Theophanes the Greek: icon "Our Lady of the Don"

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

In 1370, a thirty-year-old icon painter named Feofan came from Byzantium and settled in Novgorod. Novgorodians gave him the nickname Grek - it was similar in place of birth, and the master constantly confused Russian words with Greek ones. When, with a blessing, he began painting the Church of the Transfiguration, which stood on Ilyina Street, he revealed to the astonished eyes of the Novgorodians such marvelous images of the Eternal Powers that he was given a glory that has not faded to this day.

Icon painter from the banks of the Bosphorus

On the life of Theophan the Greek little information has been preserved. It is known that from the Volkhov he went to the Volga to Nizhny Novgorod, and then to Kolomna and Serpukhov, until finally he settled in Moscow. But wherever he directed his steps, he left behind wonderfully painted temples, headpieces in church books and icons that have become an inaccessible model for many generations of artists.

Despite the fact that six centuries have passed since the time when Theophanes the Greek lived and worked, many of his works have survived to this day. This is the painting of the already mentioned Novgorod Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, and frescoes on the walls of the Kremlin cathedrals - Arkhangelsk and Annunciation, as well asChurch of the Nativity of the Virgin on the Seni. But besides this, the treasury of Russian art included icons painted by him, the most famous of which is the image of the Most Pure Theotokos, which went down in history as the “Our Lady of the Don”.

Gift to Prince Dmitry Donskoy

There is so little information about the history of the creation of this most famous work of the master that among art critics there are a variety of opinions about the year and place of its writing. There are even skeptics who try to dispute the authorship of Theophan (in their opinion, one of his students painted the holy face). However, for a long time a tradition has developed, equally based on historical materials and oral tradition, according to which it was Theophanes the Greek who created this masterpiece, and did it before 1380.

Why is that? The answer can be found in the Historical Description of the Moscow Donskoy Monastery, compiled in 1865 by the famous historian I. E. Zabelin. On its pages, the author cites an ancient manuscript that tells how, before the start of the Battle of Kulikovo, the Cossacks brought this image of the Most Holy Theotokos to Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, through which the Queen of Heaven herself bestowed strength and courage on the Orthodox army to overcome adversaries.

There are several hypotheses about where the Don Icon of the Mother of God was located after the defeat of Mamai on the Kulikovo field in 1380. The most probable is considered to be the one according to which the holy image for two hundred and seventy yearswas kept in the Assumption Cathedral of the Simonov Monastery, for which it was allegedly written. This is no coincidence, since the icon is two-sided, and the scene of the Assumption of the Mother of God is written on its back in a compositional solution generally accepted by the Orthodox Church.

The icon is the protector of Russians

The next bright appearance of the icon, which Dmitry Donskoy received before the Battle of Kulikovo, refers to 1552, when, setting off on his victorious campaign against the Kazan Khanate, Tsar Ivan the Terrible prayed before this icon. Having asked the Heavenly Intercessor for Her patronage, he took with him the image painted by Theophanes the Greek, and when he returned, he placed it in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin. The icon accompanied the tsar in his campaign against Polotsk in 1563.

It was so pleasing to the Queen of Heaven that the miraculous image of the "Our Lady of the Don" appeared before the Russians in the time of severe military trials, instilling in them courage and blessing the Orthodox army. This happened in 1591, when countless hordes of the Tatar Khan Kazy II Giray approached the Mother See. Already from the height of the Sparrow Hills they looked around the Russian capital with predatory eyes, but Muscovites carried the Don Icon of the Mother of God out of the cathedral, went around the city walls with it in procession, and they became impregnable for the enemy.

The next day, August 19, in a terrible battle, the army of the Tatar Khan was killed, and he himself, with the remnants of his minions, barely escaped, and only miraculously returned to the Crimea. All this time, the Donskaya Icon of the Mother of God was in the regimental church, and no one had any doubts that it was herintercession helped to expel enemies from Russian soil.

In memory of the great victory, on the site where the regimental church was located during the battle, a monastery was founded, which received the name Donskoy. For this new monastery, a list was made from the miraculous icon that gave it its name, and at the same time the day of its all-church celebration was set - August 19 (September 1). Since that time, Our Lady of the Don is revered as the heavenly protector of the Russian land from everyone who comes to her with a sword.

