What are the conditions under which military personnel are provided with housing? Regulation of the issue at the legislative level.
We know about the outstanding personality of Theophanes the Greek (Grechanin) thanks to two historical persons and their good relations. This is Cyril, archimandrite of the Tver Savior-Athanasiev monastery, and the hieromonk of the Trinity-Sergius monastery, a follower of Sergius of Radonezh, and later the compiler of his lives, Epiphanius the Wise.
In 1408, due to a raid by Khan Edigei, Hieromonk Epiphanius took his books and fled from danger from Moscow to neighboring Tver, and there he took refuge in the Spaso-Afanasyevsky monastery and became friends with its abbot, Archimandrite Kirill.
Probably, at that time, the abbot saw the "Church of St. Sophia in Constantinople", painted in the Gospel, which belonged to Epiphanius. A few years later, in a letter that was not preserved, Cyril apparently asked about the drawings with views of the St. Sophia Cathedral of Constantinople, which impressed him and was remembered. Epiphanius responded with a detailed explanation of their origin. A copy of the 17th – 18th centuries has survived. an excerpt from this reply letter (1413-1415), titled as follows: "Excerpted from the epistle of Hieromonk Epiphanius, who wrote to a certain friend of his Cyril."
Epiphanius in his epistle explains to the abbot that he copied those images with his own hand from the Grechin Theophanes. And then Epiphanius the Wise tells in detail and picturesquely about the Greek icon painter. Therefore, we know that Theophanes the Greek worked "by imagination", i.e. I did not look at the canonical samples, but wrote on my own at my own discretion. Theophanes was in constant motion, as he moved away from the wall, looked around the image, comparing it with the image that had formed in his head, and continued to write. Such artistic freedom was unusual for Russian icon painters of that time. In the process of work, Feofan willingly kept up a conversation with those around him, which did not knock him out of thought and did not interfere with his work. Epiphanius the Wise, who knew the Byzantine personally and communicated with him, emphasized the mind and talent of the master: "he is a living husband, glorious wise man, a very clever philosopher, Theophanes, Grechin, a deliberate iconographer and an elegant painter in an icon painter."
There is no information about the family, or about where and how Feofan received his icon-painting education. In the epistle, Epiphanius indicates only already finished work Byzantine. Theophanes the Greek decorated forty churches with his paintings in various places: Constantinople, Chalcedon and Galata (the outskirts of Constantinople), Cafe (modern Feodosia), in Novgorod the Great and Nizhny, as well as three churches in Moscow and several secular buildings.
After work in Moscow, the name of Theophanes the Greek is not mentioned. The details of his personal life are not known. The date of death is not accurate. There is an assumption based on indirect signs that in his old age he retired to the holy Mount Athos and ended his earthly life as a monk.
Theophan the Greek in Veliky Novgorod
The only reliable works of the Russian-Byzantine master are considered only the paintings in Veliky Novgorod, where he lived and worked for some time. So in the Novgorod Chronicle of 1378, it is specifically indicated that "the church of our Lord Jesus Christ" was painted by the Greek master Theophanes. We are talking about the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin Street, built in 1374 on the Trade side of the city. Apparently, the local boyar Vasily Mashkov called the Byzantine master to paint the temple. Presumably, Theophanes arrived in Russia with Metropolitan Cyprian.
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior has survived, and the Greek's murals have survived only partially. They were cleared for several decades with interruptions, starting in 1910. The frescoes, although they have come down to us with losses, give an idea of Theophanes the Greek as an outstanding artist who brought new ideas to Russian icon painting. The painter and art critic Igor Grabar assessed the arrival of masters of the magnitude of Theophanes the Greek to Russia as a fruitful external impulse at the turning points of Russian art, when it was especially needed. Theophanes the Greek ended up in Russia when the state was liberated from the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols, slowly rose and revived.
