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Art,
Synthesis, Architecture, Muscovy
Consolidating Archaism
Muscovite Synthesis
Overview
“Muscovite Synthesis” in Architecture, Simplified developments.
Hamilton Art
I. Background
A. Kiev Holy Sophia
Cathedral, 11th c. (Ham. 2-4, 7-8)
terms: opus mixtum;
nave, transept, crossing, apse
B. Novgorod/Pskov
Holy Sophia
Cathedral, Novgorod, 11th c. (Ham. 12-14)
Church of the
Transfiguration of the Savior on Il'in Street, 1374, Novgorod, (Ham. 18)
trefoil roof line
C. Vladimir/Suzdal'
1. Dormition/Assumption
Cathedral (Uspenskii sobor), Vladimir, 12th c. (Ham 22-23);
terms: Romanesque; pilaster; blind arcading
2. Church of the
Intercession (Pokrov) on the River Nerl', near Vladimir, 12th c. (Ham.
24-25)
3. Cathedral of St.
Demetrius, 1194-97, Vladimir (Ham. 27-28)
D. Wooden
architecture
1. Church of the
Raising of Lazarus, late 14th c. (?), Island of Kizhi, Lake Onega (Ham.
109-110)
2. Church of St.
Nicholas from the Village of Glotovo, 18th c., Suzdal' (Ham. 111)
3. Church of the
Transfiguration, 18th c., Island of Kizhi, Lake Onega (Ham. 124)
terms: kokoshnik
gable; octagon on a square; 20-walled log church plan
E. Fortress
architecture
limestone walls at
Staryi Izborsk; Truvor, brother of semi-legendary Riurik
Moscow Kremlin:
white limestone walls of 14th c., Gr. Pr. Dmitrii Donskoi
red brick walls by
northern Italians, late 15th-early 16th cc., Ivan III the Great
terms:
machicolation; embattlement; crenellation; swallowtail merlons
II. Muscovite church architecture, 15th-16th cc.
A. Dormition
Cathedral, Kremlin, 1475-79, by Aristotele Rodolfo Fioravanti (Ham. 127-129);
where tsars were crowned, and metropolitans/patriarchs buried;
brick
and limestone
B. Archangel
Michael Cathedral, Kremlin, 1505-09, by Alevisio the New (Ham. 130-131);
royal male necropolis of Moscow ruling dynasty; brick
C. Annunciation
Cathedral, 1484-89 (Ham. 125-126); by architects from Pskov, built of
brick
D. Church of the
Deposition of the Robe of the Mother of God, Kremlin, 1484-85; by
architects from Pskov; built of brick
E. [Tent] Church of
the Ascension, Kolomenskoe, 1532 (Ham. 133-134); brick, with
white
stone trim
F. [Tower] Church
of the Decapitation of St. John the Baptist, D'iakovo (next to Kolomenskoe),
ca. 1547-54 (Ham. 136-137); brick
G. Cathedral of the
Intercession on the Moat, a.k.a. the Temple (khram) of Vasilii [Basil]
the Blessed [a popular Moscow holy fool]), 1555-60, with 17th-c. additions and
alterations (Ham.
139-142); brick, with white stone trim
III. Additional Italian contributions to the
Kremlin
A. The Chamber of Facets (Granovitaia
palata), early 16th c.; rustication (projecting
stone work) (Ham.
169-171)
B. The Bell Tower complex, 16th-17th
cc. (Ham. 174)
IV. Influence of Kremlin structures throughout
Muscovite Russia
imitations of Kremlin walls, Dormition
Cathedral, scallop shells, faux rustication
“Muscovite Synthesis” in Architecture
Key developments
Dimitrii Donskoi Orders the wood contraction replaced with
limestone ( look for date on test)
1470s, very important period: Ivan III's wife brings in foreigners,
from Italy and abroad 1470-1500s cannon makers, and many western technology not
seen in Russia.
Muscovite Synthesis can be described in the rulers bringing in
architects from all Russian cities to claim they have a monopoly on style.
Kremlin, Ivan III, built, called Uspénskii Sabór
( Dormition/Assumption ( Aprochripha Mary’s role
in bodily consumed into heaven)
Sabor, a Cathedral, parish churches owe some sort
of allegiance, Ivan’s time processions to the sabor, icons and symbols. Kremlin
3 Cathedrals. Sabor comes form the verb ‘to gather,’ gathering of parish
churches to the sabor.
