Sometimes images of saints on ancient Russian frescoes or mosaics are called icons. This, of course, is wrong. But the figures on the frescoes and icons are really similar. This is because in ancient Russian painting there were strict rules, or canons, on how to depict saints and biblical subjects, the same for icons, frescoes and mosaics.

The basis for the emergence of Russian painting was the samples of Byzantine art. It was from there that the canons came to Russia.

King Abgar receives from the Apostle Thaddeus the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands.
Folding sash (X century).

For the perception of icon painting by a modern viewer, it is important to remember that an icon is a very complex work in terms of its internal organization, artistic language, no less complex than, for example, a painting of the Renaissance. However, the icon painter thought in completely different categories, followed a different aesthetics.

What is an iconographic canon?

After a difficult period of iconoclasm, the paintings of churches in Byzantium were brought into a single, orderly system. All the dogmas and rites of the Greco-Eastern Church were fully formed and were recognized as divinely inspired and unchangeable. Church art had to adhere to certain schemes of basic compositions, the totality of which is usually called the "iconographic canon".

Canon - a set of strictly established rules and techniques for works of art of this type.

The goal of Byzantine art was not to depict the surrounding world, but to display by artistic means the supernatural world, the existence of which Christianity claimed. Hence the main canonical requirements for iconography:

• the images on the icons should emphasize their spiritual, unearthly, supernatural character, which was achieved by a peculiar interpretation of the head and face of the figure. Spirituality, calm contemplation and inner grandeur came to the fore in the image;
• since the supernatural world is an eternal, unchanging world, the figures of biblical characters and saints on the icon should be depicted as motionless, static;
• the icon made specific demands on the display of space and time.

The Byzantine iconographic canon regulated the range of compositions and plots of scripture, the representation of the proportions of figures, the general type and general facial expression of the saints, the type of appearance of individual saints and their postures, the palette of colors and the technique of painting.

Where did the samples come from, which the icon painter was obliged to imitate?
There were primary sources, such icons are called "primordial".
Each "primordial" icon -
the result of religious insight, visions.
The icon "Christ the Pantocrator" from the monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Athos
made in the encaustic technique.
It was created in the VI century - long before the formation of the canon.
But for 14 centuries Christ the Pantocrator
basically write it that way.

How saints were depicted on icons

Thanks to the work of John of Damascus, it became clear what can be depicted on the icon and what cannot. It remains to find out and regulate how the appearance of saints and divine subjects should be depicted.

The basis of the iconographic canon was the idea of ​​the truth of what was depicted. If the gospel events were real, they should have been portrayed as they happened. But the books of the New Testament are extremely sparing in describing the setting of certain scenes, usually the evangelists give only a list of the actions of the characters, omitting the characteristics of appearance, clothing, scenes, and the like. Therefore, along with canonical texts, canonical schemes for depicting various sacred plots were formed, which became the basis for the icon painter.

For example, saints, archangels, the Virgin Mary and Christ should be drawn strictly in front or in three quarters, with wide eyes fixed on the believer.

To enhance the effect, some masters painted the eyes in such a way that they seemed to be following the person, no matter from which side he looked at the icon.

Iconography prescribed how to convey the appearance of various saints. For example, St. John Chrysostom was supposed to be portrayed as fair-haired and short-bearded, while St. Basil the Great was depicted as a dark-haired man with a long, pointed beard. Thanks to this, the figures of the saints were easily recognizable even at a great distance, when the accompanying inscriptions were not visible.

"Sergius and Bacchus", VI century (State Museum of Western and Oriental Art, Kyiv).
This one of the early Byzantine icons depicts the holy martyrs, especially
revered in Constantinople. The attention of the audience will certainly be attracted by their gaze,
transmitted through unnaturally large, wide-open eyes.
In these images, spiritual concentration and detachment from the outside world are especially emphasized.

Known since ancient times, the proportions of the human body are deliberately violated: the figures rush up, become taller, thinner, the shoulders narrow, fingers and nails lengthen. The whole body, except for the face and hands, is hidden under the folds of clothing. The oval of the face is lengthened, the forehead is written high, the nose and mouth are small, the eyes are large, almond-shaped. The look is strict and detached, the saints look past the viewer or through him. To make the characters of the icon look incorporeal, like angels, Byzantine masters made them flat, practically reduced to simple silhouettes.

Color palette

Primary colors had a symbolic meaning set forth in the 6th century treatise On the Heavenly Hierarchy. For example, the background of an icon (it was also called “light”), symbolizing one or another divine essence, could be gold, that is, it meant Divine light, white - this is the purity of Christ and the radiance of his Divine glory, the green background symbolized youth and vigor, red - a sign of the imperial dignity, as well as the color of purple, the blood of Christ and the martyrs. The empty space of the background is filled with inscriptions - the name of the saint, the words of divine scripture.

There was a rejection of a multifaceted landscape or architectural background, which gradually turned into a kind of signs of an architectural landscape or landscape, and often completely gave way to a pure monophonic plane.

Icon painters also abandoned halftones, color transitions, reflections of one color in another. The planes were painted over locally: the red cloak was written exclusively in cinnabar (the so-called paint containing all shades of red), the yellow slide was painted with yellow ocher.

Gregory the Wonderworker, second half of the 12th century.
A brilliant example of a Byzantine icon from that period
(State Hermitage, St. Petersburg).

Since the background of the icon was painted with the same intensity, even the minimal three-dimensionality of the figures, which the new painting allowed, could not reveal chiaroscuro. Therefore, in order to show the most convex point of the image, it was highlighted: for example, in the face, the tip of the nose, cheekbones, superciliary arches were painted with the lightest colors. A special technique arose for sequentially superimposing lighter layers of paint on top of each other, while the lightest one turned out to be just that very convex point of the surface, regardless of its location.

The paints themselves also became different: encaustic (in this painting technique the binder of paints is wax) was replaced by tempera (water-borne paints prepared on the basis of dry powder pigments).

"Reverse" perspective

There have also been changes in the relationship of the characters depicted on the icon with each other and with the viewer. The spectator was replaced by a worshiper, who did not contemplate the work of painting, but stood before his Heavenly Intercessor. The image was directed at the person standing in front of the icon, which influenced the change of perspective systems.

Annunciation (late 12th century, Sinai). The golden background in Christian symbolism meant Divine light.
The shimmering gilding gave the impression of intangibility,
the immersion of the figures in a certain mystical space, reminiscent of the radiance of the skies of the mountain world.
Moreover, this golden radiance excluded any other source of light.
And if the sun or a candle were depicted on the icon, they did not affect the illumination of other objects,
therefore Byzantine painters did not use chiaroscuro.

The linear perspective of antiquity ("direct" perspective), which created the illusion of "depth" of the depicted space, was lost. Its place was taken by the so-called "reverse" perspective: the lines converged not behind the plane of the icon, but in front of it - as if in the eyes of the viewer, in his real world.

The image seemed to be overturned, aimed at the viewer, the viewer was included in the system of the painting, and did not look into it, like a random passerby through someone else's window.