Theophanes the Greek in Moscow
Moscow chronicles indicate that Theophanes the Greek created murals in Kremlin churches in the late 14th - early 15th centuries:
- 1395 - the painting of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in the entryway in collaboration with Simeon the Black.
- 1399 - painting.
- 1405 - painting of what stood earlier on the site of the present. Theophanes painted the Cathedral of the Annunciation together with Russian masters Prokhor s Gorodets and Andrei Rublev.
Miniature of the Observational Codex, 16th century. Theophanes the Greek and Semyon Cherny are painting the Church of the Nativity. Inscription: “In the same year, the Church of the Nativity of the Most Pure Mother of God and the chapel of St. Lazarus were painted in the center of Moscow. And the masters - Theodore the Greek and Semyon Cherny. "
Features of the work of Theophanes the Greek
The frescoes of Theophanes the Greek are characterized by minimalism of colors and lack of elaboration small details... That is why the faces of the saints appear harsh, focused on the inner spiritual energy and radiate powerful force. The stains of whitewash are laid by the artist in such a way that they create a light similar to that of a favor, and focus attention on important details. Sharpness, precision and boldness are inherent in his brush strokes. The characters of the icon painter's murals are ascetic, self-sufficient and deep in silent prayer.
The work of Theophanes the Greek is associated with hesychasm, which implied incessant "intelligent" prayer, silence, purity of heart, transforming the power of God, the Kingdom of God within man. Through the centuries, following Epiphanius the Wise, Theophanes the Greek is recognized not only as a brilliant icon painter, but also as a thinker and philosopher.
Works of Theophanes the Greek
There is no reliable data, but the work of Theophanes the Greek is usually credited with the double-sided icon of the "Don Mother of God" with the "Dormition of the Mother of God" on the back and the Deesis rank of the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin. The iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral is also distinguished by the fact that it became the first in Russia, on the icons of which the figures of saints are depicted in full growth.
Previously, it was assumed that the icon "Transfiguration of the Lord" from the Transfiguration Cathedral of Pereslavl-Zalessky belongs to the brushes of Theophanes the Greek and the icon painters of the workshop he created in Moscow. But in recent times doubts about his authorship increased.
Don icon of the Mother of God. Attributed to Theophanes the Greek.
Icon "Transfiguration of Jesus Christ before the disciples on Mount Tabor." ? Theophanes the Greek and workshop. ?
Theophanes the Greek. Jesus pantokrator- R painting in the dome of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin Street. Velikiy Novgorod.
Theophanes the Greek. Seraphim- f Ragment of painting in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin Street. Velikiy Novgorod.
Theophanes the Greek. Daniel the Stylite- fragment of painting in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin Street. Velikiy Novgorod.
Lived: approx. 1340 - about 1410
From biography
- Theophanes the Greek is a talented icon painter, miniaturist and master of monumental painting.
- A native of Constantinople. But it was in Russia that he became famous and for Russia he wrote his works for almost 30 years, here he became famous all over the world.
- Begins to work in Novgorod. In the Novgorod Chronicle, his works are mentioned in 1378. It contains information about his painting of the Novgorod Church of the Savior on Ilyin. I liked these paintings so much that the Greek was invited to Moscow, where he painted many churches.
- This is a talented artist. He created many icons that make up the treasury of Russian culture.
Historical portrait of Theophanes the Greek
Activities
Activities | results |
Paintings in temples and churches. | Theophanes the Greek painted several churches and temples in Moscow and Novgorod. All of them are characterized by a special manner: both the peculiarities of color, and the mood, and the depiction of the faces of the saints. Murals by Theophanes the Greek
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Iconography. | Theophanes the Greek painted several icons that still make up the treasury of Russian culture. Here is some of them. Icons of Theophanes the GreekIcon of the Donskoy Mother of God, 1380 (?) Icon of the Assumption of the Virgin, 1380 (?) Transfiguration, 1408 |
Decorating books, creating miniatures. | Theophanes the Greek painted miniatures for books, mainly on a red-brown background, the outlines were dark, as if he wanted to convey in color the raging passions of people, doubts, impulses, thoughts. |
Features of the work of Theophanes the Greek
- Theophanes the Greek possessed an individual, unique manner of writing. It is characterized by expressiveness, a variety of methods and techniques, freedom in their choice.