Muscovite Church architecture, 15-16th Century.
Archangel Michael Cathedral Kremlin 1505-09
Royal male necropolis of Moscow ruling dynasty;
brick
Very Italian style. Very beautiful , done by
Italians ( silver color domes) by Alevisio, after Fioravanti left. Reflect back
to traditional construction, where one see irregularity, not the golden
ratio-like symmetry.
Archangel Michael Cathedral & Dormition Cathedral,
Kremlin become the two models of Muscovy large building techniques.
Muscovite Synthesis is the showing off of all the
builders, Pskov, Lagimer, Novgorod and we are the king now.
This became a new models for all enlarge Muscovy
buildings. These models could be studied and reproduced. Fioravanti really
introduced brick making techniques.
Metropolitan Cathedral, called the Deposition of
the Robe of the Mother of God ( Kremlin) next to the Dormition was built bu
Pskov architects, and this was done in brick, and they were introduced to brick.
Dormition Cathedral, Kremlin, 1475-79 ( main
place)
16th cent. Illustrated Manuscripts of
Ivan being crown, Yuri pouring gold coins on Ivan, seen in the Eisenstein movie.
Dimitrii Donskoi Orders the wood contraction
replaced with limestone ( look for date on test)
1470s
Dormition Cathedral
Ivan III wife brings in foreigners from Italy and
abroad, 1470-1500s: cannon makers, and many western technology not seen in
Russia.
Why are the 1470s important:, incorporated
Novgorod incorporated.
Ivan III maries the Niece of last Byzantine
emperor was raised in Italy, and Pope helped engineered the marriage in hopes to
Catholicize Russia, but nothing never happens.
Dimitrii replaced the walls around the Kremlin
with white stone walls in place of wooden, a epithet carried till this day, “
Moscow the White Walled City” even though it is made mostly of brick.
Metropolitan, 1320s Peter Metropolitan accidentally dies and Dorminiton was
built in the 1470s,
Where to get the plans and idea to build the main church in the Kremlin?
To build the Dormition Cathedral, was put up a
bidding war, they wanted the lowest bid. Where are they to get the notion of the
purpose to build a large masonry structure? The Kiev Sofia Cathedral, they could
have looked at, build long ago, but Kiev was in control of Lithuania to the east
and steppe nomads to the west, so they couldn’t go there and get plans.
1474 walls came cashing down, claimed an
earthquake, but no other buildings fell, so this proved an attempt to build a
large cathedral was tough, so they looked to Italy. Competition for buildings
were normal, such in Italy competitions to build great structures was also a
competitive thing. So the gov. sends an agent into Italy. He says anyone here
work cheap and is an architect? So that is how one got the word out. Aristotole
Rodolfo Fioravanti ( he teaches Muscovite how to cut stone, but what he really
teachers them is to use brick in structure, and this was innovating for Russia)
The golden ratio ( Kokóshnik), was used in the Dormition, Much of this was
Classical Greek understanding back in Italy, and this was brought to Moscow.
Fioravanti showed them compus ?, rule, mathematical measurements such as the
golden ratio to use for making structure, to show you how primitive Muscovy
architects were, and he showed them how to make stronger mortar and stronger
brick. And when he left these techniques were forgotten, and this didn’t last.
The Cathedral was a large cube-like structure. Five domes, done in limestone,
and brick on the inside, and in the drums done in brick, strong but lighter than
using limestone. 500 people can fit inside, and this is where the coronations
took place.
Byzantine opus mixum [?], the brick, motor,
crushed brick layer method.
Novgorod churches
mainly had single domes and one east aspe. Rubble stone construction, today most
stuccoed over.
Great Cathedral of Legimer, represented the
capital Vladimir-Suzdal prominence. French artistic work, and Novgorod and
Lagimer had foreign contact.
Wood architecture
Small village churches or personal church, simple,
construction, same basic floor plan of a house: Post and grove slat work was
rare, mostly basic log buildings, a type of cabin like we understand. Politsa (
to police the water away from the structure was also needed to get the snow melt
off away from the structure). Poval under it, shows where the curve is. .
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Structure designs, some and
Octagon on a square.