In addition to the “turn-on effect”, reverse perspective also contributed to the flattening of three-dimensional objects - they seemed to spread out on the surface of a painted wall or board. Forms became stylized, freed from "unnecessary" details. Now the artist did not write the object itself, but, as it were, the idea of ​​​​the object. At a five-domed temple, for example, all five domes lined up in a straight line, without taking into account the fact that in reality two domes would be obscured. The table should have four legs, even though the back legs are not visible. The object on the icon should be revealed to the person in its entirety, as it is accessible to the Divine Eye.

Time display features

The transfer of time in the space of the icon also has its own characteristics. The saint, whom the prayer is looking at, is generally out of time, because he lives in another world. But the plots of his earthly life unfold both in time and in space: the hagiographic icons show the birth of the future saint, his baptism, education, sometimes travels, sometimes suffering, miracles, burial and transfer of relics. A form of unification of the temporal and the eternal has become a hagiographic icon with hallmarks - small pictures that form a frame around the large figure of the saint.

Saint Panteleimon in his life. (XIII century, the monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai).

And yet, space and time on the Byzantine icon are rather arbitrary. For example, in the execution scene, an executioner can be depicted, who raised his sword over the martyr who bowed his head, and right next to it is a severed head lying on the ground. Often the more important characters are larger than the rest or are repeated several times in the same image.

Rigid limits or freedom of creativity?

On the one hand, the iconographic canon limited the freedom of the artist: he could not freely build a composition and even choose colors at his own discretion. On the other hand, the canon disciplined the painter, forcing me to pay careful attention to detail. The rigid framework in which the Byzantine icon painters were placed forced the masters to improve within these boundaries - to change the shades of color, the details of the compositions, the rhythmic solution of the scenes.

Thanks to this system of conventions, the language of Byzantine painting arose, well understood by all believers. At that time, many could not read, but the language of symbols was instilled in any believer from childhood. And the symbolism of color, gestures, depicted objects - this is the language of the icon.

Our Lady of Vladimir (the beginning of the 12th century, the State Tretyakov Gallery), brought to Russia from Constantinople in 1155, is rightfully considered a masterpiece of Byzantine icon painting. Icons of this type received in Russia the name "Tenderness" (in Greek, Eleusa). A distinctive feature of this image is that the left leg of the Infant Jesus is bent in such a way
that the sole of the foot is visible.

Canonical requirements entered the system of artistic means of Byzantine art, thanks to which it achieved such refinement and perfection. These icons no longer caused reproaches in paganism and idolatry. It turns out that the years of iconoclasm were not in vain - they contributed to intense reflection on the essence of the sacred image and the forms of church painting, and ultimately - on the creation of a new type of art.

Lesson 15

Slide 1. The name of the lesson.

You will learn:

Why is the icon so unusual.

Why depict the invisible.

Slide 2. The image of a person.

Look at the painting by Mikhail Vasilievich Nesterov "The Wanderer". It depicts a person.

Can we say that this image is the person? (children answer)

No. The picture presents us with only the bodily image of a person.

Do you think it is possible to depict the soul of a person in a picture?(children answer)

Slide 3. The image of the soul.

We do not know what the soul looks like, the inner world is not visible. But this is a world of feelings, which means that by using artistic means, reflecting the mood of a person, you can depict the image of the soul. As, for example, in this picture, with the help of colors and lines, the artist Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy conveyed the state of mind of a monk - calmness and thoughtfulness.

What do you understand by the expression "holy man"? (children answer)

Slide 4. The image of holiness.

The word "holy" means "brilliant, shining, bright, pure, white." That is, a holy person is a righteous person with a pure soul, in which there is not a drop of evil. The image of holiness, that is, the image of the Divine light, is conveyed by means of artistic means in special pictures, which are called icons.

Listening text with illustrations

Slide 5. Icon - image.

Word icon

Slide 6. Man is an icon.

The temple is filled with icons. Some images are placed on the walls. Others are on the floor. These are people. Word icon in Greek means "image".

Why do you think people in churches are compared to icons? (children answer)

God created man in His own image and likeness. The image of God in man lies in the ability of the soul to love, to be free from sin, to think and create. And just as a grain that has the ability to germinate and bear fruit can, under favorable conditions, become an ear, so the image of God in a person can grow into the likeness of God. That is, the soul will become holy. The icons depict images of people who have attained holiness. There are people in the temple who aspire to holiness. And precisely because the Bible says that every person is image of God. That is why a Christian perceives each person as a shrine. Therefore, people bow to each other, showing respect to the image of God in man. And that is why the priest in the temple burns incense not only to the icons on the walls, but also to living people.

But the icon shows us not only the image of God, but also the image of man. And man, according to Holy Scripture, was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), which means that he is destined to shine with the light of God's glory. Each of us is an icon, but this icon needs restoration, clearing, strengthening, removal of alluvial layers. And this is what we must do every day of our lives, until the image that the Divine artist has conceived shines through. Looking at the holy icons, at the images of the great ascetics of the faith, at the images of the Mother of God and the Savior, we look at our future, what it can become if we really put on Christ. An icon is an image of the future century. ()

Slide 7. Icon and painting.

The pictorial icon differs markedly from the painting. This is because the task of the icon is to show the inner world of a holy person, to depict the Divine light in the soul. But not every image on a religious theme can be considered an icon, but only that which corresponds to the dogmas of the Church. Orthodox icons are painted according to certain rules. These rules are called the iconographic canon.

The canonical icon is designed to depict a living icon - a saint, not a living person.

↓The picture can show the struggle between good and evil in a person. The icon shows what a person will become if he wins this fight.

Let's see how the saints are depicted on the icons. And we will analyze the differences between the icon and the picture.

LIGHT OF THE ICON

Flat two-dimensional image, lack of volume, three-dimensionality. The result - the action takes place not in the horizontal plane, but in the vertical one - the aspiration of the soul is directed upwards.

Slide 8. Light and shadow.

The main thing in an icon is light in general - the main thing in an icon. In the Gospel, Light is one of the names of God and one of His manifestations.

The saint opened his whole life to God, and, therefore, there is no place left for evil in it, there is no darkness. Everything became permeated with light. Therefore, not a single object on the icon casts a shadow. The picture can show the struggle between good and evil in a person. The icon shows what a person will become if he wins this fight.

Slide 9. Light.

In an ordinary picture, a person is like a planet. On the icon, every person is a star.

The light on the icon comes through the face and figure of the holy man, and does not fall on him from the outside. In an ordinary picture, a person is like a planet. On the icon, every person is a star.

Light in general is the main thing in an icon. In the Gospel, Light is one of the names of God and one of His manifestations.

Slide 10. Background.

Icon painters call the golden background of the icon “light”. It is a symbol of the infinite divine Light. And this Light can never be obscured by the back wall of the room. Therefore, if an icon painter wants to make it clear that the action takes place inside a room (temple, room, palace), he still draws this building from the outside. (click on the icon " The Last Supper" - an image of a modern icon of the Last Supper appears) But on top of it or between the houses it throws, as it were, a curtain - “velum” (in Latin, velum means sail). (clicking on the image that appears removes it)

Slide 11. Nimbus.