- His saints are depicted as stern, as if aloof from everything. Their figures are somewhat elongated, which will give them strict harmony and grandeur.
- He seemed to have embodied in paints his philosophy, the essence of which is as follows: man is sinful, and he fearfully awaits the judgment of God, God strictly looks at man and his deeds,
- The saints in his canvases are full of drama. On the faces one can read torment, doubt, striving for moral perfection, for God.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
- Theophanes the Greek had a tremendous influence on the development of icon painting and painting in churches, introducing new ideas, colors, and methods into his work.
- He became a teacher for many generations of icon painters. One of his talented students was Andrei Rublev.
- The work of Theophanes the Greek has filled the Russian school of painting with new colors, a desire for freedom, for emancipation.
- The variety of the artist's talent, the originality of his works put the name of Theophanes the Greek on a par with the best world artists. His work is a national treasure of Russia.
This material can be used when preparing on the topic: Unified State Exam C6 (№40) historical portrait.
Works of Theophanes the Greek
Church of the Savior on Ilyin in Novgorod. It contains frescoes by F. Grek.
Trinity. The painting of the Trinity side-chapel in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin in Novgorod. 1378 Fresco.
Theophanes the Greek belongs to the greatest masters of the Middle Ages. His works, performed in Byzantium, have not survived. All of his famous works were created in Russia and for Russia, where he lived for more than thirty years. He introduced Russians to the highest achievements of Byzantine spiritual culture, which in his time experienced one of the last ups.
Few information about Theophan is found in the Moscow and Novgorod chronicles, but a letter written about 1415 by the Moscow spiritual writer and artist Epiphany the Wise to Archimandrite Kirill of the Spaso-Athanasiev Monastery in Tver is of particular value. Epiphany's message is interesting in that it gives a unique opportunity to get an idea of the principles of the master's work. In his letter, he informs about the Four Gospels that he kept, illustrated by Theophanes and decorated with the image of the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The description of the figure is given in many details. When he depicted or wrote all this, no one saw that he had ever looked at the samples, as some of our icon painters do, who constantly stare in bewilderment, looking here and there, and not so much paint with paints as they look at the samples. He seemed to be painting the painting with his hands, but he himself constantly walks, talks with those who come and thinks over the lofty and wise with his mind, but with sensible rational eyes he sees kindness. No matter how much someone talked to him, he could not help but marvel at his mind, his allegories of parables and his cunning structure.
From the message it is known that Theophanes, a Greek by birth, a deliberate iconographer and an excellent painter among icon painters, painted more than 40 stone churches in Constantinople, Chalcedon, Galata, Cafe (Feodosia), as well as on the Russian land. In the Novgorod III Chronicle, the first work of Theophanes is mentioned under 1378. It speaks of his painting of the Novgorod Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin Street - the only work of the master that has survived to this day, which has documentary confirmation and remains the main source for judging his art. The frescoes of the church have been preserved fragmentarily, so the system of its painting can be restored only partially.