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Techniques, overlap, notch
logging. Notching the underneath notch corners, to keep the rain and water
out.
-
types of wood most used:
Fir, pine or spruce, were the main logs used.
-
These buildings were not
made with saws, not until the 19th century, but the made them
with axes.
-
Tree stump with a root left
on it was a gutter board, and simple gravity kept it on, root holds the
gutter board by gravity , no nails. Spruce was flammable , but available and
easy to work with. This is why many fires reported in the chronicles.
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Basic church structure:
Central square and four square side structures, an octagon.
-
Bochka: Pointed gable,
origins possible to due with o-g is the same as a cross-section of an
‘onion’ dome.
-
Also storied churches of
raised octagons, and all rest on squared base.
Church of the transfiguration,
Island of Kishi, Lake Onega, 1776 c.
20 walled church plan - (1776) 22 domes in tears
in pyramidal silhouette, and hard to see floor plan from out side observance, it
was a central Octagon to the ground level. with four projecting squared
side-arms, tops recessed. Many o-gs and pointed gables, and medium onion domes.
Fortress Walled Construction
Fortress Walled Construction, mainly local
limestone, and 14-15th century, mainly white walls made in the
Kremlin, toady red and brick. Limestone still in the foundation of the river
sides. Tartars arrived on the south side, of the Kremlin.
Slots leads from holes in the parapet on the
towers and holes are functional if anyone attacks you pour molten metal, throw
rocks out these holes, and this design was common around Italy. These were
features of fortress walls.Merlons, outer wall area, were the groves in the
wall, where you poke a musket out or a cannon out at the enemy.
Kremlin roughly 70 acres triangle shaped. Mote
surrounded the Kremlin walls. And the one area in the Kremlin was dedicated for
foreign commerce. Commerce came here first, so the leaders take the spoils of
the best and also sellers sell and give tax to the government.
Wood
-
Houses, rectangular units, added on with extensions of families. Live in the
stove room in the winter. Carbon monoxide problems: no chimneys, only
louvers holes. Wax was expensive, inexpensive pitch-pine; it is a crude
method of lighting. Soup bowels carved out a single piece of wood. In the
north animals were kept inside for the winter, so many barns rooms connected
a peasant house. All pitched roofs in the north. One way to distinguish a
church’s floor plan is to determine if the base is octagonal or square. 20
walled-log plan, a much used planned and is referenced in 17th
century chronicles is referred too and considered as a traditional shaped.
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Look to a Squint roof ( at a raised level off the ground) in complex
churches to determine if the floor plan is square ( look to nave)
determining the base to hold the octagon rise.
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Nikon it is unfit to have only one top on God’s church, must have three or
five atop God’s churches ( see 17th cent.).
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Overlapping technique: wood then brick overlap called corbelling, bricks
overlaying.
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Fioravanti did not affect Russian style; but his teaching of brick and
structure-techniques is what dramatically affects Russian architecture
after. Wider transept, cross-isle was a Russian tradition, and after
Fioravanti, Alevisio returned to the Russian tradition in the building of
Archangel Michael Cathedral with the uneven plan with a wider cross-isle.
Structural debt to the Italian was the brick building technique, mainly
headed by the inspiration of Fioravanti. The great 16th century
buildings in the Kremlin and Moscow were now built in brick, instead of
stone. Stone was hard work, and difficult. Faux rusitfication an aesthetic,
deliberately barrowed form the cathedral churches in Red Square.
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Centrally planned churches: Sudal, Italy, Novgorod: Basil, St. John, and
Ascension, were different ideas, centrally planned church, and the symbol of
a central state, and the capture of Kazan.
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Moscow’s Synthesis: Palaeologus Renaissance.
Manuel II was the
father of John VIII Palaeologus and Constantine XI, the last Byzantine emperor
(Constantine XI Palaeologus), as well as the despots of Morea Demetrius
Palaeologus and Thomas Palaeologus.
Thomas Palaiologos or Palaeologus
(Greek: Θωμάς Παλαιολόγος, Thōmas Palaiologos) (1409– May 12, 1465) was Despot
in Morea from 1428 until the Ottoman conquest in 1460. After the desertion of
his older brother to the Turks in 1460, Thomas Palaiologos became the most
legitimate claimant to the Byzantine throne.
