Icon painter Theophanes the Greek and his icons. Theophan the Greek - biography of the artist, famous works, exhibitions

After six days had passed, Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain alone, and was transfigured before them: and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light.(Mt. 17 :12). The mysterious event of the Transfiguration of the Lord has been understood and discussed for many centuries of Christian history. But one of the most profound reflections on this topic belongs not to a theologian or even a saint, but to the famous icon painter Theophanes the Greek.

Culturologist and art critic Irina Yazykova told Foma how Tabor’s light seemed to “materialize” in the artist’s palette.

Medieval Renaissance icon painter

The name of Theophanes the Greek is in the first rank of ancient Russian icon painters; his outstanding talent was already recognized by his contemporaries, calling him “a very cunning philosopher,” that is, very skillful. He made a huge impression not only with his works, but also as a bright personality.

Unfortunately, the dates of the artist’s life are unknown. Presumably they fall on 1340–1410. From Byzantine Empire Feofan arrived in Rus' as an already established master. We learn about this from a letter from Epiphanius the Wise, an ancient Russian writer and disciple of the monk, to Cyril, archimandrite of the Tver Spaso-Afanasyevsky Monastery. Epiphanius reports that Theophanes painted forty churches in Constantinople, Galata (a suburb of Constantinople), Kafa (a city in the Crimea, modern Feodosia) and other cities. In Rus', as Epiphanius writes, the Greek worked in Veliky Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Kolomna and Moscow.

What is surprising is not only the manner of Theophanes the Greek (which will be discussed below), but also his very personality. Frescoes and icons give an idea of ​​him as an outstanding artist and representative of hesychasm. But, as Epiphanius the Wise notes, the Byzantine master was an extraordinary personality, he painted freely, regardless of samples, preached from the scaffolding, and wittily answered questions from people who came in crowds to the cathedral, where he painted frescoes. Epiphanius describes the Greek as we would describe the masters of the Renaissance. But, apparently, this was Feofan, a Byzantine master who left his bright mark on ancient Russian art.

"Our God is a consuming fire"

Feofan’s first work is considered to be the painting of the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street in Novgorod. It is mentioned in the Third Novgorod Chronicle: “In the summer of 6886 (1378 A.D.) the Church of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ was signed in the name of the magnificent Transfiguration…. And it was signed by the Greek master Feofan.” Unfortunately, the painting has not been completely preserved, but even in this form it amazes with its amazing artistic skill and freedom. And the originality of the images testifies to the author’s familiarity with the teachings of the hesychasts, mystic monks, whose spiritual practice was based on the contemplation of the uncreated Tabor light.

Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street, Veliky Novgorod. Author: Alaexis – own work, CC BY-SA 2.5 , Link

Crossing the threshold of a small but elongated temple, you find yourself literally before the fiery gaze of Christ the Pantocrator, depicted in the dome: lightning seems to sparkle from His wide-open eyes. A powerful image dominates the space of the temple and makes us remember the words from Holy Scripture: Our God is a consuming fire(Eur 12 :29) or I have come to bring fire to the earth(OK 12 :49). Feofan’s pictorial language is built on this - the master uses only two colors - ocher and white, and writes with great expression. On an ocher background (the color of the earth), lightning flashes of white light flash - this is an image of divine energies that pierce the flesh of the world, burn all untruth, dividing creation into light and darkness, heavenly and earthly, spiritual and mental, created and uncreated.

Theophanes the Greek. Christ the Pantocrator. Author: Vash Alex kun, Link

Researchers argue about the unusual color scheme of the painting. They put forward a version about a fire that discolored the painting. But archaeologists found no traces of the fire, and restorers confirmed that the paint layer was like this originally. And the figurative structure of Feofanov’s painting suggests that this is a metaphorical language that conveys the action of divine energies.

Theophanes the Greek. Elijah the Prophet. Fresco by Theophanes the Greek. Church of the Transfiguration, Veliky Novgorod

Unfortunately, the painting has not been preserved in its entirety: there are small fragments in the apse and on the walls of the temple. The dome part turned out to be the most preserved. In the dome, Christ the Pantocrator is surrounded by angelic forces. An inscription from the psalm runs around the circle: “Lord, look from heaven to earth, hear the sighs of the chained (prisoners. - Note ed.) and to loose the sons of those who were slain (to loose the sons of death. – Note ed.), let him preach the name of the Lord in Zion (Ps. 101 :20–21)". The drum represents the forefathers Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Melchizedek and the prophets. Here the theme of light-fire continues: if the first world perished from water, the second will perish from fire, but the ark in the hands of Noah is a prototype of the Church. The prophets Elijah and John the Baptist symbolize the connection between the Old and New Testaments; these are fiery prophets: Elijah brought down divine fire from heaven onto the sacrifice and was himself taken on a chariot of fire to heaven (2 Kings 1-2 ), and John the Baptist baptized the people in water and proclaimed that Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3 :11).