The dome of the temple depicts the half-figure of Christ Pantokrator, surrounded by archangels and seraphim. The drum contains images of the forefathers, including Adam, Abel, Noah, Seth, Melchizedek, Enoch, the prophets Elijah, John the Baptist. In the choir in the northwestern corner chamber (Trinity side-chapel), the images are better preserved. The side-altar is painted with images of saints, compositions of the Mother of God of the Sign with the Archangel Gabriel, the Worship of the Sacrifice, the Trinity. Feofan's manner is brightly individual, characterized by expressive temperament, freedom and variety in the choice of techniques. The form is emphatically picturesque, devoid of detail, built with the help of rich and free strokes. The muted general tone of the painting contrasts with bright whitewash highlights, like flashes of lightning illuminating the harsh, soulful faces of the saints. The contours are outlined with powerful dynamic lines. The folds of clothes are devoid of detailed modeling, lying wide and rigid, at sharp angles. The master's palette is stingy and restrained, orange-brown, silver-blue, corresponding to the tense spiritual state of images, prevail in it. Theophanes' painting is a philosophical concept in paints, moreover, the concept is rather harsh, far from ordinary optimism. Its essence is the idea of the global sinfulness of man before God, as a result of which he found himself almost hopelessly removed from him and can only with fear and horror await the arrival of his uncompromising and ruthless judge, whose image looks with extreme severity at sinful humanity from under the dome of a Novgorod church - writes the researcher of Russian medieval art V.V. Bychkov. Theophanes the Greek creates a world full of drama, tension of spirit. His saints are harsh, detached from everything around, immersed in the contemplation of silence - the only way to salvation.
The artists in Novgorod who painted the church of Theodore Stratilates on the Brook tried to follow the style of Theophanes, but on the whole, the master's individuality turned out to be exclusive for Russia - a country far from the spiritual experience of Byzantium and looking for its own path.
After 1378 Theophanes apparently worked in Nizhny Novgorod, but his paintings of this period have not reached us. From about 1390 he was in Moscow and for a short time in Kolomna, where he could paint the Assumption Cathedral, which was later completely rebuilt. Here, in the cathedral, was kept the later famous shrine - the icon of Our Lady of the Don (on its reverse - the Assumption), later transferred to the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (now in the State Tretyakov Gallery). Some researchers associate its performance with the work of Theophanes the Greek.
The master made several murals in the Moscow Kremlin: in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin with the chapel of St. Lazarus (1395), where Theophan worked together with Simeon Cherny, in the Archangel (1399) and Annunciation (1405) cathedrals. The latter he painted together with Andrei Rublev and Prokhor from Gorodets. In the Kremlin, Feofan took part in the painting of the treasury of Prince Vladimir Andreevich and the tower of Vasily I. None of these works have survived. It is possible that Theophanes the Greek participated in the creation of icons of the Deesis order, which is currently in the Annunciation Cathedral. However, as proved by the latest research, this iconostasis is not the original one, dating back to 1405, and the Deesis tier could have been transferred here only after the devastating fire in the Kremlin that happened in 1547. In any case, the icons of the Savior are in power, the Mother of God, John the Baptist , Apostle Peter, Apostle Paul, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom reveal such features of style and such high technical skill, which allow us to assume here the work of a great master.
The manner of Theophanes the Greek in icon painting (if we agree that the icons of the Deesis order of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin were painted by Theophanes) differs significantly from the fresco. This can be explained by the specifics of icon painting. The images of the Deesis order are impressive and monumental. Almost two-meter-high figures, full of inner significance and self-absorption, make up a single composition, subordinated to one plan - to embody the prayer of thanks of the saints to the Savior, the creator and master of heavenly forces, and their intercession for the human race on the day of the Last Judgment. This idea determined the iconographic solution for the entire group as a whole, and for each image separately. The iconography of the rank has its origins in the altar paintings of Byzantine churches and is closely connected with the texts of the main prayers of the liturgy. A similar program of the Deesis rite with the Savior in power later became widespread in Russian iconostases, but here it appears for the first time.
In contrast to the fresco painting, the images of the icons are not so expressive in appearance. Their drama and sorrow seemed to have gone deep, revealing themselves in the soft glow of their faces, in the muted colors of their clothes. Each face, in terms of the type and expression of the emotional state, is brightly individual, almost portrait. The contours of the figures are calmer; in their drawing, the classical tradition, dating back to antiquity, is more clearly visible. The icons were painted masterly, using complex and varied techniques that only an outstanding master can do.
