Russian Icon Painting: Theophanes, Rublev, Dionisius
The Byzantine canon recast as stillness: light instead of shadow, rhythm of silhouettes instead of volume
How to recognise it
- Gold or pale background with no depth
- Elongated figures with small heads
- Reverse perspective in thrones and buildings
- Pure flat colours: azure, vermilion, ochre
- White highlight strokes instead of shading
Why it emerged
After the Battle of Kulikovo, Moscow and Novgorod built and decorated churches, and Theophanes the Greek brought the latest Palaiologan manner from Byzantium. Hesychasm, with its teaching on divine light, and the monastic revival of Sergius of Radonezh gave the icon its contemplative, quiet tone.
Examples
Theophanes' frescoes in the Church of the Saviour on Ilyina Street1378 · Theophanes the GreekTheophanes' only securely dated murals: swift figures modelled by white flashes of lightTheotokos of the Donc. 1392 · Theophanes the Greek (attributed)A model Eleusa icon for Muscovy; legend links it to Dmitry Donskoy at Kulikovo
Trinityc. 1411 · Andrei RublevRussia's defining icon: three angels in a circle of concord; the 1551 Stoglav Council made it the model
Dionisius' frescoes at Ferapontov Monastery1502 · Dionisius and his sonsDionisius' only near-complete surviving ensemble, in pale luminous colours; a UNESCO siteMore in this style
Meanwhile elsewhere
- Byzantine art Europe
- Moorish style (al-Andalus) Europe
- Ife and Benin bronzes Africa
- Gothic Europe
- Persian miniature Middle East
- Aztec Art Americas
- Ming and Qing Porcelain Asia
- Italian Renaissance Europe
- Northern Renaissance Europe
- Inca Architecture Americas
- Classical Ottoman Architecture (Sinan) Middle East
- Mannerism Europe