The Palaiologos or Palaeologus
(Greek: Παλαιολόγος, pl. Παλαιολόγοι) family was the last dynasty ruling the
Byzantine Empire.
Thomas' daughter Zoe married Ivan III
of Russia and, on rejoining the Orthodox faith, returned to her earlier name
Sophia. Her influence on the court curtailed the power of the boyars and
eventually led to the proclamation of the lord of Muscovy as the Tsar of all the
Russias. Thomas's male-line descendants soon went extinct, and his descent lives
on through a daughter and the family of Castriota Dukes of san Pietro di
Galatina in south-Italian aristocracy. (wiki, unsourced editing)
Palaeologus renaissance in Art.
Thomas Palaiologos
daughter Zoe married Ivan III of Russia, she returned to her earlier name
Sophia. The Palaiologos family had escaped to Venice after the Ottoman’s began
to take control of Anatolia. At this time Italy was going through a renaissance.
Sophia a niece of last Byzantine emperor was raised in Italy. The Pope
engineered the marriage in hopes to Catholicize Russia. She brought with her
cannon makers, and many western technologies never seen in Russia.
Many fires had
ravaged Moscow between 1380 and 1547 and the damage was so intense that
Metropolitan brought icon painters from Novgorod.
Feofan Grek left Novgorod for Moscow, painted Interior of
Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Moscow with Semen Cherny and his pupils
in 1395: In 1399 continued working with pupils in the Cathedral of St. Michael
in the Kremlin. Archangel Michael Cathedral, Kremlin, 1505-09, was built by
Alevisio. This was a new royal male necropolis of Moscow ruling dynasty;
brickwork became the lasting contribution of Aristotele Rodolfo Fioravanti. His
use of the Greek golden ratio, which appears (where) on the Dormition in the
Kremlin, was not adopted by later Muscovy architects. Pskov architect helped
built the Metropolitan’s church in the Kremlin.
Feofan Grek
continued, according to a chronicle to decoration of the Cathedral of the
Annunciation in the Kremlin. Here, in the chronically, Andrey, Rublev appears
for this first time (ham. 133). In 1482, masters from Pskov came to Moscow and
helped with the new structure of the Annunciation. Rublev and Feofan Grek worked
together in the Cathedral in 1405, both demonstrating Byzantine impressionism.
The Dormition Cathedral in Moscow can be attributed to Theophane’ school with
its technical resemblance to his Novgorod work (Ham. 136) Here Rublev
accompanied Feofan Grek and Prokhor of Gorodets.
The icon of the
Old Testament Trinity (ca 1410), Trinity
Cathedral in the Troitse-Sergiev Monastery in Zagorsk , is considered Rublev’s
masterpiece.
The Influence of
Kremlin structures throughout Muscovite Russia became a standard contribution
from later Muscovy architects. The Italian style signified one of the foreign
synthesis styles with contributions of scallop shells and faux rustication.
Later architects directly imitated the Kremlin walls and the Dormition Cathedral
which employed these styles.
Rublev: 1425–1427
the Cathedral of St. Trinity in the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra.
Rublev accredited
with thousands of works of art. Attribution to his extensive work in the
Dormition in Vladimir: His theme was a long reawakening of Moscow and Suzdal
after the Tartar Yoke? Rublev introduced a new spirit of gentleness, dignity
and compassion, a characteristic which became synonymous of Russian church art.
He also introduced a masterful technique which depicted individual
craftsmanship. Rublev studied at fourteenth century monastery art schools. This
impressed the Grand Princes who promoted a monastic art-school partnership. The
Metropolitan and Tsar conflicts in the sixteenth century brought an end to this
partnership. Moscow’s indebtedness to Novgorod icon-painting can be seen through
Rublev’s migration to Moscow after Daniil’s death. He lived at the Moscow's
Andronikov Monastery where he painted his last work, frescoes of the Savior
Cathedral.