Illuminated on the stone

The most unusual thing in the Church of the Transfiguration are the paintings of the so-called Trinity Chamber - a small room in the choir intended for individual prayer. On the eastern wall is placed (“The Hospitality of Abraham”): Abraham and Sarah not so much receive as they contemplate three Angels sitting around the sacrificial meal. The figures are painted in ocher, and white paint indicates semantic accents - the outlines of halos, highlights on the wings, staves with trefoils at the end, toroki rumors (ribbons) in the hair, flashes of light on the faces and in the eyes. The bright white strokes in the eyes of the Angels make us remember the image from: His eyes are like a flame of fire(Open 1 :14). The image of three angels is shown as a luminous phenomenon.

Theophanes the Greek. The Holy Trinity. Fresco of the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street, Veliky Novgorod

Along the walls of the chamber, on three sides, there are depictions of stylites and hermits standing in prayer. In these images, the dichotomy of Feofanovsky coloring acquires special strength and tension. Activity white grows from image to image.

Daniel the Stylite. Feofan the Greek, Link

The Monk Daniel the Stylite appears with his hands extended forward, on the tips of his fingers there are energetic strokes of white - he seems to be touching the light, feeling it physically. The light slides in free streams over his clothes, pulsates on the curls of his hair, and is reflected in his eyes. The Monk Simeon of Divnogorsk, with his arms spread to the sides, receives the stream of light descending on him. The light reflections on his clothes resemble sharp lightning bolts piercing his body like arrows. There are no pupils in the open eyes, light is depicted in the eye sockets - the saint contemplates God, is filled with uncreated light. The Monk Alypius the Stylite has his hands folded on his chest, his eyes are closed, he listens to his heart, as the hesychasts advised: “Lower your mind into your heart and then pray.”

Macarius of Egypt. Feofan the Greek, Link

And, finally, the image of the Monk Macarius of Egypt: the elongated figure of the ascetic is completely engulfed in light, like a white flame. He is the only one depicted not on a pillar, he himself is like a pillar of light. On the white figure, the face and hands painted in ocher stand out, put forward with palms open outward. This is a posture of acceptance of grace, openness to God. The light shines on the face, but the eyes are not written at all, because the saint does not need bodily eyes, he sees God with his inner (spiritual) gaze, he does not look at the external world, he is all inside. The Monk Macarius lives in the Light, he himself is this Light, like the Apostle Paul: It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me(Gal 2 :20). Macarius of Egypt is an image of exceptional power, which has no analogues either in Byzantine or ancient Russian art. This is a vivid illustration of the hesychast mystical experience: the ascetic, in the process of communion with God, is immersed in the Light, in the Divine reality, but at the same time does not dissolve in it like salt in water (as, for example, Eastern religions teach), but retains his personality, which is purified and transforms. Hesychasts called it theosis (Greek), adoration.

Favorsky light

If the Novgorod painting has documentary evidence of the authorship of Theophanes the Greek, then the same cannot be said about the icons. In ancient times, authors did not sign their works. Nevertheless, several icons are associated with the name of Theophanes. One of them is “” from. Nowadays it is in the Tretyakov Gallery, and previously it was a temple image of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Pereslavl-Zalessky. The icon is large (184x134), monumental. The bright and original nature of the painting is similar to Feofanov’s style: the same temperament, the same fiery sound of light, the same expressive manner of painting. But there are also differences. Firstly, the icon is polychrome; here the master fully follows tradition. Secondly, the character of the image of the Savior is different: the face is not formidable, as in the Novgorod frescoes, but merciful, his features are softened, his gaze is attentive and meek.

Icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Feofan the Greek – White City Publishing House

The composition of the icon is elongated vertically: Christ stands on the top of the mountain, and the disciples fell to the ground in fear and trembling. The Savior is surrounded by a radiance of glory, golden rays emanate from Him, the light pulsates with bluish reflections on the hills, on the trees, on the clothes. The light also penetrates deep, exploding everything from the inside, so that traditional caves on the coaster look like explosion craters. The Miracle of Transfiguration is shown as a cosmic event that turns the universe upside down, transforming all creation.

Next to the Savior stand the prophets Moses and Elijah, personifying the fullness of the Old Testament (“Law and Prophets”) and the fulfillment of all aspirations and prophecies in Christ. The presence of prophets also has an eschatological meaning - the Transfiguration is shown as the threshold of the Judgment of God, the Gospel says: The judgment is that light has come into the world(In 3 :19). But the secret of the Transfiguration is that the apostles are not passive contemplatives of the miracle of the Transfiguration. They themselves change under the influence of this Light, become different, Divine energy is already pulsating in their hearts, making them partakers of the Kingdom of God. This is exactly what the hesychasts taught, who practiced contemplation of the Divine Light.

Superlight darkness

Theophanes the Greek is also credited with creating the Don Icon of the Mother of God (c. 1395). There is no reliable information in favor of Theophanes’ authorship, but the painting style reveals the hand of a Greek master, and the interpretation of the image correlates with hesychast teaching. The painting style is lush, free, the colors are saturated, creating a precious surface, the light pulsates inside the form like a clot of energy. Luxuriously played out combination of blue color and gold. The faces of Christ and the Virgin Mary are painted thinly, in many layers, the soft melt with a slight blush creates a feeling of warmth of the flesh, a gentle light flows from the eyes. The artist does without outwardly extravagant techniques, as was the case in Novgorod frescoes, but at the same time creates an image full of beauty and spiritual strength.

Don icon. Feofan the Greek

The Don Icon is double-sided, external, it was a temple image of the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Kolomna, on its reverse side it is written “The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” And again we see a special interpretation of the image. The Mother of God lies on a bed, the apostles came to say goodbye to Her, behind the bed stands Christ, holding in his hands a small figure in white shrouds - this is the soul of the Mother of God, born for eternal life. A burning candle is placed in front of the bed, this is a symbol of life, the candle, when burned, gives off light, a symbol of prayer offered to God, as well as a symbol of the Mother of God, who in the Akathist is called the “light-receiving candle.” But like a burning candle, the figure of Christ in golden robes with a bright red seraphim flaming above Him is also painted. The light lines up the vertical axis of the composition and, together with the horizontal bed of the Mother of God, forms a cross - a symbol of Christ’s victory, Resurrection, and the Triumph of life over death.

The mandorla is unusually interpreted on this icon - the radiance of glory around Christ; it is written in dark blue. This finds an explanation in the hesychast tradition. The hesychast fathers taught about the unknowability of God by the rational mind, and the Divine Light was called “incomprehensible darkness” or, in the words of St. Gregory Palamas, - “super-light darkness.” Unapproachable light is often perceived by a person as blinding darkness. The meeting with him by many ascetics was perceived as entering darkness. Let us remember that Paul, on his way to Damascus, was blinded by this Light (Acts 22 :6–11). The image of the Dormition as birth into a new life is built on the opposition of light and darkness, life and death, the divine and the human.

Deesis. Feofan the Greek

Feofan the Greek worked a lot in Moscow, he painted the Kremlin cathedrals. According to the chronicle, in 1405, by order of Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich, the painting of the princely house church of the Annunciation was carried out by an artel, headed by three masters: Feofan the Greek, Prokhor from Gorodets and monk Andrei Rublev. The iconostasis in which Theophanes wrote the deesis (an icon or group of icons in the center of which Christ is depicted) has been preserved. The brightness and originality of the Greek’s manner manifested itself here with amazing force. The central image of the Savior in the Forces has been preserved least fully, but it is clear that it was written powerfully and masterfully. Christ in white robes, pierced with gold assist (touches of gold or silver leaf) sits on a throne. His face is noble and sublime, a majestic gesture of blessing makes one stop and become silent. John the Baptist and the Mother of God stand before Christ in prayer. The most expressive image of the Mother of God is in a deep blue robe with the lightest blue gaps, as if flickering in the darkness. This color reminds gem- a sapphire symbolizing the mystery of the Ever-Virgin. The elongated figure looks like a candle, and the flame of this candle is the face of the Mother of God, the light flows in a soft and at the same time energetic stream from the eyes. The light seems to be restrained from within, but its power is such that it can ignite the whole world.

