sentations of venerated Saints, icons reflect the breadth of subjects of early Christian life. St Nicholas is especially attributed with special powers of protection amongst the Russian faithful. John the Baptist, St George, SS Boris and Gleb, and Bishop Sergius are important figures in Russian iconography. Icons were also used to mark particular events throughout the Church year and in the lives of the Saints.centuries of repression in Russia icons have offered comfort and support in difficult times. They embedded themselves so deeply in the Russsian psyche that they continued to provide spiritual strength throughout Russia's turbulent 20th century.To-day they remain very much central to the Russian Orthodox Church but have also acquired an additional role as works of art ... fine and folk ... to be admired for their intrinsic value.
of Icons
school
lt; # 243 src= doc_zip2.jpg / gt; lt; # 189 src= doc_zip3.jpg / gt; lt; # 148 src= doc_zip4.jpg / gt; lt; # 179 src= doc_zip5.jpg / gt; lt; # 176 src= doc_zip6.jpg / gt; lt; # 191 src= doc_zip7.jpg / gt; lt; # 205 src= doc_zip8.jpg / gt; lt; # 157 src= doc_zip9.jpg / gt; lt; # 168 src= doc_zip10.jpg / gt; lt; # 184 src= doc_zip11.jpg / gt; lt; # 170 src= doc_zip12.jpg / gt; lt; # 172 src= doc_zip13.jpg / gt; lt; # 180 src= doc_zip14.jpg / gt; lt; # 222 src= doc_zip15.jpg / gt; lt; # 183 src= doc_zip16.jpg / gt; lt; # 208 src= doc_zip17.jpg / gt; lt; # justify gt; School icons: From top to bottom and from left to right: Saints John Climacos, George, and Blaise (last third of the 13th c.), The Prophet Elijah (late 14th c.), Saints Florus and Laurus (late 15th c.), Saints Blaise and Spiridonos (late 14th c.), Paternitas (The New Testament Trinity) (late 14th c.), The Intercession of the Virgin (end of the 14th-beginning of the 15th c.), The Birth of the Virgin (middle of the 14th c.), St. Nicholas, with Scenes from His Life (fist half of the 16th c.), Saints Nicholas, Blaise, Florus, Laurus, Elijah and Paraskeva (first half of the 15th c.), St. Paraskeva, with Scenes from Her Life (first half of the 16th c.). The last icon is often considered a work of the Tver school.has always been a very important Russian city. Once a prosperous mercantile community, it kept its independence until 1478, when it succumbed to Moscow. Before that year, it distinguished itself for its economic, social, political and artistic achievements. As early as the10th century, it became the cradle for new political ideas. Novgorod was a republic (it called itself Lord Novgorod the Great), governed by the veche, a democratic assembly of all citizens, roughly resembling a parliament. The citizens were called to special meetings by the veche bell; the participants made their decisions together. The Novgorodians rejected the idea of ??the princely rule; instead, they hired a prince when they needed a leader to help them fight their enemies. When the danger was over, the prince was dismissed and asked to leave the city. The princes 'names had been often linked with the building of the most famous churches and cathedrals: Cathedral of St. Sophia (1045- 1050), the Nikolo-Dvorishchensky Cathedral (1113) and the Cathedral of Saint George in the Yuriev Monastery (1 119).
Not many Novgorodian 11th-century paintings have survived, but the surviving works of the 12th century (sometimes only fragments) help prove the existence of an independent local painting tradition. The frescoes at Nereditsa and in the Church of St. George at Staraia Ladoga are the evidence of this kind. Icons from the same period display a very strong Greek influence even though they show a very characteristic Russian style at the same time. In the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, Novgorod produced some of the greatest works of medieval Russian art, best represented by the paintings of Theophanes the Greek lt; # justify gt; 1. brightness of colors;
2. increased complexity as compared to Kievan and early (10th - 13th century) Novgorodian icons;
3.increased liveliness characteristic of their developing anecdotal style (Hamilton lt; # 200 src= doc_zip18.jpg / gt; lt; # 202 src= doc_zip19.jpg / gt; lt; # 189 src= doc_zip20.jpg / gt; lt; # 183 src= doc_zip21.jpg / gt; lt; # 213 src= doc_zip22.jpg / gt; lt; # 218 src = doc_zip23.jpg / gt; lt; # 218 src= doc_zip24.jpg / gt; lt; # justify gt; 1. increased complexity in compositions and theological symbolism
2. more tender representations of Christ and the saints
3. considerable elongation of figures
4. warm, saturated colors and more variation in their selection, including the introduction of pastels
. increasing degree of m...