Possibility of
Movement and Depth: Painting in Moscow in the Later Fifteenth and Sixteenth
Century. Change occurred in the sixteenth century art. Dionisy and his sons:
The Parable of the Widow’s mite, Frescos in the Church of the Nativity of the
Virgin, Ferapontov monastery: proportionally, Symmetry, overall unity in
composition, equilibrium, naturalism, illusion to motion. Dionisy and his sons:
Christ Enthroned with the Virgin and St. John the Babtustm fom the Last Judgment
, fresco in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, Ferapontov monastery,
1500-2. the style: discursive and disparate, stressing the spiritual concepts,
yet with exalted emotion and natural expressive interchange ; narrative. 1484,
Venerable Paissi and his sons Feodosy ( Theodosius) and Vladimir painted an
extensive series of icons for the monastery of Volokolamsk: More than 100 icons
were attributed to the family. Regarded as great by Bishop Vassian of Rostov,
none of their work survived but their influence in this stage of Russian art
survived in Vassian’s St. Paphnutius Borovshy, and affected later
panel-painting , and the school of Dionisy, more closely allied with the
Ferapontov Monastery associated with Moscow. (Ham. 155). Considerable influence.
Legacy, this style was too refined to serve as a basis for a new school.
Sixteenth century Muscovy entitled concentration of artistic effort at the
capital. After a fire in 1547, Metropolitan Macarius, former Novgorod
Archbishop, ordered icons from Novgorod ( and later Pskov) and with their
workshops. The Characteristic of the Novgorod school would be transformed into a
Moscow Synthesis along with other regions and foreign influence.
Italian architects
and craftsman came to Moscow after 1470. Spatial inter-relations between
subjects appearance of new subject mater, appeared in part of Moscow’s theory
of the “third Rome.” Italian architects and craftsman came to Moscow after 1470.
Moscow: The Entry
into Jerusalem, late sixteenth century, represented a new form of decorative
elegance; this time with a mountain and architecture in the background, creating
two distinct spaces in depth. (Ham. 159). The Incredulity of St. Thomas, c.
1500, and The Vision of St. Eulogius, c. 1530-40, in Moscow, also exhibited this
new spatial depth.
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Novgorod school: pragmatic
naturalism.
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Rublev: elegance, softness, refined, subtle /emotional.
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Dionisy: Spiritually.
Consequences: Greek
symmetry was not copied by the Russian followers. (159). Moscow: SS. Zosima and
Savva at the Solovetsky Monastary in the White Sea, later sixteenth century
shows a close observation of nature. Decorative aspect overruled the artist’s
exact appearance of the location.
In the 1551 Stoglav
council, issues of icon production to notice, and a new rule that Priests would
over see icon style possibly halted the naturalistic expressions that were
developing. Artist were to obverse a set of rules “ according to the consecrated
type.” (ham. 161). Andrei Rublev’s style after the meeting was condemned. The
regulations placed restrictions mediocre work. However, it is arguable if this
threat was enforced, and not “ intended to annoy the priest Sylverter of the
Cathedral of the Annunciation, because of his relationship to Ivan.(ham 162).
Viskovaty, a secretary, supported novelty- artistic tastes in a case of a
four-part icon in the Cathedral of the Annunciation, but was later in 1554,
obliged to retract his assessments of an objectionable material. Viskovaty noted
novelties in a western influence in the Pskov school, but a final rejection came
to mean a return to following codification and regularization of artistic
endeavors, henceforth.
Wooden Church
architecture: Masonry structures in Moscow influenced, rather than followed,
wooden church architecture. “ Wood buildings are then described as imitations of
the forms of Court architecture.” (Ham. 164). How did Moscow architecture
influence the provinces? Novgorod churches mainly had single domes and one east
apse. Rubble stone construction, today most stuccoed over. Russian Churches over
time became more complex. First, Tiny Church: Olonets, St. Lazarus, before 1391,
represented a basic exterior of a three rectangular floor plan. The nave
constituted the largest rectangle, and east the apse. Suzdal, St. Nicholas from
Glotovo, 1766, represented the three interior spaces of the tiny church plan had
expanded. Tent churches: Nizhny Uftiug, Church of the Dormition, octagon is
adjoined by a square apse. Five-sided Apse churches: Nicholas Church at Lyavla
(1589), Church of the Virgin of Vladimir at Belaya Sluda (1642), and St. George
at Vershino on the Toima (1672). More complex churches added east sides of the
north and south additions to the octagon, as represented in SS. Florus and
Laurus (1755) at Rostovskoe. Five tent roof: Church of the Trinity, 1727, of
Nenoska was a combination of pyramidal, octagon and cube construction and were
the most widespread in the seventeenth century. These Gothic Churches of the
north could be possibly influenced by “European Gothic in its verticality or
Gregorian in the articulation of its parts.” ( Ham. 177). Berezovets, St.