Theophanes the Greek left a bright mark on ancient Russian art. Traces of his influence are visible not only in icon painting and monumental art, but also in manuscripts, for example, the miniatures of the Khitrovo Gospel (late 14th century) and the Gospel of Fyodor Koshka (late 14th - early 15th centuries) have some similarities with the works of the Byzantine master. Art historians argue whether Feofan was Andrei Rublev’s teacher, but they worked together, and this could not but influence the formation of the younger master, who, after the departure of the great Greek, would determine the path ancient Russian art, creating your own version of a transformed world.

Byzantine painter who worked in Rus'. Feofan painted the Church of the Savior on Ilyin (Novgorod, 1378), the Arkhangelsk (1399) and Annunciation Cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin (1405, together with Andrei Rublev and Prokhor from Gorodets). Theophan is credited with the icons of the Deesis rite of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin - “The Savior”, “The Mother of God”, “John the Baptist” (with the participation and under the leadership of Theophan the Greek, other icons of this and the festive rites were also executed). He created a workshop in Moscow, which is credited with the icons of “Our Lady of the Don” with the “Assumption” on the reverse (1380 or 1392), “Four-Part”, “Transfiguration” from Pereslavl-Zalessky. The work of Theophanes the Greek left a clear mark on the painting of Novgorod and Moscow and found many followers.

Biography

Theophanes the Greek was probably born in the 30s of the 14th century and died between 1405 and 1415. The great painter of the Russian Middle Ages was from Byzantium, which is why he received the nickname “Greek”. The artist arrived in Rus' no later than 1378. For the first time his name appears in the Novgorod Chronicle: apparently, it was the Novgorodians who invited an artist already known in Greece to paint the newly built church on the Trade Side. The third Novgorod chronicle, dated 6886 (1378), writes: “That same summer, the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, on Ilyin Street, was signed by the order of the noble and God-loving boyar Vasily Danilovich, from Ilyin Street, and was signed by the master Grechenin Feofan, under the Grand Duke Dimitri Ivanovich and under Archbishop Alexy the Great of Novgorod and Pskov." The chronicler speaks here about the frescoes of the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street, partially preserved to this day. Their clearing began in 1910, but ended only in 1944. Now this church is one of the most famous historical monuments of Novgorod, the main source for studying the creative manner of the great master.

But, perhaps, the main source for studying the life and work of Theophan the Greek is a letter from a writer and monk, a contemporary of the brilliant Byzantine, compiler of the lives of Epiphanius the Wise, written by him to Cyril, abbot of the Tver Spaso-Afanasyevsky Monastery. This message, compiled around 1415, contains important details of the biography of the visiting Greek and, in addition, gives a living description of the master, made by a person who personally knew the artist and was able to notice unusual, individual traits of his character.

From this message alone it is known that Theophanes the Greek painted more than forty stone churches in Constantinople, Chalcedon, Galata, Kafe (now Feodosia), Veliky and Nizhny Novgorod, and Moscow. Epiphanius the Wise describes some of his works, including the “strangely modeled” (wonderful) paintings of the princely chambers, on the walls of which the artist depicted Moscow, which amazed his contemporaries. Epiphanius the Wise also notes the extraordinary freedom of behavior of the artist during creativity - that while working, he never looked at samples, constantly walked and talked, and his mind was not distracted from his painting. At the same time, Epiphanius the Wise sneers at the constraint and uncertainty of “our netizens” of icon painters, who are unable to tear themselves away from the models. Describing the personality and work of Theophan, Epiphanius calls him “a glorious sage, a very cunning philosopher, a skillful book isographer and an elegant painter among icon painters.”

Between 1378 and 1390, Theophanes, according to Epiphanius, participated in restoration work in Nizhny Novgorod after the raid of the Tatars, who burned the city and monasteries. His paintings have not survived. Around 1390 the master arrived in Moscow. According to Moscow chronicles, Theophanes the Greek participated in the decoration of Kremlin churches (1395, 1399 and 1405). In 1395, he painted the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the Moscow Kremlin (the building was later dismantled in connection with the construction of the Archangel Cathedral on this site, 1505-1508). In 1405, Theophanes painted the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin together with Prokhor from Gorodets and the “monk” Andrei Rublev. According to tradition, Theophanes the Greek is also credited with the design of the famous manuscripts of the turn of the 14th-15th centuries - the Khitrovo Gospel and the Gospel of Fyodor Koshka, although the question of their authorship has not been finally resolved.