King, hostage of the Time of Troubles

When in 1589, already after the death of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, the third son of Ivan the Terrible, the Rurik dynasty was interrupted in Russia, and the empty throne went to Boris Godunov, the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Job blessed him with this icon to reign. However, Boris's reign was not happy. It coincided with the most difficult period of Russian history, called the Time of Troubles.

After seven years at the head of a state torn apart by both foreign intervention and internal social conflicts, the king died suddenly in 1605, barely reaching the age of fifty-three. The Arkhangelsk Cathedral of the Kremlin became the resting place of the deceased sovereign, where the face of the Don Icon of the Mother of God mournfully looked at his tombstone from the wall, in front of which, until recently, under the incessant peal of bells, he swore selfless loy alty to the Fatherland.

Beginning of the reign of Peter I

It is known that at the beginning of the reign of Peter I, Russia waged a war with Turkey, which lastedfor fourteen years and became part of the all-European Great Turkish War. It began with the campaign of the Russian army in the Crimea. It was headed by a faithful associate of the sovereign, Prince Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn.

The icon "Our Lady of the Don" accompanied him during this entire military campaign, which became a difficult test for Russia and cost her numerous victims. But the intercession of the Mother of God, revealed by Her through the image kept in the tent of the commander-in-chief, helped the warriors, albeit with heavy losses, to return home, having completed the task assigned to them by allied obligations. The miraculous image spent the last years of the 17th century in the chambers of the sister of Peter I, Tsarevna Natalia Alekseevna, where many old icons were collected, and from where it was subsequently transferred to the Kremlin's Annunciation Cathedral.

The fate of the image in the XVIII and XIX centuries

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the icon enjoyed popular veneration. Prayers were offered to her and words of praise were composed. In addition, the glorified image was at the center of many stories and legends, some of which reflected real events, information about which was gleaned from documentary sources, and some were the fruit of the imagination of the people who wanted to express their love and gratitude to the Heavenly Intercessor.

No expense was spared in decorating the icon. It is known that before the Napoleonic invasion, the image was covered with a rich salary with precious stones. The stones were stolen by the French, and after their expulsion, only a golden frame for the icon remained, which the marauders mistakenlymistook for copper.

Artistic features of the icon

It was written on a board 86x68 cm in size. Speaking about the iconographic features of the image, it should be noted that the icon "Our Lady of the Don" refers to the type of Tenderness icons of the Mother of God accepted by art historians, a characteristic feature of which is the combination of the faces of the Virgin and Her Eternal Baby. But the theological meaning inherent in icons of this type goes far beyond the everyday scene depicting the caresses of a mother and her child.

In this case, a visual expression of religious dogma is presented, which determines the relationship of the Creator to His creation. The Holy Scripture speaks of such boundless love of God for people that for their salvation from eternal death He sacrificed His only begotten Son.

The golden background, now lost, on which the Virgin and Child were depicted, gave a special solemnity to the figures. The gilding that covered the halo has not been preserved either, but, fortunately, the faces and clothes have survived to this day in good condition.

Composition and color scheme of the icon

The compositional solution of the image is quite typical for the icons of this recension (canonical variety). The Blessed Virgin embraces the Son, sitting on Her knees and clinging to Her cheek. The Eternal Child is depicted raising his right hand in a gesture of blessing, and holding a scroll in his left hand.

The icon of Theophanes the Greek differs from other images of this rendition in the depiction of the legs of the Divine Infant bare to the knee, leaning on the wrist of the left hand of the Virgin. The folds that cover itocher-colored chiton - outerwear, emphasized by a network of finely crafted gold lines, which, in combination with the color of the fabric and blue inserts, create a solemn and festive look. The overall impression is complemented by a gold lace tightening the scroll.

Equally elegant and at the same time with a touch of nobility is the vestment of the Virgin. Her top cape, the maforium, is made in dark cherry tones and is trimmed with a gold border trimmed with fringe. Three golden stars, traditionally serving as an adornment of Her attire, have a purely dogmatic meaning. They symbolize the eternal virginity of the Mother of God - before, during and after the birth of Jesus.

Departures from Byzantine canons

It should be noted that, according to most art historians, the icon painter Theophanes the Greek (Byzantine by origin) in his work went beyond the established traditions of the Constantinople school, the masters of which did not allow themselves to violate the established canons in creative experiments. The Don Icon of the Mother of God is a prime example of this.