There are many cases in the history of Russia when a visiting foreigner multiplies its fame and becomes a national pride. So Theophanes the Greek, a native of their Byzantium, Greek by origin (hence the nickname) became one of the greatest
Choice in favor of Russia
Most likely, if Theophanes had not decided to radically change his life, having arrived in Russia instead of Italy in the retinue of (as expected) Metropolitan Cyprian, he would have been lost among the numerous Byzantine artists. But in Moscow Russia, he became the first of the brilliant galaxy of icon painters. Despite widespread recognition, the dates of birth and death of the artist are named approximately - 1340-1410 years.
Lack of information
It is known that Theophanes the Greek, whose biography suffers from white spots, was born in Byzantium, worked both in Constantinople itself and in its suburb - Chalcedon. The frescoes preserved in Feodosia (then Kafa) show that for some time the artist worked in the Genoese colonies - Galata and Cafe. None of his Byzantine works have survived, and world fame came to him thanks to the works performed in Russia.
New environment
Here, in life and work, he had a chance to intersect with many great people of that time - Andrei Rublev, Sergius of Radonezh, Dmitry Donskoy, Epiphany the Wise (whose letter to Archimandrite Kirill is the main source of biographical data of the great icon painter) and Metropolitan Alexei. This community of ascetics and enlighteners did a lot for the glory of Russia.
The main source of information about Theophanes the Greek
Theophanes the Greek arrived in Novgorod in 1370, that is, as a fully mature man and an established artist. He lived here for over 30 years, until his death. His performance is amazing. According to the testimony of the same Epiphanius the Wise, Theophanes the Greek painted 40 churches in total. The letter to the archimandrite of the Spaso-Afanasyevsky monastery in Tver was written in 1415, after the death of the master, and has survived to this day not in the original, but in the list of the second half of the 17th century. There are also some chronicle confirmations of facts and additions. One of them reports that in 1378, by order of the boyar Vasily Danilovich, the "Greek" Theophanes painted the Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya Church, located on the Trade side of Veliky Novgorod.
The beginning of the Novgorod period
The frescoes of Theophanes the Greek on the walls of this monastery became his first work in Russia mentioned in documents. They, even fragmentarily preserved, being in a very good condition, have survived to our time, and belong to a number of the greatest masterpieces of medieval art. The painting of the dome and walls, where the choir stalls of the Trinity Chapel were located, are in the best condition. In the depicted figures of the "Trinity" and Macarius of Egypt, one can clearly see the peculiar manner of writing, which was possessed by the brilliant Theophanes the Greek. The most grandiose bust image has been preserved in the dome. In addition, the figure of the Mother of God has been partially preserved. And in the drum (the part supporting the dome) there are images of John the Baptist. And for this, these frescoes are especially valuable, since, unfortunately, the works created over a number of subsequent years have not been documented and are disputed by some researchers. In general, all monasteries are made in an absolutely new manner - light and wide, free strokes, the color scheme is restrained, even stingy, the main attention is paid to the faces of the saints. In the manner of writing of Theophanes the Greek, one can feel his special philosophy.
The ability of Russia to revive
There had not yet been a great victory of Dmitry Donskoy, the raids of the Golden Horde continued, Russian cities burned, churches were destroyed. But Russia is strong in that it was revived, rebuilt, and became even more beautiful. Theophanes the Greek also took part in the paintings of the restored monasteries, who from 1380 worked in Nizhny Novgorod, in the capital of the Suzdol-Nizhny Novgorod principality, completely burned down in 1378. Presumably, he could take part in the painting of the Spassky Cathedral and the Annunciation Monastery. And already in 1392, the artist was working at the request of the Grand Duchess Evdokia, the wife of Prince Dmitry. Later, the cathedral was rebuilt several times, and the frescoes have not survived.