Unfortunately, neither the chronicles nor Epiphanius the Wise mention the date of Theophanes’ death, which remained unknown. Apparently, he died at a very old age somewhere between 1405 and 1415.

The Art of Theophanes the Greek

Although Theophanes’s style of writing is extremely individual, direct sources can still be found for it in the monuments of the Constantinople school. These are, first of all, the frescoes of the Kakhrie Jami refectory, which appeared in the second decade of the 14th century. Here the heads of individual saints (especially David of Thessalonica) seem to have come out from under Theophan’s brush. They are written in an energetic, free style of painting, based on the extensive use of bold strokes and the so-called marks with which faces are modeled. These highlights and marks are especially actively used in finishing the forehead, cheekbones, and ridge of the nose. On my own this technique is not new, it is very common in the painting of the 14th century, mainly in its first half. What brings the paintings of Kahrie Jami and the frescoes of Feofan closer together is the remarkable accuracy in the distribution of highlights, which always fall into the right place, thanks to which the form acquires strength and constructiveness. In the monuments of the provincial circle (as, for example, in the paintings of the cave temple of Theoskepastos in Trebizond) we will never find such precision in modeling. Only after becoming acquainted with such provincial works do you finally become convinced of the metropolitan training of Theophanes, who perfectly mastered all the subtleties of Constantinople craftsmanship.

The basic principles of Feofanov’s art also point to the Constantinople school - intense psychologism of images, extraordinary sharpness of individual characteristics, dynamic freedom and picturesqueness of compositional structures, exquisite “tonal coloring”, overcoming the motley largeness of the eastern palette, and finally, an extraordinary decorative flair, going back to the best traditions of Tsaregrad painting. With all these facets of his art, Feofan appears to us as a metropolitan artist living by the aesthetic ideals of Constantinople society.

"Glorious sage, extremely cunning philosopher... books, a deliberate iconographer and among iconographers Tsev, an excellent painter," - this is how the talented writer characterizes Feofan the Greek, hiscontemporary, monk Epiphanius the Wise.
The great painter of the Russian Middle Ages, Theophanes, was from Byzantium, which is why he received the nickname Greek. The most likely date of birth of the artist is considered to be the 30s of the 14th century.

Savior Almighty. Painting of the dome of the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street in Novgorod the Great. Theophanes the Greek. 1378

To Rus'Feofanarrives at the age of 35-40 years. By this time he had painted forty stonesestablished churches in Constantinople, Chalcedon and Galata. From Byzantium the master moved torichthat timeGenoese colonyCafu (Feodosia), and from there - to Novgorod.

In Rus', which was experiencing a period of growth associated with the beginning of activestruggle for the liberation and unification of Russian lands around Moscow, Feofan found fertile ground for the development of a powerful creative gift. His deeply original art, coming from Byzantine traditions, develops in close interaction with Russian culture.

"The Stylite Simeon the Elder." Fresco in the Church of the Transfiguration, Novgorod.

The first work performed by Theophan the Greek in Rus' was the frescoes of one of the wonderful churches of Novgorod the Great - the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street, built in 1374. He worked on the frescoes of this church in the summer of 1378 by order of boyar Vasily Danilovich and the townspeople from Ilyina Street.
The frescoes were dryingpartially injured. In the domedepicts Pantocrator (Christ the Judge), surrounded by four seraphim. In the piers there are figures of the forefathers: Adam, Abel, Noah, Sira, Melchizedek, Enoch, the prophet Elijah and John the Baptist, and in the chamber - the customer’s personal chapel - five pillars, the “Trinity”, medallions with images of John Climacus, Agathon, Akakios and figures Macaria.

View of the southern wall with the image of the Three Stylites

Each ofSaints Theophanes the Greek gives a deeply individual complex psychological characteristics. At the same time, the angry, mighty Pantocrator, and the wise, majestic Noah, and the gloomy Adam, and the formidable prophet Elijah, and the self-absorbed stylites have something aboutgeneralhers are people of powerful spirit, persistent character, people tormented by contradictionsyami, behind whose external calm lies a fierce struggle with the passions that overwhelm a person.

