the 14th century became a difficult time for the Russian state: in 1364-1366 the plague raged in Moscow, and in 1365 there was a fire that destroyed almost the entire city. Then, in 1371, Moscow was besieged by Prince Olgerd, after which famine came to these lands.
The beginning of a creative journey
In the biography of Andrei Rublev, creativity and his first works as an artist are mentioned for the first time in 1405, when he, having moved to Moscow, together with Theophan the Greek, began painting the Annunciation Cathedral. The fate of the cathedral was tragic: 9 years later it was destroyed and then rebuilt several times. But some works were miraculously preserved: these are 2 tiers of the iconostasis, in which there are 7 icons made by Andrei Rublev, and 6 by Elder Prokhor of Gorodets, a famous master of icon painting of those times.
Already in these works, the hand of the master is noticeable, freer and lighter compared to Elder Prokhor, but already highly professional. This series of holiday icons is the first in Rus': “Annunciation”, “Nativity of Christ”, “Baptism”, “Transfiguration”, etc.
During these years, Rublev also painted an icon-copy of “The Mother of God of Vladimir” from a famous Byzantine image, as well as a drawing from the book “The Gospel of Khitrovo”, which received its name from the name of the boyar, in whose belongings it was found in the 17th century. According to art historians, this manuscript, which has no value, in those years could only have been created with the money of either the Metropolitan of Rus' or one of the great princes.
Murals of the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral
Next reliable facts biographies of Andrei Rublev speak of mentioning him as an artist and date back to May 1408, when the Moscow prince ordered new frescoes to be painted on the site of lost 12th-century paintings in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny came here at the invitation of the prince to do wall paintings, and Rublev was still working on several icons, including with his students. These works are now exhibited at the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.
The frescoes on the western wall of the Vladimir Cathedral, which have survived to this day, are parts of the large composition “The Last Judgment”. It clearly identifies images belonging to the hand of A. Rublev, which have an unusual and strong emotional mood. In the figures of an angel with a trumpet, the Apostle Peter and the court scenes themselves, there are no emotions of fear of heavenly punishments, but an enlightened mood and the idea of forgiveness rise.
Icons in Zvenigorod
In 1918, in the town of Zvenigorod near Moscow, 3 icons dating back to 1410 were discovered in an old wooden barn. According to some sources, they were painted for the iconostasis of a local church, but according to the conclusion of modern researchers, none of the churches are suitable in size. Conventionally, they were called “Zvenigorod Chin”, “Apostle Michael”, “Savior”, “Apostle Paul”, and, undoubtedly, they can belong exclusively to the hand of A. Rublev.
These icons in the biography of Andrei Rublev became a new confirmation of his talent, capable of collecting into a single whole and subordinating lilac-pink-blue colors into complete harmony, which remained unique for several centuries. Bright moods as the completion of Rublev’s creative quest were embodied in the various images of these creations, in which the master of icon painting summarized various thoughts about the moral values of each person belonging to his contemporaries.
Art historians consider the “Savior” icon to be the most interesting, although it is very poorly preserved, but the face of Jesus Christ, endowed with Slavic features, is clearly visible. Christ looks attentively with a very calm, penetrating gaze. His whole appearance is filled with energy, attention and benevolence.
In the icon “Archangel Michael” the artist sang the lyrical reflections and thoughts of the poet. Although the angel is a heavenly and not a physical creature, Rublev embodied in him all the earthly beauty of man. The Apostle Paul is depicted by the icon painter as a philosopher-thinker, painted in a soft gray-lilac color scheme with blue tones.
Murals of the Holy Trinity Cathedral
At this time, the Tatar Khan Edygei gathered an army and marched on Moscow, which he could not take. However, along the way, the Tatars set fire to many settlements and cities, and were unable to save the Trinity Monastery, where Abbot Nikon served during these years. In subsequent years, Nikon made every effort to restore the monastery, and in 1424 he took on the construction of a white stone church, to which D. Cherny and A. Rublev were invited to create paintings. All works in this temple are dated 1425-1427.
At the same time, the most famous icon in the biography of Andrei Rublev, “Trinity,” was painted. It was part of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral in Sergiev Posad and is considered the most artistically perfect among the icon paintings of that time. The artist reflected in it the concept of the Orthodox religion about the trinity of God.
The history of the discovery of this icon is very interesting: for several centuries it was on public display, but it was not noticed. It so happened that in 1575, Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered it to be covered with a frame of gold, and only faces, feet and hands were visible. Then, in 1600, Boris Godunov changed the salary to a new, even more luxurious one. During replacement, the icon was covered with drying oil for preservation, which made the colors brighter. Over time, the outer layer began to darken, soot from candles settled on it, and smoke from incense fell on it. To make the icon look better, it was constantly renewed by applying layers of paint on top along the contours of the design, and then again covered with drying oil. Most likely, the icon would have perished over time if not for chance. At the beginning of the 20th century, restorers scraped off the upper layers with a scalpel, and the beautiful creation of the great icon painter was revealed to their eyes.
