Inseparable from the liturgical tradition, religious
art functions as a form of pictorial confession of
faith and a channel of religious experience for
Orthodox Christians. Because icons were
believed to provide direct personal contact with
the holy persons represented on them, these
images were objects of veneration, in either a
public or private setting or during travels, and
were also thought to have the ability to heal.
When gazing upon the painted areas of this
masterpiece, one is more likely to recall the
works of an Italian master such as Raphael than
the works of the Russian master of icon painting,
Andrei Rublev. The painter of this spectacular
icon might have had formal art training abroad in
a foreign land. Perhaps, he was the son of an
elite aristocrat family and was able to study the
Czars’ collections that comprise the Hermitage
museum today. Clearly this artist has been
influenced by works outside the traditional
Byzantine style that characterizes the majority of
Russian icon paintings. What is most impressive
about this painting is the stunning beauty and
warmth of the painted flesh, considering that the
majority or the composition is covered in a
gilded brass oklad. A repoussé technique in high
relief has been utilized to achieve the folds and
curves of the figures’ robes. The metal has also
been engraved, depicting the floral patterns of
the Virgin’s drapery. A motif in relief of
intertwining vines and leaves fills the borders of
the oklad. This motif is repeated on the interior
of Mary’s halo, a separate piece of metal that has
been attached just above the holy figures’ heads.
A perforated band frames the edges of the halos.
Above all, this extraordinary icon simultaneous
moves away from the traditions it also bound by.
Thus, it represents a merger of Eastern and
Western tastes.
- (PF.5698)
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