Old Testament Trinity. Fragment of a fresco in the Church of the Transfiguration

Even in the composition of “Trinity” there is no peace. There is no sense of youthful softness in the images of angels. Their beautiful faces are full of stern detachment. The figure of the central angel is especially expressive. External immobility, even more staticemphasize internal tension. The outstretched wings seem to overshadow the other two angels, unifying the composition as a whole, giving it a special strict completeness and monumentality.

The program tells about the work of the great Russian icon painter Theophan the Greek and especially about his icon “The Dormition”, in which the artist decisively transformed the icon painting canon. This icon is double-sided - on one side is written the plot of the Dormition of the Mother of God, and on the other is the image of the Mother of God with the Child Christ. This icon, belonging to the "Tenderness" type, receivedtitle "Our Lady of Tenderness of the Don"

Dormition of God mother, XIV century

In arr.Feofan's Azakh - a huge power of emotional impact, they soundtragic pathos. Acute drama is present in the master’s very picturesque language. Feofan's writing style is sharp, impetuous, and temperamental. He is first and foremost a painter and sculpts figures with energetic, bold strokes, adding bright highlights, which gives the faces trepidation and emphasizes the intensity of expression. The color scheme, as a rule, is laconic, restrained, the color is rich, weighty, and the brittle sharp lines, the complex rhythm of the compositional construction are even moremore enhance the overall expressiveness of the images. The paintings of Theophanes the Greek were created on the basis of knowledge of life and human psychology. They contain deep phyllosophistic meaning, a discerning mind and passionate temperament are feltsecond

Go Transformationbelow, 1403

It is no coincidence that contemporaries were amazed by the originality of the great painter’s thinking and the free flight of his creative imagination. “When he depicted or wrote all this, no one saw him ever look at the samples, as some of our icon painters do, who constantly peer at them in bewilderment, looking here and there, and do not so much paint with paints as look "He seemed to be painting with his hands, while he constantly walks, talks with those who come, and with his mind ponders the lofty and wise, while with his sensual, intelligent eyes he sees kindness."
Frescoes of the Transfiguration of the Savior are a valuable monument of the monumental art of Novgorod; theylooked at the work of many painters. The paintings of the churches of Fyodor Stratil are closest to them.that and the Assumption on Volotovo Field, probably made by the students of Theophanes.

Archangel Michael. Cycle of details of icons of the Deesis tier of the iconostasis
Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. 1405

In Novgorod, Feofan the Greek, apparentlylived for quite a long time, then worked for some time in Nizhny Novgorod, then came to Moscow. More information has been preserved about this period of the master’s work. Probably Feofan had his own workshop and carried out orders with the help of students. Mentioned in chroniclesworkspan ten years. During the period from 1395 to 1405, the master painted three Kremlin churches: the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (1395), the Archangel Cathedral (1399), and the Annunciation Cathedral (1405) , and in addition, completed some tasksbasics: frescoes of the tower of Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich and the palace of Prince Vladimir Andreevich Brave (cousin of Dmitry Donskoy).Of all the works, only the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin, created in collaboration with Andrei Rublev and the “elder Prokhor of Gorodets”, has survived.

Rublev worked on icons depicting holidays. Theophanes the Greek owns most of the icons of the Deesis series: “The Savior”, “The Mother of God”, “John the Baptist”, “Archangel Gabriel”, “Apostle Paul”, “John Chrysostom”, “Basily the Great”.

However, the iconostasis has a general concept, a strictly harmonic composition connected by a single rhythm. In the center is a formidable judge - the Savior, seated on a throne; Saints approach him on both sides, praying to Christ for sinful humanity. As before, the saints of Theophanes are powerful and each is individual in his appearance. But still, new qualities have appeared in their images: they are more restrained and stately. There is more warmth in the image of the Mother of God, gentleness in the Archangel Gabriel, calmness in the wise Apostle Paul.

Archangel Gabriel. 1405

The icons are exceptionally monumental. The figures stand out in clear silhouette against a shining golden background, laconic, generalized decorative colors sound intense: the snow-white tunic of Christ, the velvety blue maforia of the Mother of God, the green robes of John. And although Theophanes retains the picturesque manner of his paintings in his icons, the line becomes clearer, simpler, and more restrained.
While working on the decoration of the Annunciation Cathedral, two great masters of ancient Rus' met, who in their own way expressed in art an era full of dramatic clashes. Feofan - in tragic, titanic images, Rublev - in harmoniously bright ones, embodying the dream of peace and harmony between people. It was these two masters who were the creators of the classical form of the Russian iconostasis.

