Russian icons
In AD 988, Kievan Rus adopted the faith from the Eastern Roman Empire. This moment marked the beginning of Russian iconography. Early artists followed Byzantine artistic standards strictly. These images were integral to religious practices and cultural traditions in Russia. Over time, local styles began to emerge within the tradition. The visual vocabulary expanded as regional elements took root. Before the 17th century, personal innovation was largely absent from Russian art. Western European creative traditions did not influence the region at that stage. A shift occurred when Protestant and Catholic engravings entered the country. Patriarch Nikon instituted changes in liturgy during the mid-17th century. This reform caused a split in the Russian Orthodox Church. Traditionalists known as Old Believers continued the stylized approach. The State Church modified its practice to include Western realism. Icons began appearing in a mixture of Russian stylization and European mannerisms.
Russians speak of an icon as having been written rather than painted. The word pisat means both to paint and to write in the Russian language. Icons are considered the Gospel in paint for believers. Careful attention ensures the message is faithfully conveyed. In churches, the nave separates from the sanctuary by an iconostasis. This wall features double doors in the center surrounded by icons. Religious homes often display icons hanging on the krasny ugol. This space translates to the red or beautiful corner. Some icons were said to appear miraculously upon discovery. A true icon opens the way to the Prototype according to tradition. These images perform miracles for those who venerate them. Hundreds of Marian icons exist as copies of miraculous originals. The icons of Mary were always deemed miraculous while her son rarely so. Pairs of Jesus and Mary were given as wedding presents to couples.
Andrei Rublev lived between 1360 and the early 15th century. He stands as the preeminent Russian icon painter of history. The Moscow Patriarchate glorified him officially as a saint in 1988. His most famous work remains The Old Testament Trinity. Orthodoxy never developed the reputation of the individual artist found in Western Christianity. Names of even the finest painters remain seldom recognized outside historians. Icon painting was considered a craft rather than personal expression. The painter served as merely a tool for replication. They did not seek individual glory but acted as humble servants of God. It was not deemed necessary to sign an icon during this period. Later works sometimes bore the name of the painter along with dates. Many later icons were the work of many hands instead of one artisan. Dates written on icons often came from the Creation of the World. This belief placed creation on September 1 in the year 5,509 before Jesus birth. Machine lithography caused a decline in hand-painted workshops by the 19th century.
Most Russian icons are painted using egg tempera on wooden panels. Some artists used cloth glued onto wooden boards instead. Gold leaf frequently appears on halos and background areas. Silver leaf tinted with shellac sometimes replaces gold in certain pieces. Elaborate tin or bronze facades cover some exterior surfaces. These covers called rizas or oklads are highly embellished and multi-dimensional. Pairs of gilt or silvered metal covers were set with pearls. Artisans enameled filigreed or studded these protective robes with stones. Panels utilizing back slats usually date older than 1880 or 1890. Cross members dovetailed into board backs prevent warping over time. Advances in materials negated the need for these cross members after 1890. Varnish drying oil is applied immediately or later to protect images. The majority of hand-painted icons exhibit some degree of surface varnish. Copper icons exist as castings of faith according to specific collections.
Former village icon painters in Palekh transferred their techniques to lacquerware. Mstyora and Kholuy artisans also moved toward secular subjects during this era. They decorated papier-mâché with ornate depictions of Russian fairy tales. This transition gave rise to Russian lacquette art in the mid-1920s. Most distinguished works feature intricate miniature paintings on black backgrounds. Many Russian icons were destroyed by agents of the Soviet government. Some pieces were hidden to avoid destruction entirely. Others were smuggled out of the country to foreign markets. Since the fall of communism, new studios have opened again. These workshops paint in a variety of styles for local and international buyers. Older hidden icons have been retrieved from hiding places recently. Numbers of painted panels are purchased by Orthodox believers today.
Numerous late 19th-century icons have been artificially aged since the 1990s. Master-level Russian painters create age on finished icons skillfully. Such semi-forgeries lack value beyond decorative qualities despite being fine art. Another problem involves recomposing legitimately old icons with newly painted images. A primitive folk art icon might be repainted by a modern master. The image is then falsely aged to match the original panel. This process creates an icon that could pass as a 17th-century work. In reality it remains nothing more than a 20th-century masterpiece on an older board. Lower quality 19th-century folk icons face similar treatment now. They are repainted by contemporary masters and artificially aged to match the panel. Many icons sold today retain characteristics of earlier painting but remain obviously contemporary.
Russian law makes it illegal to export any icon over one hundred years old. Any exported icon must carry a certificate from the Ministry of Culture. Examples of icons over 100 years appear regularly in open markets via smuggling. Some enter through neighboring Baltic countries illegally. Corrupt officials sometimes certify unexportable icons as exactly 100 years old. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union many icons have been repatriated. Direct purchases by Russian museums brought pieces back home. Private collectors also acquired items for return to Russia. Pope John Paul II gave an 18th-century copy of Our Lady of Kazan to the Church. That specific icon returned to Russia in good faith. Numbers of hidden icons have been retrieved or brought back from overseas since then.
Common questions
When did Kievan Rus adopt the faith from the Eastern Roman Empire?
Kievan Rus adopted the faith from the Eastern Roman Empire in AD 988. This moment marked the beginning of Russian iconography.
What is the meaning of the word pisat in the Russian language regarding icons?
Russians speak of an icon as having been written rather than painted because the word pisat means both to paint and to write in the Russian language. Icons are considered the Gospel in paint for believers.
Who was Andrei Rublev and when did he live?
Andrei Rublev lived between 1360 and the early 15th century. He stands as the preeminent Russian icon painter of history.
How were most Russian icons constructed before 1890?
Most Russian icons are painted using egg tempera on wooden panels with cross members dovetailed into board backs to prevent warping over time. Panels utilizing back slats usually date older than 1880 or 1890.
Why did Palekh village icon painters transfer their techniques to lacquerware?
Former village icon painters in Palekh transferred their techniques to lacquerware after many Russian icons were destroyed by agents of the Soviet government. This transition gave rise to Russian lacquette art in the mid-1920s.