Nicholas, early eighteenth century, is a “cross composed of an octagon with
equilateral arms roofed with large bochki.” ( Ham. 181). Church of the
Transfiguration, 18th c., Island of Kizhi, Lake Onega. Octagon with cross-arms
plan. Nickname - a wooden St. Basil. This is a silhouette of the church
pyramidal tradition (Ham. 183).
terms: kokoshnik
gable; octagon on a square; 20-walled log church plan
Architecture in Moscow.
Moscow’s
Synthesis c. 1300-1600
Masonry:
Ideology: Ivan III,
Vasily III, and Ivan IV Russian nationality: Here nationality identifies the
correct meaning of the mental process of the mind, and not defining a state,
with borders or an army. Cathedrals of the Kremlin represent the close
association with the dynasty, and as a center of the Orthodox faith, with the
Chief metropolitan churches built in the capital.
Influence after
arrival of the Italian architects’: Italian, Byzantine on Moscow.
St. Basil's
Cathedral (1555-1560) Masonry: Originally called, Cathedral of Protection and Intercession of
the Virgin. St. Basil's Cathedral is positioned just outside the savior gate at
the entrance to the Kremlin, dominating the southern side of Red Square. The
plans were drawn by Leonardo De Vinci, but were loosely followed, and
represented the Italian influence Muscovy has ordered. It was ordered and
completed by Ivan IV. The carnival-like decorate of the onion domes express a
three- dimensional expression. It was to honor Russia's victory over the Tatars
khanates of Kazan and Astrakhan. The principle symbolized a unity by maintaining
a central chapel with eight circumference chapels. It was a myth, still
purported today, that Ivan had the architect’s eyes put out.
Kolomenskoe, Church
of the Ascension, probably 1530-2, ordered possibly by Vasily III in commemoration
of his new son Ivan Vasileovich. This church was without precedence, a vanguard
and harbinger of what was to come? Dynastic estate, not public.
Ostrov, Church of
the Transfiguration, lower part of sixteenth century.
Zagorsk,
Cathedral of the Dormition in the trinity-Sergius Monastery, 1559-85.
This represented and symbolized Nikon’s insistence of Orthodox style. Dormitions
were usually monastic or cathedral structures. Cube churches were also a
reflection of the reforms of Nikon ( Ham. 181).
Cathedral of the
Annunciation, Moscow, in the Kremlin, 1484-9. ( and Ferapont Monastery near the
White Lake both were of Novgorodian origin. The Cathedral of the Annunciation
was built by masters summoned from Pskov, who used a Vladimir model (ham. 190)..
This church is where the tsars were christened and married. It was the second
major work undertaken by Ivan III. Ivan IV later added additions. ….focus on
octagon and square base wooden architecture.
Red Square: originally Red Square was covered with wooden buildings, with
concerns for damage by periodic fires, in 1493 Ivan III by edict, ordered
masonry to replace all wood structures in the district. The name of the Red
Square derives from the color red from the Communist era or color of the bricks,
and possibly from the connotation of the color red “beautiful,” in Russian
lexigraphy. Dimitrii Donskoi ordered the wood construction be replaced with
limestone in the fifteenth century. Dimitrii replaced the walls around the
Kremlin with white stone walls in place of wooden, a epithet carried till this
day, “ Moscow the White Walled City,” even though it is made mostly of brick.
Preference for limestone was changed after the arrival of Aristotele Rodolfo
Fioravanti who promoted brick as a structural enforcement in construction in the
sixteenth century.
Outskirts of Moscow
in the seventeenth century contained wooden buildings enclosed in a tilled area.
The tilled land also doubled as a fire-break. Moscow still consisted of wooden
walls, but later brickwork would form the outside foundation of the wood?
The golden ratio (
Kokóshnik), was used in the Dormition Cathedral, Kremlin, 1475-79, by
Aristotele Rodolfo Fioravanti (; where tsars were crowned, and
metropolitans/patriarchs buried;brick and limestone.