Our Lady. 1405

The work on the cathedral was completed in one year. It is unknown how the fate of Theophanes the Greek developed in the future, or what his subsequent works were. Scientists suggest that Feofan worked as a miniaturist. Some of them believe that the miniatures of two famous handwritten monuments of ancient Rus' - the Gospel of the Cat and the Gospel of Khitrovo - were made in Feofan's workshop, possibly according to his design. Where did the master spend last years life is unknown. He probably died between 1405 - 1415, since from a letter from Epiphanius the Wise it becomes known that in 1415 the great painter was no longer alive.

The Byzantine master found a second home in Rus'. His passionate, inspired art was in tune with the worldview of the Russian people, it had a fruitful influence on contemporary Feofan and subsequent generations of Russian artists.

hrono.ru ›Biographical index ›Theophanes the Greek

Why did Theophanes the Greek leave Byzantium? What did he find in Rus'? In Rus', a wide field of activity opened up for him, which he could no longer find in the rapidly impoverished Byzantium. And there is reason to believe that Theophanes emigrated from Constantinople not by chance. He fled to Russia from the impending “academic” reaction, since it ran counter to his individual tastes and aspirations. On the other hand, Feofan’s bold entry into the Novgorod school of painting was a life-giving jolt for her. Breaking out of Byzantine stagnation, Theophan’s genius awakened in Russian painting the will to emancipation, to freely reveal one’s own dynamism, one’s own temperament. The ascetic severity of his images could not take root on Russian soil, but their psychological versatility responded to the desire of Novgorod artists to convey inner world people, and the picturesqueness of Feofanov’s compositions opened up new horizons for their inspired mastery.

Thus, the transition of Theophanes the Greek from Byzantium to Rus' has a deep symbolic meaning. This is like a relay race of art, passing its bright torch from the ossified old hands into the hands of the young and strong.

Painting of the Trinity chapel in the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street in Novgorod.
1378

(Born around 1337 - died after 1405)

Theophanes the Greek is one of the greatest masters of the Middle Ages. His works executed in Byzantium have not survived. All his famous works were created in Rus' and for Rus', where he lived for more than thirty years. He introduced the Russians to the highest achievements of Byzantine spiritual culture, which was experiencing one of its last ascents in his time.

Little information about Theophanes is found in the Moscow and Novgorod chronicles, but of particular value is a letter written around 1415 by the Moscow spiritual writer and artist Epiphanius the Wise to the archimandrite of the Tver Athanasiev Monastery of the Savior, Kirill. Epiphany’s message is interesting because it provides a unique opportunity to get an idea of ​​the principles of the master’s work. In his message, he reports on the Four Gospels that he kept, illustrated by Theophan and decorated with an image of the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

The description of the drawing is given in many details. “When he depicted or wrote all this, no one saw him ever look at the samples, as some of our icon painters do, who constantly peer in bewilderment, looking here and there, and do not so much paint with paints as look at the samples. He, it seemed, was painting a painting with his hands, while he constantly walked, talked with those who came and thought about the lofty and wise with his mind, but with his sensual, intelligent eyes he saw reasonable kindness. No matter how much anyone talked to him, they could not help but marvel at his mind, his allegories." parables" and its cunning structure."

From the message it is known that Theophanes, “a Greek by birth, a skilled book isographer and an excellent painter among icon painters,” painted more than 40 stone churches in Constantinople, Chalcedon, Galata, Cafe (Feodosia), as well as on Russian soil.

In the Novgorod III Chronicle, Feofan’s first work is mentioned in 1378. It talks about his painting of the Novgorod Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street - the only work of the master that has survived to this day, has documentary evidence and remains the main source for judging his art to this day.