To give the features of the Virgin's face more vitality and expression, the artist allows some asymmetry in the location of the mouth and eyes. They are not parallel, as on the icons of Byzantine masters, but are arranged along descending axes. In addition, the mouth is slightly shifted to the right.

These seemingly insignificant details, used by the author for purely technical purposes, were, however, a violation of the canons established by the Church of Constantinople, and were considered unacceptable in Byzantium. Andthere are many such examples in the icons and frescoes painted by Theophanes the Greek. "Our Lady of the Don" is one of them.

Reverse side of the icon

The reverse side of the board, on which the Assumption of the Virgin is depicted, is also of great interest - the icon, as mentioned above, is double-sided. The painting here is much better preserved than on the front surface. Even a thin inscription made with cinnabar is clearly readable. It is possible that the salary once on the icon, stolen by the French in 1812, played a role, a reminder of which is only the golden frame for the icon that has survived to this day.

When looking at the image, the absence of elements traditional for this plot is striking. The master did not include in the composition the usual images of angels, ascending apostles, mourning women and many other similar attributes in such cases. The central figure is Jesus Christ, holding a tiny swaddled figurine in his hands, symbolizing the immortal soul of the Mother of God.

In front of the figure of Christ, the body of the deceased Mother of God rests on the bed, surrounded by the figures of the twelve apostles and two bishops - who, according to the Holy Scriptures, were present at the death of the Virgin Mary. Two details are characteristic, which are an expression of the conventions adopted in icon painting: these are buildings placed along the edges of the icon and meaning that this scene takes place indoors, and a candle placed in front of the bed of the Virgin is a symbol of fading life.

Discussions around the authorship of the icon

It is characteristic that the scenedepicted on the reverse side of the icon, carries obvious deviations from the traditions of Byzantine painting. This is primarily evidenced by the faces of the apostles, devoid of the features of aristocracy characteristic of the traditions of Constantinople. As emphasized in their works by many researchers of the work of Theophan the Greek, they are more characterized by purely peasant features, common among the common people.

It is not surprising that the multiple differences between the works of Theophan the Greek and the canons and artistic traditions of Byzantium gave rise to a number of art critics doubting the authorship of the works attributed to him. Their point of view is understandable, because the artist was not only born on the banks of the Bosphorus, but also formed as a master of icon painting - one should not forget that he came to Russia already at the age of thirty.

His style of writing is closer to the Novgorod school than to his native Byzantine. Long-term discussions on this subject do not stop to this day, however, they are dominated by the opinion that, being in a new country for him and having the opportunity to see many old icons created by Russian masters, the artist used their characteristic features in his work.

The most famous copies of the icon

It is known that during the centuries-old history of the icon, several lists were made from it. The earliest of them belongs to the end of the XIV century. It was made by order of Dmitry Donskoy's cousin, Prince Vladimir Andreevich, and, decorated with a gilded silver setting, became his gift to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

During the time of Ivan the Terrible, at his command, there weretwo lists were made, one of which, sent to Kolomna, was subsequently lost, and the other, placed in the Assumption Cathedral, has survived to this day. When the Heavenly Intercessor in 1591 helped the Muscovites repel the invasion of Khan Giray, and the Donskoy Monastery was founded on the site where the regimental church stood, then another list of the miraculous image was made especially for him. Several copies from a later period are also known.

Donskoy Monastery: address and public transport

The Soviet period became a new stage in the history of the Don Icon of the Mother of God. Since 1919, this image has been included in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery. Here he is one of the most remarkable exhibits of the section of Old Russian painting. Once a year, on the day of its all-church celebration, the image is delivered to the Donskoy Monastery (address: Moscow, Donskaya Square 1-3), where a solemn service is performed in front of it, which gathers thousands of people. Anyone who, being in Moscow at this time, wants to take part in it, can get into the monastery by leaving the metro at the Shabolovskaya station.

It is no coincidence that this image of the Blessed Virgin Mary is especially loved by Russians. As noted above, throughout its history, he was associated with the feats of arms of the defenders of the Fatherland, and through him the Queen of Heaven repeatedly showed her help and intercession to the Orthodox people.