The head of the saint is surrounded by a golden circle. The saint, as it were, is filled with light and, having been saturated with it, he radiates it. it nimbus- a sign of God's grace, which permeated the life and thought of the saint and inspired his love.

Slide 12. Space.

This halo often goes beyond the edges of the icon space. No, this is not because the artist made a mistake and did not calculate the size of his drawing. This means that the light of the icon is streaming into our world.

Sometimes the foot of the saint steps beyond the boundaries of the icon itself. And the meaning is the same: the icon is perceived as a window through which the Heavenly world enters our life.

If one day you meet a holy person not on an icon, but in life, you will feel that next to him it becomes light, joyful and calm.

Slide 13. Light.

↓How is the concept of "light" related to the understanding of God in Christianity of God? (children answer)

Slide 14. Harmony of lines.

Another amazing feature of the icon is that there is no disorder on it. Even the folds of the clothes are conveyed by straight and harmonious lines. The icon painter conveys the inner harmony of the saint through the outer harmony.

Slide 15. Horizon.

On the icon, unlike the picture, there is no background and no horizon. All action unfolds in one plane. When you look at something bright (the sun or a spotlight), you lose the feeling of space and depth. The icon shines into our eyes, and in this light every earthly distance becomes invisible.

Slide 16. Reverse perspective.

Independent reading

Read the story and draw the road in the picture just like the boy did..

Printable coloring sheet included. Children can color it at will at home.

INSERT (according to B. Uspensky)

(click) This arrangement of objects in the picture, when distant objects are larger than near ones, is called reverse perspective. Icons are written in reverse perspective.

Slide 17. Reverse perspective.

It is also unusual that the Lines on the icon do not converge in the distance, but, on the contrary, diverge. When I look at the world, the farther away from me the object, the smaller it is. Somewhere far away, even the largest object turns into a tiny point (for example, a star). And what then does it mean if the lines on the icon diverge into the distance? This means that I am not looking at the icon of Christ, but Christ from the icon looks at me, as it were.

The Christian, experiencing this, feels himself before the gaze of Christ. And, of course, he tries to remember the commandments of Christ and not to violate them.

Slide 18. The main thing is the face.

By clicking on the image, an enlarged fragment of the icon appears.

The most striking thing in the icon is the faces and eyes. The faces show wisdom and love. Their eyes convey such a state that can be expressed by the old and precise word - "joyful sadness." On the icon, this is the joy of the saint that he himself is already with God, and his sadness that those whom he looks at are sometimes still far from Him.

Slide 19. Features of the icon.

Let's try to remember all the features of writing a traditional Orthodox icon.

Children, peeping into the textbook, name the distinctive features of the icon.

↓How did you understand the difference between an icon and an ordinary painting? (children answer)

Slide 20. Icon or painting?

Is this a painting or an icon? Justify. If this is an icon, is it written according to the canons?

Shilov Nevsky. Historical and patriotic picture.

(click) Borovikovsky Alexander Nevsky. The icon, made with deviations from traditional icon painting, in the style of Western icon painting and mystical allegorical secular painting. It can be more attributed to religious painting.

(click) against the backdrop of the Moscow Kremlin. Ural icon in academic style. 1889 Western Catholic influence, the desire for life-likeness, is made with deviations from the Orthodox icon-painting canon.

(click) Traditional icon of St. Alexander Nevsky, 20th century.

We listen to the text

ICON AND PRAYER

Slide 21. Background slide.

The first images of Christ that have come down to us date back to the second century after the birth of Christ. But the rules for writing icons were developed for many centuries.

One of the difficulties in the development of Christian painting was that it was necessary to answer the difficult question: how can icons be painted at all, if the Bible itself emphasizes that God is invisible.

The icon became possible because the New Testament came after the Old Testament. The gospel says that God, who remained invisible in Old Testament times, then Himself was born as a man. The apostles saw Christ with their own eyes. And what is seen can be depicted.

Christians do not pray to icons. They pray in front of the icons. Christians pray to the one they see on the icon.

After all, when you talk on the phone, your words are addressed not to him, but to the interlocutor. Likewise, if a person sees the Apostle Paul on the icon, he does not pray, “icon, help me,” but says, “Holy Apostle Paul, pray to God for me.”

By the way, not only saints, but also each other, Christians can ask to pray for themselves. A child can ask his mother to pray for him. And adults really believe in the power of children's prayers.

Neither an icon nor a candle prays instead of people. But they remind a person of his calling to become better. After all, the icon depicts those people who lived their earthly life in love. As a rule, it was harder for them than for us. But they were able to remain human. They betrayed no one, turned away from no one. Some saints lived three thousand years ago (Prophet Moses). And some were almost our contemporaries. This means that people of the 21st century can also do this way.

In Orthodoxy, this is very clear: any person can become holy and bright. The "image of God" is in everyone. And God loves everyone equally. So it depends only on the person himself - whether he will glow or smoke.

For a believer, the lives of Christ and the saints are so dear that when they see their images, he at least briefly prays to them. Therefore, we can say that the icon invites people to prayer, and, most importantly, to imitate the life of the saints. That is - to a life in which the main thing is not selfishness, but love.

INSERT (according to B. Uspensky)

One boy drew an ordinary children's drawing. At the bottom of the leaf is a house, at the top is a forest. From the door of the house to the forest there was a road. But for some reason it looked like a comet's tail - the farther away, the wider it became. The father had already explained to this boy that in the distance the lines in the drawing should converge and, therefore, the road closer to the horizon (that is, to the upper edge of the sheet) should narrow. But the boy still drew in his own way. Therefore, the father asked him - “You yourself are in the house, the road, going away from you, should decrease! Why did you draw everything the other way around? And the boy answered: “But the guests will come from there!”.

The difference between stars (suns) and planets is that the stars themselves give birth to their own light, and the planets send into space only the light of the sun reflected by them. It's like the difference between a light bulb and a mirror.

Questions and tasks

1. How did you understand the difference between an icon and an ordinary painting?

2. How is the concept of "light" related to the Christian understanding of God?

Slide 22. Icon "Savior Not Made by Hands", 12th century.

3. Why do Orthodox Christians consider it possible to depict the invisible God?

Slide 23. Prayer, icons.

4. To whom do Orthodox Christians pray, standing in front of the icon?

We listen to prayer

Slide 24. Diligent intercessor.

Prayer chant to the Blessed Virgin Mary performed by Yulia Berezova.

Song-prayer before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

Folk words, music. about. Nikolay Guryanov

Zealous intercessor,

Mary merciful,

Oh Mother of the Most High God,

Christ the King Most High.

You pray to your Son

Lord of our Savior

About all who call to You,

Those who run under your shelter.

You earnestly pray to the Creator,

Blessed God and Father,

So that for your prayer

He gave salvation to all.

O Lady good Mother,

Give us Your grace

Holy Intercession

And consolation in grief.