Among the frescoes of the Trinity Cathedral that have survived to this day, according to art historians, the hand of A. Rublev includes “Baptism”, “Archangel Michael” and “Apostle Paul”. In color and depth of content, in beauty and color scheme, they resemble the “Trinity”.
Last work
At the end of the 1420s, having completed work in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, the icon painter’s long-time friend and comrade-in-arms, Daniil Cherny, died and was buried here. After this, A. Rublev returned to Moscow to work on the paintings of the Spassky Cathedral in the Andronikov Monastery, which he managed to complete in 1428. According to some reports, he also took part in its construction. This work was the last in the biography of Andrei Rublev.
The famous painter died in 1428 in Moscow during a plague epidemic and was buried near the bell tower of the Andronikov Monastery. In 1988, the year of the millennium of the baptism of Rus', he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Film about Andrei Rublev
There are still many black spots in the biography of Andrei Rublev. In fact, very little is known about him, except two mentions in historical sources. Researchers even date the painting of his famous Trinity icon to two different years: 1411 or 1425-1427.
One of the ways to tell the world about this talented person, about the era in which he lived, about his creative searches and development as an artist was a narrative film made in the 60s of the 20th century by the famous director A. Tarkovsky. In several short stories, the film paints pictures of medieval Rus', briefly talks about the biography of Andrei Rublev, about his worldviews and doubts, about his vow of silence, which he observed for 15 years, and others interesting facts from the life of an icon painter.
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The name of Andrei Rublev became the personification of ancient Russian art.
Andrey Rublev- perhaps the most famous artist of medieval Rus'. His name is still heard today, but we know very little about his life.
Where and when he was born is unknown. They call his birthplace Moscow (1360?), and his place of residence is the Trinity Monastery.
The first chronicle mention of the “monk Andrei Rublev” dates back to 1405: at that time he, together with Theophan the Greek and Prokhor from Gorodets, decorated the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin with icons and frescoes. These frescoes have not survived.
Icon "Reverend Andrei Rublev"
Some information about him can be gleaned from chronicles. For example, the chronicle indicates that in 1408 he, together with Daniil Cherny, painted the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, the Church of the Holy Trinity in the Trinity Monastery. The frescoes have not survived. According to Epiphanius the Wise, Andrei Rublev painted this temple in the 1420s. After the death of Daniil Cherny, Andrei Rublev worked in the Moscow Andronikov Monastery, where he painted the Church of the Savior (his last work). But only small fragments of the ornament have survived to this day.
Most of Rublev's documented works have not reached us, except for two icons from the Deesis and seven icons from the festive row in the iconostasis of the Kremlin Annunciation Cathedral; part of the frescoes of the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral; the famous Trinity icon from the Trinity Church of the monastery of the same name.
Miniatures and initials of the Khitrovo Gospel are also attributed to Rublev (early 15th century, Russian State Library, Moscow); Our Lady of Tenderness from the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir (c. 1408-1409); Zvenigorod rite, from which three icons have survived: with Christ the Savior, Archangel Michael and Apostle Paul (c. 1410-1420); fragments of frescoes on the altar pillars of the Assumption Cathedral in Gorodok (Zvenigorod) and on the altar barrier of the Nativity Cathedral in the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery near Zvenigorod.
But many more icons are attributed to the “Rublev circle,” although there is no way to confirm their authorship.
Andrei Rublev died in the Andronikov Monastery on January 29, 1428 (?). The Andrei Rublev Museum has been operating here since 1959, where you can get acquainted with the art of his era.
At the Stoglavy Cathedral in 1551, Rublev’s iconography was recognized as a model. In the 20th century a lot of attention was paid to this painter, his works were studied and restored, the minimal information about his life that was already known was clarified, his name was covered with a haze of romanticism. And after the famous film by A. Tarkovsky “Andrei Rublev” the image of this artist was riveted close attention even those people who were far from both faith and icon painting. In 1988, he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as a saint.
The works of Andrei Rublev
Hall of Andrei Rublev in the Tretyakov Gallery
Second half of the 14th – beginning of the 15th centuries. were noted in Rus' by their interest in moral and spiritual problems. Andrei Rublev embodied in his painting a new, sublime understanding of the spiritual beauty and moral strength of man. Therefore, his work is one of the pinnacles of Russian and world culture. The greatest masters of ancient Russian painting, including Dionysius, were deeply influenced by his work.
Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir
The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir is an outstanding monument of white stone architecture of pre-Mongol Rus' (1158).
At the beginning of the 15th century. Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny were invited to decorate the temple. From their paintings, individual images of the large composition of the “Last Judgment”, which occupied the entire western part of the temple, and fragmentary images in the altar part of the cathedral have been preserved. Most of the frescoes that have survived to this day were painted in the 19th century.
