Icon "Christmas": description, meaning

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

Andrey Rublev is the founder of the Moscow school of painting, artist, author of frescoes and icons, including the world-famous work "The Nativity".

Little is known about his life history. The name Andrei was given to him during his monastic tonsure. The worldly name of the icon painter is unknown to historians. According to the few surviving reports of his contemporaries, Rublev was a modest, humble, quiet man.

He came from a family of icon painters. His whole life was devoted to monastic service. Fame came to him as a painter quite early.

Briefly about the life and work of Andrei Rublev

Some sources claim that he was born in the Principality of Moscow, some call the place of his birth Veliky Novgorod. The approximate date of birth is 1380.

The year of his death and the place of burial are known for certain. In 1428, the painter was buried in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery, where a museum named after him is currently open.

Relatively detailed information about his life and workappeared in 1918, when during the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, its frescoes were cleared and icons of the Zvenigorod rank were discovered. The most striking composition of Rublev's frescoes is considered to be The Last Judgment. The gloomy scene is presented by the painter as a triumph of supreme justice and is not gloomy, but rather festive.

Rublev's early work is characterized by a warm emotional coloring. The works written during this period are imbued with reverent joy and spiritual beauty. One of the most famous is the icon of the Nativity of Christ.

The later period of Rublev's life is associated with the beginning of internecine wars in Russia, which led to the destruction of moral ideals. The inner harmony of the author did not find support from the outside, which was clearly reflected in the work of that time. Images and colors become darker.

From 1425 to 1427, Andrei Rublev, in alliance with Daniil Cherny, created the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery.

To our times, only a small part of the master's works has survived. His authorship belongs to the "Life-Giving Trinity", "Descent into Hell", "Annunciation", "Ascension", "Candlemas".

Icon of the Nativity of Christ: description and date of creation

The icon is written on a lime board. The time of its completion is considered to be 1405. To this day, the icon has been preserved in an average condition. In the lower left corner, at the place where the boards were fastened, a new layer of gesso was applied in the form of an oblong spot. There are also two inserts at the bottom right. Former levkas partlylost around the entire perimeter of the icon. The cinnabar edging is preserved only in the upper part. On the field of the icon, in the area of the head of the baby Jesus, damage from nails is visible, hidden by wax and gesso. Small patches are also visible on the face of the Mother of God, maforia and tunic.

There is a crack on the front of the icon, from the top to the bottom edge. There is another one in the layer of gesso, in the central area of the composition. Time has greatly thinned and in many places destroyed the colorful layer of the icon. The gold with which halos, angel wings, parts of clothes and fonts were painted has been almost completely lost. The faces of the saints and gaps in the robes are poorly preserved. In the most complete form - the faces of the shepherds and Samomia.

Composition and colors of the icon

The icon "Christmas" is made in greenish-yellowish, white, transparent-olive tones. Thanks to such a selection of colors and shadows, the whole image seems airy and insubstantial.

In the center of the composition is depicted the Mother of God lying on a bed of cinnabar, dressed in a dark red robe (maforium). She is reclining, leaning on her arm, turned away from the baby. Behind her, the black background of the cave is clearly visible, where the Nativity of Christ took place. The icon of Andrei Rublev presents the image of Mary as dominant over the rest of the figures in the composition.

A manger is depicted above, closely adjacent to the bed of Our Lady. The newborn Christ is wrapped in a white veil, tied with a cinnabar sling, which indicates that this particular baby is the Messiah. The icon "Nativity of Christ", the meaning and its meaning will undoubtedly be understandable andclose not only to believers, but also to people who are somehow familiar with the history of the origin of this Orthodox holiday.

In the upper right part, two angels are shown glorifying the birth of Christ, on the opposite side, also from above, - three wise men on horseback. In the lower right margin, there is a scene of the infant Jesus being bathed by two maids. At present, the icon of the Nativity of Christ is in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin, where anyone can see it.

History of the icon

The icon was saved from destruction in 1960. The director of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Museum took it out of the ruined temple, thus preserving it to this day. From Nizhny Novgorod, the masterpiece was secretly taken to Moscow. However, the capital's restorers were not immediately able to recognize the true story - the Nativity of Christ. Andrei Rublev's icon was hidden under a 19th century paint layer.

Event iconography

The birth of Jesus Christ is the greatest holiday for Christians around the world at all times. This event is marked by the birth of the Savior. However, Orthodox masters, observing traditions, added certain details to their works, giving them more liveliness and warmth. The adoration of the Magi, the washing of the baby, the glorifying angels complete the captured event. The work of Andrei Rublev is a unique example of Orthodox iconography of the birth of Christ. Not only the religious rituals dedicated to this day are filled with jubilation and joy, but also the icons of the Nativity of Christ. Orthodox images of this holidayare based on the rules of Byzantine writing, which is characterized by strict adherence to the canons and precise dogmatism.

Icons of the festive row

The works of the great icon painter rightfully occupy an important place in the treasury of Russian Orthodox painting. The author painted dogmatic plots with warm emotional and philosophical content.

The icon of the feast of the Nativity of Christ is included in the cycle of holiday icons: "Annunciation", "Nativity of Christ", "Meeting", "Baptism", "Resurrection of Lazarus", "Transfiguration", "Entrance to Jerusalem". Despite the fact that the belonging of these works to Rublev's authorship has not been confirmed for certain, they were made in compliance with all the author's techniques that the icon painter used in his work.

Christmas in the work of other artists

Andrey Rublev was far from the only author whose works reflected the greatest event for all Christians. His brush belongs to the most famous example of canonical painting on the theme of the birth of the Messiah: the icon of the Nativity of Christ. The description of the works of other authors for the most part repeats the content of Rublev's masterpiece. This circumstance is largely due to the fact that the Moscow school of painting founded by Rublev had a large number of followers.

Bethlehem, Church of the Nativity: icons

As mentioned above, the Nativity of Jesus is a great event, one of the few that laid the foundations of the Christian faith. It formed not only the wholedirection of icon painting, but also left a grandiose mark on church architecture.

Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is rightfully one of the most important Christian shrines ever existing. It was built in 325 AD. e. on the site of the cave where, according to legend, the baby Jesus was born. In 529, the church was burned down during the Samaritan uprising, but was soon fully restored under the reign of Emperor Justinian.

One of the most famous icons of the temple is the miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos of Bethlehem, who fulfills the prayers of all those who ask. Among parishioners and tourists, it enjoys the same popularity as the Rublev icon of the Nativity of Christ. In Bethlehem, the annual influx of worshipers numbers several hundred thousand people.

A special distinguishing feature of the image is that the Mother of God is depicted on it smiling, while in traditional religious painting the face of the Mother of God expresses grief or tenderness. One of the brightest works created in such traditions is the Nativity of Christ icon. The significance of her symbols for the Orthodox faith cannot be overestimated.

On one of the 44 columns of the temple is the myrrh-streaming image of the Savior, which believing Christians also consider miraculous.

It evokes the same awe and reverence as the icons of the Nativity of Christ. Orthodox from all over the world come to Bethlehem to venerate these shrines. In the decoration of the temple, parts of the precious mosaic have been preserved to this day.times of King Constantine.

Main shrine

The main part of the temple is the cave in which Jesus Christ was born. The very place of his birth is marked with a silver star in the marble floor and surrounded by 15 burning lamps. 5 of them belong to Armenians, 4 to Catholics, and 6 to the Greek Orthodox denomination. The cave is shallow, oblong, about 12 meters long and 4 meters wide.

Next to the Christmas star is the throne of the "Holy Manger", on which you can see the wax image of the baby Jesus.