Lady of Heaven,

bride,

Give patience in adversity

In sickness, healing.

Our souls are all misery,

Sins, many vices,

Covered by Your love

Washed in the blood of Christ.

Before Your Holy Image

Prayerfully we come

With tender souls,

With broken hearts.

We look at your image

And we weep bitterly before You -

Queen of mercy, bounty,

Mother of orphans.

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Methodological support of experimental lessons on the Fundamentals of Orthodox culture for grades 4-5. Lesson 15 pravolimp. en/lessons/15

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http://drevo-info. en/articles/247.html:

Icon (Greek εικων - image, image) - an image of Christ, the Virgin, saints or events from Sacred history.

The icon is an integral part of the Orthodox tradition, without it it is difficult to imagine an Orthodox church and worship, the home of an Orthodox person and his life. A person is born or dies, goes on a long journey or starts some business - his life is accompanied by a sacred image, an icon.

The image appeared in Christian art initially, but the formation of the icon went along with the formation of liturgy and dogmatics. It is no coincidence that the dogma of icon veneration was adopted at the Seventh Ecumenical Council (in 787), which crowned the great era of the Ecumenical Councils, and approved in 843 with the victory of icon veneration. And since then, the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy has been celebrated, because the icon has become a statement of the very principle of orthodoxy.

The Orthodox Church sees in the icon not only one of the types of church art, even the main one, but a visible expression of the Orthodox faith. The word "icon" means image, image, portrait. And this applies primarily to the image of Jesus Christ: this is the first icon, the only image of God.

The Word of God calls God the Father an icon: “He is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). God the Word, in the mysterious act of the Incarnation, unites with human flesh, the Invisible and Unapproachable becomes Visible and Accessible to man. The Almighty Creator of Heaven and earth, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who spoke with Moses at Sinai, called the prophets, the Divine Logos - appeared on earth as the God-Man Jesus Christ. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we saw His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father,” testifies John the Theologian (John 1:14).

The mystery of the Incarnation, inaccessible to the human mind, is an important truth of Christian revelation; it cannot be comprehended logically, rationally. The principle of Orthodox theology is not to prove the Truth, but to bear witness to It. The icon is one of the theological languages, through which the Church brings the Good News to the world, testifies to the truth, reveals Christ and His Church triumphant - transfigured, burnt humanity.

Does the icon contradict the second commandment of Deuteronomy, which forbids depicting God? Iconoclasts once blamed icon worshipers for this, calling them idolaters and violators of the immutable Word of God. Such accusations against the Orthodox can still be heard today from Protestants. The contradiction between the prohibition to depict God and the apparent icon. Moses, who spoke with God at the burning bush, warned Israel: “Hold firmly in your souls that you did not see any image on the day when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, so that you would not become corrupt and make statues for yourself.<...>that you [Israel]<...>he was not deceived and did not worship them and did not serve them ”(Deut. 4, 15-19). When God the Word became incarnate, incarnated, became visible, he inevitably became and can be depicted. The Monk John of Damascus therefore wrote: “When you see the incorporeal man for your sake, then make an image of His human form. When the invisible, clothed in flesh, becomes visible, then portray the likeness of the Appeared One. When He Who, being by virtue of the superiority of His nature, is deprived of body and form, quantity and quality, and size, Who in the image of God, took on the form of a servant (Philippians 2:6-7), through this became limited in quantity and qualitative relationship and put on a bodily image, then inscribe on the boards and expose for contemplation the One who desired to appear "...

The Dogma of the Three Hundred and Sixty-Seven Saints Father of the Seventh Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. About icon veneration.

We keep not everything new, whether written or not, the church traditions established for us, but from them there is only an iconic depiction of the image, as if it harmonizes with the narration of the gospel sermon, and serves us to assure the true, and not the imaginary, incarnation of God the Word, and to a similar benefit. Even though they are pointed out to others, they are undoubtedly understood by others. With this being, as if on a royal path, following the God-speaking teaching of our holy fathers and the tradition of the Catholic Church, (for we know, as this is the Holy Spirit living in it,) with all certainty and careful consideration, we determine: like the image of an honest and life-giving cross, believe in the holy churches of God, on sacred vessels and clothes, on walls and on boards, in houses and on paths, honest and holy icons, painted with paints and from fractional stones and from another substance capable of being arranged, like icons of the Lord and God and the Savior our Jesus Christ, and our immaculate Lady, the Holy Mother of God, likewise revered Angels, and all the holy and reverend men. Eliko more often through the image on the icons are visible, the ceiling, looking at them, they are moved to remember and love the prototypes of them, and honor them with a kiss and reverent worship, not true, according to our faith, worship of God, even if it befits the one Divine nature, but reverence for that the image, as if the image of an honest and life-giving cross and the holy gospel and other shrines, honor is given with incense and the setting of candles, which was a pious custom among the ancients. For the honor given to the image passes to the primitive, and the one who worships the icon worships the essence of the one depicted on it. Thus, the teaching of our holy fathers is affirmed, that is, the tradition of the catholic Church, from the end to the end of the earth, having received the Gospel.

Everyone who begins to look at icons involuntarily wonders about the content of ancient images, about why for several centuries the same plot has remained almost unchanged and easily recognizable. The answer to these questions will help us find iconography, a strictly established system for depicting any characters and religious plots. As the ministers of the church say, iconography is "the alphabet of church art."

The iconography includes a large number of subjects taken from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, theological writings, hagiographic literature, religious poetry on the themes of the main Christian dogmas, that is, canons.

The iconographic canon is a criterion for the truth of an image, its correspondence to the text and meaning of the "Holy Scripture".

Centuries-old traditions, the repetition of compositions of religious subjects led to the development of such stable schemes. The iconographic canons, as they were called in Russia - "excerpts", reflected not only common Christian traditions, but also local features inherent in one or another art school.

Constancy in the depiction of religious subjects, in the immutability of ideas that can be expressed only in the appropriate form - this is the secret of the canon. With the help of it, the symbolism of the icon was fixed, which in turn facilitated the work on its pictorial and content side.

The canonical foundations covered all the expressive means of the icon. In the compositional scheme, the signs and attributes inherent in the icon of one kind or another were recorded. So, gold and white color symbolized the divine, heavenly light. Usually they marked Christ, the powers of heaven, and sometimes the Mother of God. Green meant earthly flowering, blue meant the heavenly sphere, purple was used to depict the clothes of the Mother of God, and the red color of Christ's clothes meant his victory over.

The main characters of religious painting are the Mother of God, Christ, the Forerunner, the apostles, prophets, forefathers and others. Images are main, shoulder, waist and full-length.

The image of the Mother of God enjoyed special love among icon painters. There are more than two hundred types of iconographic images of the Mother of God, the so-called "exodus". They have names: Hodegetria, Eleusa, Oranta, Sign and others. The most common type of image is Hodegetria (Guide), (Fig. 1). This is a half-length image of the Mother of God with Christ in her arms. They are depicted in a frontal spread, gazing intently at the prayer. Christ rests on Mary's left hand, she holds her right hand in front of her chest, as if pointing it at her son. In turn, Christ blesses the worshiper with his right hand, and in his left hand he holds a paper scroll. Icons depicting the Mother of God are usually named after the place where they first appeared or where they were especially revered. For example, the icons of Vladimir, Smolensk, Iver, Kazan, Georgian and so on are widely known.