This is the only surviving fresco painted by Andrei Rublev. Mention of her is in the Trinity Chronicle; it is also the only documented, accurately dated and preserved monument in the artist’s creative heritage.
Icon of Our Lady of Vladimir “Tenderness” from the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (c. 1408)
The authorship of the icon is attributed to Andrei Rublev. I. E. Grabar, V. N. Lazarev, G. I. Vzdornov, O. S. Popova agree with this opinion.
M.V. Alpatov and E.S. Smirnova reject his authorship.
The “Tenderness” icon is one of the most ancient copies of “Our Lady of Vladimir”.
Our Lady of Vladimir
Icon "Trinity" (1411-1425/27)
This icon is the standard of Rublev’s work, his authorship is undoubtedly. One of the famous Russian icons.
Andrey Rublev "Trinity". Wood, tempera. 142 x 114 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow)
The icon depicts three angels. They sit at a table on which stands a bowl with the head of a calf. The figures of angels are arranged so that the lines of their figures form, as it were, vicious circle. The compositional center of the icon is the bowl. The hands of the middle and left angels bless the cup. Angels are motionless, they are in a state of contemplation, their gaze is directed to eternity.
In the background there is a house (the chambers of Abraham), a tree (the oak of Mamre) and a mountain (Mount Moriah).
Mamre oak (oak of Abraham)- the tree under which, according to the Bible, Abraham received God.
Mount Moriah (Temple Mount)- a rectangular square surrounded by high walls, towering above the rest of the Old City of Jerusalem at a height of 774 m above sea level.
The appearance of three angels to Abraham is a symbol of the consubstantial and trinitarian God (Holy Trinity). It was the Rublev icon that corresponded to these ideas. In an effort to reveal the dogmatic teaching about the Holy Trinity, Rublev minimized the details preceding the meal. The angels are talking, not eating, and in the icon all attention is focused on the silent communication of the three angels.
Above the angel symbolizing God the Father, Rublev placed the chambers of Abraham. The Mamvrian oak symbolizes the tree of life and recalls the death of the Savior on the cross and His resurrection (in the center). The mountain is a symbol of spiritual ascent, which is carried out through the action of the third hypostasis of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit.
Gospel Khitrovo
This is a handwritten Gospel from the late 14th century. It is called so by the name of its owner, boyar Bogdan Khitrovo. The manuscript was decorated with a precious frame and donated to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where it was kept in the altar until 1920. Currently, the Gospel is in the collection of the Russian State Library.
The Gospel is richly decorated (headpieces, initials, miniatures and symbols of the evangelists). The origin of the manuscript is attributed to the Moscow school of Theophanes the Greek, and the authorship of a number of miniatures is attributed to his student, Andrei Rublev.
"Rublev's Angel"
Icons from the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity Monastery (c. 1428)
All researchers are unanimous in the opinion that the iconostasis belongs to the Rublev era and that, to one degree or another, Rublev and Daniil Cherny participated in its creation. The iconostasis is still poorly studied and not published in its entirety.
This is the only one of the first high iconostasis of the early 15th century that has been preserved almost completely (only some of the icons have been lost).
Zvenigorod rank (c. 1396-1399)
“Zvenigorod rite” - three icons depicting the Savior, Archangel Michael and Apostle Paul (from the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery).
Presumably from the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Gorodok. For a long time was attributed to the brush of Andrei Rublev, but in 2017 the attribution was given on the basis of high-tech comparisons with Trinity.
Nativity Cathedral in Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery (frescoes)
Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery (Zvenigorod)
Founded at the end of the 14th century.
Images of the hermits Paul of Thebes and Anthony the Great. Some scientists attribute the authorship of the frescoes to Andrei Rublev.
Icon “John the Baptist” (mid-15th century)
The icon comes from the Nikolsky Pesnoshsky Monastery near the city of Dmitrov. It belonged to the Deesis half-figure rank of the Zvenigorodsky type. Attributed to Andrei Rublev.
Icon “The Savior is in Power” (beginning of the 15th century)
Attributed to Andrei Rublev or the "Rublev circle".
Andronicus Gospel (Moscow, first quarter of the 15th century).
The miniature “Savior in Glory” was made by an artist from the Rublev circle. The manuscript does not contain direct dating, but its design is similar to such famous manuscripts as the Khitrovo Gospel.
Conclusion
Rublev's work is distinguished by two traditions: Byzantine harmony, sublime asceticism and the softness of style characteristic of Moscow painting of the 14th century. It is this softness, as well as concentrated contemplation, that distinguishes his works from other paintings of that time. Rublev's characters are most often depicted in a state of peaceful rest or prayerful state. This distinguishes his work from the expressive Theophanes the Greek. An atmosphere of quiet contemplation and goodness flows from the icons of Andrei Rublev. This silence is also present in the coloring - dim, calm; and in the roundness of figures; and in the harmony of lines, like a quiet melody. All of Andrei Rublev’s work is permeated with light. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that Rublev’s art is perceived as the ideal of church painting.