Moving to Moscow
Theophanes the Greek, whose biography, unfortunately, is very often associated with the word "presumably", after Kolomna moved to Moscow. Here, and this is confirmed by the Trinity Chronicle and the notorious letter, he paints the walls and decorates three churches. At this time, he already had his own school, students and followers, with whom, with the active participation of the famous Moscow icon painter Simeon Cherny in 1395, Theophanes painted the walls of the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady and the chapel of St. Lazarus in the Kremlin. All work was carried out by order of the same Grand Duchess Evdokia. And again it must be stated that the church has not survived, the existing Bolshoi stands in its place.
An evil fate that haunts the work of the master
The recognized genius of the Middle Ages, the icon painter Theophanes the Greek, together with his students, began in 1399 to decorate the Archangel Cathedral, completely burnt by the khan of the Golden Horde and the Tyumen principality - Tokhtamysh. It is known from Epiphanius' letter that the master painted the Moscow Kremlin with all its churches on the walls of the temple. But in the second half of the 16th century, the Italian architect Aleviz New dismantled the temple and built a new one of the same name, which has survived to this day.
The art of Theophanes the Greek is mostly represented by frescoes, as he painted the walls of churches until the end of his days. In 1405, his creative path intersects with the activities of Andrei Rublev and his teacher - "the elder from Gorodets", as you call the Moscow icon painter Prokhor from Gorodets. These three most famous masters of their time together created the cathedral church of Basil I, which is in the Annunciation Cathedral.
The frescoes have not survived - the court church was naturally rebuilt.
Unconditional evidence
What has survived? What memory of himself did the great Theophanes the Greek leave to descendants? Icons. According to one of the existing versions, the iconostasis that has survived to this day was originally written for the Assumption Cathedral in Kolomna. And after the fire in 1547 it was moved to the Kremlin. In the same cathedral there was "Our Lady of the Don", an icon with its own biography. Being one of the many modifications of "Tenderness" (another name is "The Joy of All Joys"), the image is covered with a legend about its amazing help in the victory won by the army of Grand Duke Dmitry over the hordes of the Golden Horde in 1380. After the Battle of Kulikovo, both the prince and the icon-patron received the prefixes "Donskoy" and "Donskaya". The image itself is double-sided - with back side there is the "Dormition of the Mother of God". The priceless masterpiece is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. Many analyzes have been carried out, and it can be argued that its author is, of course, Theophanes the Greek. The icons "Four-digit" and "John the Baptist - Angel of the Desert with a Life" belong to the studio of the icon painter, but his personal authorship is disputed. The works of the masters of his school include an icon of a rather large size, painted in 1403 - "Transfiguration".
Scarcity of biographical data
Indeed, there are very few documented works of the great master. But Epiphanius the Wise, who knew him personally, was friends with him, so sincerely admires the talent, the diversity of talent, the breadth of knowledge that it is impossible not to believe his testimonies. The Savior of Theophanes the Greek is often cited as an example of the work of the Greek school with a pronounced Byzantine style of writing. This fresco, as noted above, is the most grandiose of all the surviving fragments of the wall paintings of the Novgorod Cathedral discovered in 1910. It is one of the world famous great architectural monuments of medieval Russia. Another image of the Savior, which belongs to the works of the master, is located in the Kremlin on the Annunciation iconostasis.
One of the great "Trinity"
Among the frescoes of this cathedral is another masterpiece of world importance, the author of which is Theophanes the Greek. "Trinity" is perfectly preserved and is located in the choir. The canonical plot "The Hospitality of Abraham" underlies this work, although his figure on the fresco has not survived, the "Trinity" deserves a detailed study that has not yet been carried out. In his letter, Epiphanius admires the many talents of Theophanes the Greek - the gift of a storyteller, the talent of an intelligent interlocutor, an extraordinary manner of writing. According to the testimony of this man, the Greek, among other things, had the talent of a miniaturist. He is characterized as an icon painter, a master of monumental fresco painting and a miniaturist. “He was a deliberate iconography of the book” - this is how this praise sounds in the original. The authorship of the miniatures from the Psalter, owned by Ivan the Terrible and stored in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, is attributed to Theophanes the Greek. He is supposed to be a miniaturist of The Gospel of Fyodor Koshka. The fifth son, the direct ancestor of the Romanovs, was the patron saint of Theophanes the Greek. The book is superbly designed. Her skillful headpieces and gold initials are striking.
The identity of Theophanes the Greek
Before Theophanes, many icon painters, and even his contemporaries, relied primarily on traces in the manufacture of their works (a thin outline made previously from the original). And the free manner of Greek writing surprised and conquered many - “he seemed to be painting with his hands” - Epiphanius admires, calling him “a wondrous husband”. He certainly had a pronounced creative personality. The exact date of the death of the genius is not known, in some places it is even said that he died after 1405. In 1415 the author of the famous letter mentions the Greek in the past tense. Therefore, he was no longer alive. And Feofan is buried, again presumably, somewhere in Moscow. All this is very sad and only says that Russia has always gone through a lot of troubled times, during which the enemies destroyed the very memory of the people who made her glory.
The painting of the Trinity side-chapel in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin Street in Novgorod.
1378
(Born around 1337 - died after 1405)
Theophanes the Greek belongs to the greatest masters of the Middle Ages. His works, performed in Byzantium, have not survived. All of his famous works were created in Russia and for Russia, where he lived for more than thirty years. He introduced Russians to the highest achievements of Byzantine spiritual culture, which in his time experienced one of the last ups.
Few information about Theophan is found in the Moscow and Novgorod chronicles, but a letter written about 1415 by the Moscow spiritual writer and artist Epiphany the Wise to Archimandrite Kirill of the Spaso-Athanasiev Monastery in Tver is of particular value. Epiphany's message is interesting in that it gives a unique opportunity to get an idea of the principles of the master's work. In his letter, he informs about the Four Gospels that he kept, illustrated by Theophanes and decorated with the image of the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.
The description of the figure is given in many details. “When he depicted or wrote all this, no one saw that he had ever looked at the samples, as some of our icon painters do, who constantly stare in bewilderment, looking here and there, and not so much paint with paints as they look at the samples. He, it seemed, was painting the painting with his hands, and he himself constantly walks, talks with those who come and thinks over the lofty and wise with his sensible eyes, rational sees kindness. parables "and his cunning structure."
It is known from the message that Theophanes, "a Greek by birth, a deliberate iconographer and an excellent painter among icon painters", painted more than 40 stone churches in Constantinople, Chalcedon, Galata, Cafe (Feodosia), as well as on the Russian land.
In the Novgorod III Chronicle, the first work of Theophanes is mentioned under 1378. It speaks of his painting of the Novgorod Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyin Street - the only work of the master that has survived to this day, which has documentary confirmation and remains the main source for judging his art.
The frescoes of the church have been preserved fragmentarily, so the system of its painting can be restored only partially. The dome of the temple depicts the half-figure of Christ Pantokrator, surrounded by archangels and seraphim. The drum contains images of the forefathers, including Adam, Abel, Noah, Seth, Melchizedek, Enoch, the prophets Elijah, John the Baptist. In the choir in the northwestern corner chamber (Trinity side-chapel), the images are better preserved. The side-altar is painted with images of saints, compositions "Our Lady of the Sign with the Archangel Gabriel", "Adoration of the Sacrifice", "Trinity". Feofan's manner is brightly individual, characterized by expressive temperament, freedom and variety in the choice of techniques. The form is emphatically picturesque, devoid of detail, built with the help of rich and free strokes. The muted general tone of the painting contrasts with bright whitewash highlights, like flashes of lightning illuminating the harsh, soulful faces of the saints. The contours are outlined with powerful dynamic lines. The folds of clothes are devoid of detailed modeling, lying wide and rigid, at sharp angles.
The master's palette is stingy and restrained, orange-brown, silver-blue, corresponding to the tense spiritual state of images, prevail in it. "Theophanes' painting is a philosophical concept in paints, moreover, the concept is quite harsh, far from ordinary optimism. Its essence is the idea of the global sinfulness of man before God, as a result of which he found himself almost hopelessly removed from him and can only expect his arrival with fear and horror. an uncompromising and ruthless judge, whose image gazes with extreme severity at sinful humanity from under the dome of a Novgorod church, "writes V. V. Bychkov, a researcher of Russian medieval art.
"Stylite"
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Theophanes the Greek creates a world full of drama, tension of spirit. His saints are harsh, detached from everything around, immersed in the contemplation of silence - the only way to salvation. The artists in Novgorod who painted the church of Theodore Stratilates on the Brook tried to follow the style of Theophanes, but on the whole, the master's individuality turned out to be exclusive for Russia - a country far from the spiritual experience of Byzantium and looking for its own path.
After 1378 Feofan apparently worked in Nizhny Novgorod, but his paintings of this period have not reached us.
From about 1390 he was in Moscow and for a short time in Kolomna, where he could paint the Assumption Cathedral, which was later completely rebuilt. Here, in the cathedral, was kept the later famous shrine - the icon "Our Lady of the Don" (on its reverse - "Assumption"), later transferred to the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (now in the State Tretyakov Gallery). Some researchers associate its performance with the work of Theophanes the Greek.
The master made several murals in the Moscow Kremlin: in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin with the chapel of St. Lazarus (1395), where Theophan worked together with Simeon Cherny, in the Archangel (1399) and Annunciation (1405) cathedrals. The latter he painted together with Andrei Rublev and Prokhor from Gorodets. In the Kremlin, Feofan took part in the painting of the treasury of Prince Vladimir Andreevich and the tower of Vasily I. None of these works have survived. It is possible that Theophanes the Greek participated in the creation of icons of the Deesis order, which is currently in the Annunciation Cathedral. However, as proved by the latest research, this iconostasis is not the original one, dating back to 1405, and the Deesis order could have been transferred here only after the devastating fire in the Kremlin that happened in 1547.
In any case, the icons "Savior in Strength", "The Mother of God", "John the Baptist", "Apostle Peter", "Apostle Paul", "Basil the Great", "John Chrysostom" exhibit such features of style and such high technical skill that allow to assume here the work of a great master.
The manner of Theophanes the Greek in icon painting (if we agree that the icons of the Deesis order of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin were painted by Theophanes) differs significantly from the fresco. This can be explained by the specifics of icon painting. The images of the Deesis order are impressive and monumental. Almost two-meter-high figures, full of inner significance and self-absorption, make up a single composition, subordinated to one plan - to embody the prayer of thanks of the saints to the Savior, the creator and master of heavenly forces, and their intercession for the human race on the day of the Last Judgment. This idea determined the iconographic solution for the entire group as a whole, and for each image separately. The iconography of the rank has its origins in the altar paintings of Byzantine churches and is closely connected with the texts of the main prayers of the liturgy. A similar program of the Deesis tier with "Savior in Strength" later became widespread in Russian iconostases, but here it appears for the first time.
In contrast to the fresco painting, the images of the icons are not so expressive in appearance. Their drama and sorrow seemed to have gone deep, revealing themselves in the soft glow of their faces, in the muted colors of their clothes. Each face, in terms of the type and expression of the emotional state, is brightly individual, almost portrait. The contours of the figures are calmer; in their drawing, the classical tradition, dating back to antiquity, is more clearly visible. The icons were painted masterly, using complex and varied techniques that only an outstanding master can do. Among the icons presumably associated with the name of Theophan are "John the Forerunner Angel of the Desert", "Transfiguration" and "Four-Part" (all in the State Tretyakov Gallery).
"Mother of God"
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Icon of the Deesis tier of the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin
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