Another, no less famous, view is the image of the Mother of God called Eleusa (Tenderness). A characteristic example of an icon of the Eleus type is the Vladimir Mother of God, widely known and beloved by all believers. The icon is an image of Mary with a baby in her arms. In the whole guise of the Mother of God, maternal love and complete spiritual unity with Jesus are felt. This is expressed in the tilt of Mary's head and in the gentle touch of Jesus on the mother's cheek (Fig. 2).

Impressive is the image of the Mother of God, known as Oranta (Prayer). In this case, she is depicted without Jesus, with her hands uplifted, which means “standing before God” (Fig. 3). Sometimes a “circle of Glory” is placed on the chest of Oranta, in which Christ is depicted as an infant. In this case, the icon is called "Great Panagia" (All-holy). A similar icon, but in a half-length image, is usually called the Mother of God of the Sign (Incarnation). Here, the disk with the image of Christ denotes the earthly being of the God-man (Fig. 4).

The images of Christ are more conservative than the images of the Mother of God. Most often, Christ is depicted as Pantokrator (Almighty). He is depicted frontally, or half-length, or in full growth. At the same time, the fingers of his right, raised, hands are folded in a blessing two-fingered gesture. There is also the addition of fingers, which is called "nominal". It is formed by the crossed middle and thumb fingers, as well as the set aside little finger, symbolizes the initials of the name of Christ. In his left hand he holds an open or closed Gospel (Fig. 5).

Another, most common image is "The Savior on the Throne" and "The Savior in Power" (Fig. 6).

The icon called "The Savior Not Made by Hands" is one of the oldest, which depicts the iconographic image of Christ. The image is based on a belief about the imprint of the face of Christ on a towel - ubrus. The Savior Not Made by Hands in ancient times was depicted not only on icons, but also on the banners-banners that Russian soldiers took on military campaigns (Fig. 7).

Another encountered image of Christ is his full-length image with a blessing gesture of his right hand and the Gospel in his left - the Savior (Fig. 8). Often you can see the image of the Almighty in the clothes of the Byzantine emperor, which is usually called the "King of the King", meaning that he is the King of all kings (Fig. 9).

Interesting information about the nature of the clothes and vestments in which the characters of the icons are dressed. From an artistic point of view, the clothes of icon-painting characters are very expressive. As a rule, it is based on Byzantine motifs. Each image has clothes that are characteristic and inherent only to him. So, the clothes of the Mother of God are a maphorium, a tunic and a cap. Maforium - a veil that envelops the head, shoulders and goes down to the floor. It has a border decoration. The dark cherry color of maforia means a great and royal family. Maforius is put on a tunic - a long dress with sleeves and ornaments on cuffs ("armlets"). The tunic is dyed dark blue, which symbolizes chastity and heavenly purity. Sometimes the Mother of God appears in the clothes not of Byzantine empresses, but of Russian queens of the 17th century.

On the head of the Mother of God, under the maphorium, a green or blue cap is drawn, decorated with white stripes of ornament (Fig. 10).

The female images in the icon are mostly dressed in a tunic and a cloak, fastened with a fibula clasp. A dress is depicted on the head - boards.

A long dress is put on over the tunic, decorated with a hemline and an apron going from top to bottom. This clothing is called dolmatik.

Sometimes, instead of a dolmatic, a table can be depicted, which, although it looks like a dolmatic, does not have an apron (Fig. 11).

Christ's attire includes a chiton, a long shirt with wide sleeves. The chiton is dyed purple or red-brown. It is decorated with two parallel stripes running from the shoulder to the hem. This is Clavius, which in ancient times meant belonging to the patrician class. A himation is thrown at the chiton. It completely covers the right shoulder and partially the left. The color of the himation is blue (Fig. 12).

Folk clothes are decorated with a mantle embroidered with precious stones.

On the icons of a later period, one can also see civilian clothes: boyar fur coats, caftans and various robes of commoners.

The monks, that is, the monks, are dressed in cassocks, mantles, schemas, hoods, and so on. On the heads of the nuns, an apostle (cloak) was depicted, covering the head and shoulders (Fig. 13).

Warriors are written in armor, with a spear, sword, shield and other weapons (Fig. 14).

When writing kings, their heads were decorated with a crown or crown (Fig. 15).

Fragment of the icon "Our Lady of Tenderness". Linden, canvas, gesso, tempera. First half of the 15th century. Tretyakov Gallery.

Icon(from gr. - image, image) - accepted by the Church and consecrated image of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, saints and various events from Sacred and Church history. According to strictly defined rules (canons), icons are painted with paints (usually tempera) on a wooden (linden or pine) board, covered with a special primer.

Asist- the composition used in icon painting for gluing sheets of gold and silver. It has the appearance of a thick, sticky mass of dark brown color, prepared from garlic or beer sludge by languishing in an oven to the desired state. When used, it is diluted with water so that they can draw the finest lines with a brush. On the asist, gold holds very well and does not lose its luster.

Icon board- a wood base for an icon, usually linden, less often pine, spruce, oak or cypress. Several boards are tightly connected with the sides into a single shield of the desired size, glued with animal glue (for example, casein glue) and additionally fastened with dowels from the back or from the ends (so as not to warp). On the front side, a flat recess is made - the ark.

Iconography(Greek - description of the image) - a description of the features and canons of the image of a certain person or plot on icons.

Kiot- a decorated frame for an icon or a glazed cabinet for several icons.

Levkas(Greek) - white primer for icon painting. Consists of crushed chalk (or plaster) and glue. It is applied gradually, multi-layered on the surface of the board intended for writing the icon. The surface of the gesso is carefully polished.

Nimbus- radiance around the head: a sign of God's grace in the form of a disk or light rays, depicted on icons as a symbol of spiritual glory.

Salary- an overlay decoration attached to the icon over the paint layer. It was made from non-ferrous metals, pearls, beads, gold embroidery, carved gilded wood. Sometimes it was decorated with precious stones. Salaries cover individual parts of the painting or the entire surface, except for the face, arms and legs.

Skladen- the likeness of a small iconostasis of several, connected by hinges, folding wings with icons. Designed for travelers.

"Tenderness" Serafimo-Diveevskaya- the icon of the Mother of God, which belonged to Seraphim of Sarov. In front of her, he died in prayer. Celebration on August 10th.

"Assuage my sorrows"- the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, brought to Moscow by the Cossacks in 1640. The Mother of God is depicted on the icon with her head slightly tilted to one side, to which she puts her left hand. Her general appearance, as it were, tells us that the Queen of Heaven listens to the tears and prayers of all believers who turn to Her with their sorrows, needs and sorrows. With her right hand, the Mother of God holds the feet of the Divine Infant. The Savior holds before Himself in His hands an unfolded scroll on which the words of the Divine exhortation are inscribed: "Judge righteous judgment, do mercy and bounty ..." Celebration on February 7.