The frescoes of the church have been preserved in fragments, so the system of its painting can only be partially restored. The dome of the temple depicts a half-figure of Christ Pantocrator, surrounded by archangels and seraphim. In the drum there are images of the forefathers, including Adam, Abel, Noah, Seth, Melchizedek, Enoch, the prophets Elijah, John the Baptist. On the choir in the northwestern corner chamber (Trinity Chapel) the images are better preserved. The chapel is painted with images of saints, compositions “Our Lady of the Sign with the Archangel Gabriel”, “Adoration of the Sacrifice”, “Trinity”. Feofan's style is brightly individual, characterized by expressive temperament, freedom and variety in the choice of techniques. The form is emphatically picturesque, devoid of detail, and is constructed using rich and free strokes. The muted overall tone of the painting contrasts with the bright white highlights, like flashes of lightning illuminating the stern, spiritualized faces of the saints. The contours are outlined with powerful, dynamic lines. The folds of clothing lack detailed modeling, lying wide and rigid, under sharp corners.
The master’s palette is spare and restrained, dominated by orange-brown and silver-blue, corresponding to the intense spiritual state of the images. "Theophanes's painting is a philosophical concept in color, moreover, the concept is quite harsh, far from everyday optimism. Its essence is the idea of ​​man's global sinfulness before God, as a result of which he found himself almost hopelessly removed from him and can only await the arrival of his an uncompromising and ruthless judge, whose image looks with extreme severity at sinful humanity from under the dome of the Novgorod temple,” writes researcher of Russian medieval art V.V. Bychkov.

"Stylite"

Theophanes the Greek creates a world full of drama and tension of the spirit. Its saints are stern, detached from everything around them, deep in the contemplation of silence - the only path to salvation. Artists in Novgorod tried to follow Feofan’s style when they painted the Church of Fyodor Stratilates on the Stream, but in general the master’s individuality turned out to be exceptional for Rus', a country far from the spiritual experience of Byzantium and looking for its own path.

After 1378, Feofan apparently worked in Nizhny Novgorod, but his paintings from this period have not reached us.
From about 1390, he was in Moscow and briefly in Kolomna, where he could paint the Assumption Cathedral, which was later completely rebuilt. Here, in the cathedral, the later famous shrine was kept - the icon “Our Lady of the Don” (on its back - “Assumption”), which was later transferred to the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (now in the State Tretyakov Gallery). Some researchers associate its performance with the work of Theophanes the Greek.

The master completed several paintings in the Moscow Kremlin: in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary with the chapel of St. Lazarus (1395), where Theophanes worked together with Simeon the Black, in the Arkhangelsk (1399) and Annunciation (1405) cathedrals. He painted the latter together with Andrei Rublev and Prokhor from Gorodets. In the Kremlin, Feofan took part in the paintings of the treasury of Prince Vladimir Andreevich and the tower of Vasily I. None of these works have survived. It is possible that Theophanes the Greek participated in the creation of icons of the Deesis rank, currently located in the Annunciation Cathedral. However, as proven by recent research, this iconostasis is not the original one dating back to 1405, and the Deesis rite could have been moved here only after the devastating fire in the Kremlin that occurred in 1547.

In any case, the icons “Savior in Power”, “Our Lady”, “John the Baptist”, “Apostle Peter”, “Apostle Paul”, “Basily the Great”, “John Chrysostom” reveal such features of style and such high technical skill that allow assume here the work of a great master.

Theophan the Greek's style of icon painting (if we agree that the icons of the Deesis rite of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin were painted by Theophan) differs significantly from the fresco style. This can be explained by the specifics of icon painting. The images of the Deesis rank are impressive and monumental. Almost two-meter figures, full of inner significance and self-absorption, form a single composition, subordinated to one idea - to embody prayer of thanksgiving saints Savior, creator and ruler heavenly powers, and their intercession for the human race on the day of the Last Judgment. This idea determined the iconographic solution for the entire group as a whole, and for each image separately. The iconography of the rank has its origins in the altar paintings of Byzantine churches and is closely connected with the texts of the main prayers of the liturgy. A similar program of the Deesis rite with “The Savior is in Power” subsequently became widespread in Russian iconostases, but here it appears for the first time.

Unlike fresco painting images of icons are not so expressive in appearance. Their drama and sorrow seemed to go deep, revealing themselves in the soft glow of their faces and the muted colors of their clothes. Each face by type and expression emotional state brightly individual, almost portrait-like. The contours of the figures are calmer; the classical tradition, going back to antiquity, is more clearly visible in their design. The icons are painted masterfully, using complex and varied technical techniques that only an outstanding master can do. Among the icons supposedly associated with the name of Theophanes are “John the Baptist Angel of the Desert,” “Transfiguration” and “Four Parts” (all in the Tretyakov Gallery).

"Our Lady"

Icon of the Deesis tier of the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin