COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NOVGOROD AND MOSCOW ICON PAINTING SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the popularity of Orthodox churches and the creation of Novgorod and Moscow icon painting schools. Information is given about the artists and the features of their work. The Novgorod and Moscow icon painting schools differ significantly from each other. This is due to artists who have their own unique and original vision. It was they who developed this genre of fine art.

Keywords: Novgorod, Moscow, school, icon, saints, painting, art, Christianity.

Art, especially painting, is a wonderful way to express one's feelings, emotions, thoughts, character. Thanks to it a person demonstrates to the whole world or to a small number of people what he is passionate about, interested in. By depicting different kinds of images on paper, boards, easels, the individual leaves his or her imprint on the drawing, which in turn becomes special, unique, unlike other artists' works.

While today the most common types of painting are avant-garde, Renaissance, landscape and other, in past centuries people mostly imprinted icons on parchment. The Novgorod and Moscow schools in particular were popular on Russian soil.

Let's talk about them in more detail.

The first school, mentioned above, has a rich history, which is directly connected with Novgorod the Great. In 988 after the baptism of Kiev and the local population Orthodox churches began to be built [4, с. 45]. A huge number of Christians and, of course, icon painters with their own unique and original style of painting artistic works and portraits appeared in the land of Novgorod. Most of them were Greeks.

Every year there were more and more churches. The ministers of religious buildings needed artists and, of course, liturgical icons. Initially many Christian images were brought in from Byzantium itself, because Greek artists were no longer enough. But after this state was literally wiped off the face of the earth by the Seljuk Turks, supplies were no longer observed [3].

Due to the fact that there were many churches, and icons had lost their original appearance, it was decided in Novgorod to teach people who wanted to draw, fine art. This was especially true of liturgical paintings.

Each person has his own vision, his own style of artistic expression. The more people were trained in this skill, the more original and unique works of art appeared.

What was the peculiarity of the icons of the Novgorod school? More attention was paid here not to portraits, but to biblical subjects. Although also the faces of Saints, such as Flora, Laurus, Ilya, Anastasia, and Paraskeva Friday, were observed on the walls of churches. Icons with them were common in all the churches of Novgorod. They were prayed to, as these Saints could help everyone in everyday life, on the land or in trade ventures [5].

The icons of Novgorod were simple in execution, laconic, clear, but at the same time also colorful. In them there were noticeable folk features, which bribed their own freshness and spontaneity. Always in the icons of the Novgorod school there were and still are large forms and bright local tones. This is what distinguished them from the images of saints in Moscow painting.

The spirit of the Novgorod school is the impulsiveness of the image, which is achieved with the help of bright colors. The icons created in the above area are easily distinguished from other images of saints. In them a unique coloring is traced, in which the main place is taken by cinnabar (red shade) in contrast with other colors. For example, gold background, pink, green. The drawing in the background was not so important. The main attention was paid to the figure in front. Her clothes were shaded with gold lines. This was what created the shimmering effect.

Perhaps the main feature of the Novgorod school is its boldness, brightness, cheerfulness of color scheme, naive stillness and ruggedness of drawing. What is interesting is that these icons literally resembled a sculpture made of wood. The color scheme was similar to a folk festive cloth or embroidery.

After a while Novgorod the Great lost its independence and was incorporated into the Moscow state. It also, a little later, had its own iconography schools, which differed from the others in their unique style and color palette.

What do we know about Moscow religious painting? The beginning of its heyday coincides with the appearance of the Pskov school [6]. It was then that all the brightness of the colors was unnecessary for it. Moscow painting was characterized by more restrained tones, which made the icon on the one hand duller, and on the other - rarity, as such a depiction clearly indicated that Christianity - a religion created in the deep past.

The appearance in the fourteenth century of Theophanes the Greek was a great stroke of luck for the artists of the area in question. It was this man who brought the Constantinople tradition to Russia [1]. The first icons that adorned the walls of churches were his. Consequently, Theophanes can quite legitimately be called the teacher of the Moscow iconography school.

This artist of religious works had a personal large workshop in Russia, in which he collaborated with local masters. His art is considered strong and expressive. It had an irresistible charm in the eyes of local residents.

But everything does not stand still, everything in the world is developing and improving. The same can be said of iconography. Andrei Rublev came to the territory of Moscow. He was a potential disciple and colleague of Theophanes. However, one cannot say that the man imitated his teacher. Rather, he could be called an antipode. He was alien to the harsh, dull and full of drama images of Theophanes [2].

Rublev had other ideals, much different from the Greek, and from the Novgorod school too. For example, Andrei liked more contemplative images, enlightened. Absolutely unlike even the Byzantine icons, which were popular in Veliky Novgorod. However in his creations all the same the imprint of this state is visible.

Andrei Rublev after a time found great fame in Russia thanks to his unique style. The peculiarity of his painting consisted of the softness of writing, subtle harmony of colors, unusual clothing, elongated figures, the drawing of folds on robes, symmetric composition.

We can conclude that the Novgorod and Moscow schools have great differences in the depiction of icons. The former is characterized by an exuberance of colors, the images often show either biblical subjects, or the faces of saints who help people in everyday life, in their activities, and so on.

In the Moscow school, however, calm tones are more prevalent. Most often the emphasis is on clothing and figures. Such icons are more reminiscent of ancient wooden sculptures than modern images.

References:

1. Alpatov, M. V. Drevnerusskaya ikonopis' / M. V. Alpatov. – M., 1984. – 345 s.
2. Biograf [Elektronnyj resurs] / https://biographe.ru : Andrej Rublyov. – Rezhim dostupa: https://biographe.ru/znamenitosti/andrey-rublev - Data dostupa: 08.05.2022.
3. Detskaya enciklopediya [Elektronnyj resurs] / https://sitekid.ru : Iskusstvo Vizantii. – Rezhim dostupa: https://sitekid.ru/kultura_i_iskusstvo/iskusstvo_vizantii.html - Data dostupa: 08.05.2022.
4. Lihachev, D. S. Kreshchenie Rusi v 988 godu i gosudarstvo Rus' / D. S. Lihachev. – M., 2019. – 45 s.
5. Pravoslavnyj informacionnyj portal [Elektronnyj resurs] / http://molitva-info.ru : Liki svyatyh: prichislenie k liku svyatosti v pravoslavii, priichiny. – Rezhim dostupa: http://molitva-info.ru/duhovnaya-zhizn/liki-svyatyh.html - Data dostupa: 08.05.2022.
6. YAPOS [Elektronnyj resurs] / https://yapos.rf : SHkoly ikonopisi na Rusi: tradicii i novshestva. – Rezhim dostupa: https://yapos.rf/o-pravoslavii-i-krasote/shkoly_ikonopisi_na_rusi_traditsii_i_novshestva/ - Data dostupa: 08.05.2022.