- miraculous icon. According to legend, written by the Evangelist Luke. In Russia, it was originally located in the Feodorovsky Gorodetsky Monastery. During the invasion of Batu, both Gorodets and the monastery were devastated, the inhabitants fled, and they did not have time to take the icon with them. A few decades later, on August 16, 1239, she appeared to the younger brother of Alexander Nevsky, Prince Vasily Yaroslavich of Kostroma, in the forest, on a tree, while hunting. On the eve, many residents of Kostroma saw some kind of warrior walking through the streets of the city, and in his hands he held an icon. The face of this warrior reminded the inhabitants of the icon-painting image of the holy great martyr Theodore Stratilates. The found icon was placed in the church of St. Theodore Stratilates in Kostroma and was named Feodorovskaya. At the place where the icon was found, the prince founded a monastery in honor of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. In 1260, a miraculous image saved Kostroma from the Tatar hordes. In 1613, the young Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the first sovereign of the Romanov dynasty, was blessed with the Feodorovskaya Icon to reign. Currently, the icon is in the Assumption Cathedral in Kostroma. Before this icon, according to tradition, they pray for a safe birth. The icon is celebrated on March 27 and August 29.

"Healer"- an icon on which the Queen of Heaven is depicted standing at the patient's bed, a milk is visible on the patient's lips. The history of this image is as follows. One pious cleric fell seriously ill and turned to the Mother of God with a prayer, at that very moment he saw the Guardian Angel at his bedside, asking the Mother of God for the healing of the sick, and the Mother of God appeared, who exuded a saving drop of milk from Her breasts on the lips of the sick man and became invisible. The patient felt completely healthy and told everyone about the miracle that had happened. Before this icon they pray for the healing of the sick. Celebration of the icon - October 1.

- a miraculous icon, revered by both Orthodox and Catholics. Written, according to legend, the Evangelist Luke. In 326, the holy Empress Helen, having received this icon as a gift, brought it to Constantinople, where she stayed for almost five centuries. Then she was transferred to Russia, where she became famous for many miracles. Taken away by the Poles, it fell into the hands of the Tatars, who began to shoot it with bows, but when blood flowed from the icon, they fled in fright. Currently located in Poland in a monastery near the city of Czestochowa. Celebration March 19th.

I am not capable of such a quantity of literate text, but this should be widely shared so that ignorance is less multiplied.
Original taken from mmekourdukova in chapter six

I apologize to those who already read all this for a long time and / or surpassed it a long time ago, against the background of my LJ-shechka, this will look like a text for Sunday school, but I agreed to post at least a few chapters of what was written ten years ago by vow bestseller with some decent pictures (the bestseller was embossed without pictures).
So I'll post pieces from time to time.
So,

chapter 6,
Canon in iconography.

...Now we are finally moving from secondary, non-essential - and even non-existent, invented (but still taken by others as the main) features of the artistic language of the icon - to a more significant characteristic, which we should undoubtedly include in the definition of an icon: an icon must be canonical . It remains for us to clarify what this means.

A simple translation from Greek will not help us: canonical means correct, and we are trying to establish which icon, based on the totality of all its characteristics, can be considered correct, that is, truly an icon. In practice, the expression "canonical icon" has a narrower meaning: it is an icon corresponding to iconographic canon which should never be mixed with style , as the layman often does.
Canon and style are so different concepts that one and the same icon can be flawless in iconography and completely unacceptable in style. Iconography can be archaic but style can be advanced (this happens when masters from the capital are invited to the provinces, where the customer is unfamiliar with the latest themes and compositional finds). Conversely, the style may be archaic and the iconography advanced. (this happens when local self-taught handicraftsmen are given an order by a theologian who has been in the capital).
Iconography can be "Western" and style can be "Eastern" (the most striking example is the Sicilian Catholic cathedrals X 2nd century).

And, on the contrary, the iconography is “eastern” in the “western” style (there are countless examples, primarily Athos and Russian Virgin icons of the XVIII-

XX centuries, often retaining the traditional "Byzantine" typology).

And, finally, an icon that is impeccable in terms of style may turn out to be non-canonical: such, for example,

the icon of the Old Testament Trinity with a cross halo near one of the Angels.

First half of the 15th century, RM

The iconographic non-canonicity in this case is easy to fix - you just need to clean up the crosshairs on the halo. With the stylistic inconsistency of the icon with church truth, the situation is different: it can be corrected only by completely rewriting the icon in a different, acceptable style, i.e., destroying the original image. We will talk about acceptable and unacceptable style below, but in this chapter we will focus on iconographic canon - a theologically justified scheme of the plot, which can be represented by a certain generalized drawing or even a verbal description.

So, it is necessary to assume that there is a certain set of such schemes, a certain set of them, approved and approved by the highest body of church authority, the Ecumenical or at least the Local Council, as the texts included in the New Testament were approved at one time? Such vaults, the so-called. icon-painting originals do exist. But the earliest Greek original appeared only in the tenth century, and the earliest Russian originals date back to XVI in. There is no doubt that the drawings and descriptive texts given in them were compiled on the basis of already painted icons. Several dozens of different editions of Russian icon-painting originals are known: Sofia, Siy, Stroganov, Pomor, the so-called Kyiv sheets and a number of others, and the quality and accuracy of descriptions in later monuments is much higher than in earlier ones. None of the known editions is complete, in all there are discrepancies, often - indications of other options, and sometimes criticism is placed next to the description of such a "different version". For example, when depicting St. Theodore of Pamphylia in the form of an old man in hierarchal robes can be read: “but all this is very unfair, since he suffered for Christ in his youth and was not a bishop.” Or even more harshly: “irrational icon painters used to write absurdly, like St. the martyr Christopher with a dog's head, ... which is a fable.

But even the presence of absurdities and contradictions in the original icon-paintings is not as important as the fact that they are all just practical reference books for artists and do not have the force of church documents, absolutely normative and obligatory . The Seventh Ecumenical Council, having destroyed the heresy of iconoclasm and ordered the creation of sacred images, did not accept, did not develop, and did not even decide to develop any set of exemplary models. Rather, on the contrary, from the very beginning, calling on icon painters to follow the models recognized by the Church, the Cathedral suggested the possibility of expanding and changing the iconographic canon . Precisely in anticipation of such an expansion, and not to suppress it, the Council called for increased responsibility in this matter and placed this responsibility on the highest church hierarchy.

For example, in 787 it was technically impossible to create and distribute a normative set of iconographic schemes. But in the future, such an action was not taken. Neither in 1551 Stoglavy, nor in 1666-7. The Great Moscow Cathedrals, the most important milestones in the history of Russian icon painting, still did not approve any normative documents, whether in the form of canonization of the icon-painting original of any edition, or in the form of references to famous icons. Typography and engraving have long been known in Russia, in any icon-painting workshop more or less complete collections of sample drawings were kept, but no one made an attempt to sort, systematize and publish these samples. The councils only adopted a number of prohibitive orders regarding certain subjects, but in other respects they limited themselves to general recommendations to strengthen control over the quality of church painting, to follow the samples tested and established in the tradition - not only without listing, but without naming exactly one (!) Of these samples. .

There is an unfortunate delusion, a kind of tradition of ignorance, to believe that the Stoglavy Cathedral decided “to write icons for painters from ancient samples, as Greek painters write or wrote, and how Rublev wrote.” These two lines, readily reproduced even by serious publicationsas a general resolution on all issues of canonical icon painting - a truly genuine quotation from the acts of the Council, but ... cut off in mid-sentence and taken out of context. Let's finish it: "... Rublev and other notorious painters, and sign the Holy Trinity, but from your own plan nothing can be done."

Leaving aside the possibility of arbitrarily expansively interpreting such expressions as “they write or wrote” or “notorious painters”, we will only point out the following: this quote is not a main decision that should determine the entire course of development of Russian icon painting, but only an answer (not part of , a full answer ) to a question to the Cathedral of Tsar Ivan IV , whether in the icons of the Holy Trinity to write baptized halos for all three Angels, or only for the middle one, or not to cross the halos at all, and whether to mark the middle Angel with the name of Christ.And nothing else in this conciliar answer, or in the other ninety-nine chapters, refers to the settlement of iconography.

Such - whether deliberate, or out of ignorance - juggling supports the ridiculous myth about some once approved and written down somewhere canon. What it is is also unknown, but it is known for sure that “a step to the right, a step to the left” from this canon is heresy. So, anyone who undertakes to judge canonical iconography should first of all remember that in reality -

- Neither during the time of the unified Church, nor in Eastern Orthodoxy did there exist - and do not exist to this day - any rules, any documents ordering and stabilizing the iconographic canon. Iconography in the Church has evolved over almost two millennia. in mode self-regulation. The best was preserved and developed, some not very successful solutions were abandoned, without betraying them, however, anathema. And they were constantly looking for something new - not for the sake of novelty as such, but to the greater glory of God, often coming in this way to the well-forgotten old.

Let us give several examples of the change in the iconographic canon over time in order to give an idea of ​​the breadth of what seems to the ignoramuses once and for all established and frozen.

The Annunciation as an iconographic plot has been known since 3rd century

Fresco of the catacombs of Priscilla, Rome, 3rd c.

The wings of the Archangel Gabriel appear only at the turn of V - VI centuries, and already at that time several options were known: with the Mother of God sitting or standing, at the well or in the temple, with yarn or reading, with a covered or open head ... In VIII in. in Nicaea appears - and remains unique for a long time - the version "Annunciation with the Child in the womb."

"Ustyug Annunciation" 12th century

In Russia, for the first time such an image appears in the 12th century, but only in the 16th - 17th in. it becomes widespread, after which interest in it fades again.

The oldest images of the Epiphany ( IV-V centuries) represent Christ beardless, naked and turned full face to the viewer; The waters of the Jordan come up to His shoulders.

Ravenna, Arian Baptistery, 5th c.

Müstair (Switzerland), 800

The composition often includes the figure of the prophet Isaiah, who predicted the Epiphany, and the demons of the Sea and the Jordan. Veiled angels appear only with 10th century The bandage on the loins of Christ, standing in water up to the ankles, arises to XII century, and at the same time John the Baptist began to be dressed in a hair shirt, and not just in a tunic and chiton. From the same time, we meet images of Christ in a three-quarter turn, as if taking a step towards the Forerunner, or covering his groin with his hand. In Russia, all kinds of water demons are immeasurably less popular than in Greece.

The image of Christ Himself, that is, his verbal description, however rather vague, was canonized only by the Trulla Council in 692, and before that, at least three types were distinguished in the iconography of the Savior. Byzantine (subsequently replacing all others) - with a wide, short beard and slightly curly curls falling on the shoulders. Syrian - with an oriental type of face, a small trimmed beard and a dense cap of short, tightly curled black curls. Roman - with a forked beard and shoulder-length blond hair. Finally, the archaic type of a beardless youth, found both in the West and in the East (most often in scenes of miracles).

Nerezi

Arles, Archaeological Museum, 4th c.

London, Victoria and Albert Museum, 8th c.

The earliest known versions of the Transfiguration of the Lord refer to VI century, and they are already different: in the church of Sant'Apollinare in Classe (Ravenna), the artist did not dare to show Christ transfigured, and we see instead of His figure marked with letters α and ω a cross in a sphere shining with stars. The prophets Moses and Elijah on either side are represented by white-robed half-figures emerging from cirrus clouds; in the same clouds over the cross we see the blessing right hand of the Lord. Mount Tabor is represented by many small rocks scattered like bumps over flat earth, and the three apostles appear in the form of three white lambs looking at the cross.

In the monastery of St. Catherine on Sinai, we no longer meet with a symbol, but with an anthropomorphic figure of the transfigured Christ in a mandorla pierced by rays. Mount Tabor is absent, three apostles and prophets on their sides are placed in a row on the colored stripes of earth. Until XI in. prophets are often included in the circle or ellipse of the mandorla, then they are no longer included in it. To XII in. the psychological characteristics of the disciples are added up: the impressionable and youngest John fell on his back and covered his face with his hands, Jacob fell to his knees and barely dares to turn his head, Peter from his knees looks straight at the Teacher with all his eyes.

And from XIV in. additions to the usual scheme appear - scenes of ascent to Tabor and descent back, or Christ helping the apostles to rise from the earth.

Similar historical excursions are possible on any icon-painting plot, from holidays and gospel scenes to images of saints, the Lord Himself and the Mother of God. Its iconography, in particular, can in itself serve as a refutation of the idea of ​​the canon as a dogma frozen forever. There are more than two hundred different types of Her icons, more than two hundred iconographic schemes, which successively, century after century, were born in the Church and were accepted by her, are included in her treasury. Only a part of these icons was miraculously revealed, that is, found - in the forest, on the mountain, in the waves of the sea, as a thing that does not belong to anyone and comes from nowhere. The other part - and there is documentary evidence for this in reference books on the iconography of the Mother of God - appeared as a result of the creative daring of the icon painter, in accordance with the will of the customer.

We are fully aware that for some "theologians of the icon" the last phrase sounds like pure blasphemy. What creative daring or the will of the customer can be, if “everyone knows” that canonical icons are fixed visions of some ancient fathers who saw the invisible world as clearly as it has not been given to us and will never be given, and therefore our lot is only as accurate as possible copy some small group of icons "recognized" by these experts.

About the complete inconsistency of this, in essence, vulgar-materialistic theory, which undoubtedly arose from simplifying and bringing to the point of absurdity some of the ideas of Fr. Pavel Florensky, we wrote in detail in the chapter "Spiritual Vision". In later chapters we will return to the relationship between spiritual vision and its artistic embodiment, but in a real discussion of the iconographic canon it will be enough to simply note the following facts:

Neither about. Pavel Florensky, nor the zealous vulgarizers of his hypotheses, mention a single name from this legendary series of ancient holy fathers, whose clairvoyance, "frozen and hardened," allegedly gave us an iconographic canon.

In the same way, they do not name a single icon, which probably arose as a result of such a kind of supernatural fixation of spiritual vision.

And they do not cite a single historical document that would confirm at least one fact of the emergence of a certain stable canonical exodus as a direct (not by telling, recording, ordering the artist, but by direct) consequence of someone's insight.

The mere complete absence in church history of documentary evidence of this "theory of hardened visions" should be alarming. And if we add to this the examples already listed above of change, expansion, variation of canonical schemes over the course of two millennia of the history of Christianity? After all, if a certain legendary “hardened vision” is holy and the only true one, then all subsequent ones must be false? And if there are still several such true “hardened visions” of the same event, of the same saint, does it mean that their number can always be increased by one more true unit?

If the Seventh Ecumenical Council, more than a thousand years ago, to admonish the iconoclasts, decided that the incarnation of God in the form of a human allows us to depict Him, then should - and is it possible - to conclude from this, as some narrow-minded "theologians icons" do, that iconography depicts exclusively things really seen by someone and in a certain concrete and absolutely objective way (in what way? where is this photographic plate?!) captured for subsequent humble copying? In canonical iconography (even without touching on the controversial and exceptionally interesting in the theological, artistic and historical issue of depicting God the Father) there are a great many examples of depicting things and persons that no one has ever seen. Who saw the wings of the Angels of the Old Testament Trinity? Why before V no one saw the wings of Angels for a century, and after, on the contrary, no one saw wingless angels? Why did no one see the wings of John the Baptist in the Deesis tier, while in other iconographic types representing the same saint, someone saw his wings? Who has seen the demons of the Sea and the Jordan depicted in the icon of the Epiphany? Unpleasant old man - the Spirit of doubt in the icon of the Nativity of Christ? An old man with twelve scrolls, representing the Cosmos in the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles? Why in the same composition IX -X centuries. they also saw the Mother of God among the apostles - and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove over Her head - and to XII in. She was no longer seen, although the text of Acts, indicating Her presence in the house, remained unchanged? Who saw the soul of the Mother of God in the form of a swaddled baby in the arms of Christ in the icon of the Assumption? An angel with a sword, cutting off the hands of the Jew Avfonius? Clouds "transporting" the apostles to the bed of the Mother of God - and why did some see these clouds as "single", others - "triple", someone saw them drawn by an Angel, and someone - "self-propelled"? We could continue this list, but we will dwell on what has already been said - all the more so since we ourselves are unpleasant that mundane, vulgar, tone incompatible with the subject of the image, into which anyone who wants to explain, establish, fix everything in the sacred art of icon painting and thereby ensure themselves the right to issue - or not to issue - a patent for holiness.

May the reader not understand the above in the sense of "in general, no one has ever seen anything." Here we simply want to point out that so far there have been no attempts to seriously investigate the question of the relationship between the spiritual insights of saints and those special artistic images that are known to us under the name of icons. Which allows us to interpret this subject at random and under the guise of Orthodox theology in colors to spread dense shamanism in colors. Just one example: on the book trays of the last European Orthodox Congress, the author came across a series of thick glossy albums of icon designs. These were barely recognizable sketches, roughly skalked with the help of a fat marker, reproducing - page by page - both volumes of Gleb Markelov's "Book of Icon Designs". No attempt on copyright - having mutilated the drawings, they were turned into "original works." And at the same time (that's how cunning!) and no "his own fabrications", the reader is offered, as follows from the accompanying article, those same canonical "hardened visions", you can just admire them, or you can transfer them to the board, colorize and get a formal guarantee that this at least reproduces what is already recognized as true. This is what the brightest theories turn into when a deep professional study of the icon is replaced by poetic conjectures.

Instead of looking for false-mystical, external to artistic creativity (and, as a result, inevitably vulgar) explanations for the origin of canonical schemes, we should have more confidence in the very church practice of icon painting and icon veneration. Historical practice - about which enough has already been said - and modern practice. Canonical Orthodox iconography is developing and expanding in our days, as it was centuries ago - except that the level of theological and general literacy of icon painters and their customers has slightly increased. Icons of the newly glorified saints appear - painted according to photographic materials and verbal descriptions. Icons of ancient saints are being created anew, whose images never existed or have not come down to us due to the loss of the tradition of icon painting in the country where these saints became famous. Such icons, no doubt, are "composed" by artists - by analogy with the well-known images of saints of a similar lifestyle and feat, adjusted for some local features. As a rule, there are many such attempts - successful and completely unsuccessful - and in the end, the one that is of the greatest artistic interest, gives a convincing and individualized psychological a portrait of a saint - an image of a living person who became like Christ - the living God. Icons appear, the initial models for which were ancient frescoes or book miniatures - hundreds of the rarest and most interesting compositions, hidden for centuries in library vaults or in foreign monasteries, and now - in reproductions - available to the entire Christian world.

The iconography of the Mother of God is expanding, i.e., new, previously non-existent images of Her are written and subsequently, after consideration, canonized by the Church, bearing some special shade of the Orthodox view of the Mother of God that is relevant in our day for some reason. There are icons painted in prayerful remembrance of some events of our days - for example, the image of the innocently murdered Bethlehem babies - in memory of the terrorist act in Beslan, the image of the Akhtyrskaya Mother of God with miracles revealed during the war in Chechnya, and others.

What follows from these - and many other similar - facts? That the iconographic canon is so unsteady that one can doubt its very existence and neglect it? Not at all. Loyalty to the canon is the most essential characteristic of an icon. But this fidelity should be understood not as an eternal and obligatory citation of the same patterns established once and for all, but as a loving and free following of tradition and its living continuation. If the conciliar mind of the Church has always refrained and refrains to this day from strict concrete prescriptions, then we, spectators and judges, need to be all the more careful and sensitive. Alas, it often happens that the judgment “non-canonical icon” only testifies to the ignorance and narrow-mindedness of the one who pronounces such a sentence.

An artist faithful to canonical iconography must first of all know this iconography well in all its richness, and especially well the iconography of the times of the one Church, the root and foundation of all subsequent development of Christian art. Deciding to create - at the request of the customer or on his own - a new iconographic version of a particular plot, the artist must look for analogues in the treasury of the past, thereby verifying the correctness of his divine thinking. When introducing into the newly painted icons any features that do not have theological significance and serve only to update, modernize the icon, neither the customer nor the artist should cross a certain line, remembering that the main purpose of the icon in the Church is serving the eternal, and not preaching on the topic today's newspaper.

And, of course, the decisive word as far as the iconographic canon is concerned, in the question of whether who, what and where depict belongs not to the artist, but to the Church, and the main responsibility lies with the church hierarchy.

The question is about how to depict, on the contrary, is entirely the responsibility of the artist, and the next chapter of our essays is devoted precisely to this "how", i.e. style.