Fioravanti showed
them compus ?, strait-edge rule, mathematical measurements such as the golden
ratio to use for symmetry. To show you how primitive Muscovy architects were,
and he showed them how to make stronger mortar and stronger brick. His brick
work made a lasting impression on Russia. And when he left most these techniques
were forgotten. The Cathedral was a large cube-like structure: five domes, done
in limestone, and brick on the inside, and in the drums done in brick, strong
but lighter than using limestone. 500 people can fit inside, and this is where
the coronations took place. pp. 226-240
Secular Art: Fortress walls and towers.
Fortress
architecture
limestone walls at Staryi Izborsk; Truvor, brother
of semi-legendary Riurik Moscow Kremlin: white limestone walls of 14th c., Gr.
Pr. Dmitrii Donskoi red brick walls by northern Italians, late 15th-early 16th
cc., Ivan III the Great terms: machicolation; embattlement; crenellation;
swallowtail merlons
Pslov characteristic of stout walls unadorned,
irregular windows placed according to interior arrangements is represented in
the Pogankin House, late sixteenth century or early seventeenth century.
Kremlin fires of 1547 and 1571 rebuilding was
understood, even by the foreigners to be something of a periodic challenge.
Kremlin, although not touched in 1571, bears influences of changing tastes
during the Polish and French occupations of 1611. Wooden walls around Moscow
could be seen as late as 1661 in the foreground of Meyerberg’s drawing. In 1451
the Tartars enter through the wooden barriers. Ivan III rebuilt the walls around
the Kremlin in red brick beginning work in 1485, under the direction of Italian
architect Pietro Antonio Solari, and was largely completed by 1516. Fioravanti
influence and Italian artists help us to assume the towers were remarkably
Italianate. Hydraulic engineer, Aloisio de Carcano, redirected the stream along
the western side of the Kremlin, and Solari created a system of motes and double
and triple walls. 1624-5, English architect Christiopher Galloway, designed the
upper part of the Gate of the Redeemer (Spasskia Vorota) opposite of St. Basil
on Red Square, and still the principle entrance to the Kremlin. ( ham. 227) He
combined Gothic, Renaissance and old Russian motifs. He also inserted a clock
that was destroyed in 1654. The Borovitsky Tower was rebuilt as a series of
diminishing square storeys in imitation of the Syumbeky Tower ( stonework on the
upper stories added in 1685) in Kazan, which was ruined in 1552, was rebuilt in
the seventeenth century. ( ham. 227)
Dormition and the upper stories.
Ivan III & Sophia Palaeologa time the palace was
not a single building, but a group of small structures, principally of wood,
although in some cases the foundations were of stone. This is where the Grand
Prince and his family lived with his principle courtiers, all were part of the
upper stories. The gradual replacement of wood to brink was accomplished over a
long period of time.
The State Building:
The Faceted Palace displaced a rusticated façade ,
which was built by Solari and Marco Ruffo between 1487 and 1491. This was a
simple stone building, contenting the second story a large rectangular hall,
with a groined vault supported b a huge pier in the center. ( ham 229) The
design was like the earlier renaissance Italian palaces.
Faceted Palace in
the Granovitaya during an audience held by the false Dmitry, early seventeenth
century and shows the floor covered in oriental rugs. The vaulted hall is where
the tsar sat during state occasions. Wooden benches line the outskirts of the
floor space, this was where the boyars and councilmen would sit, usually in a
ranking order, most seated on the right of the Tsar and some to the left. All
bowed in honor at certain times, and the tsar sat on a silver-gilt throne. This
throne was raised three steeps above the benches. When everyone was inside the
it could seem narrow. This building was damaged in fires of 1547 and 1571 (
tartar attacks) and total devastation during the Polish occupation. The
replacement was the Terem Palace in the Kremlin, 1635-6. This was a two story
Italianate design, resting on the base of an earlier buildings and crowned with
a pavilion. It was built under the directions of Tsars Mikhail Feodorovich and
Alexey Mikhailovich. In 1661 von Meryerburg noticed the Flemish and Persian
tapestries which covered the walls of the state apartments, so completely that
the rooms, floors and walls were barely noticeable. A painting decorated with
“astronomical accuracy of the solar system and the fixed starts, an indication
of modern science. Samuel Collins and English traveler remarked a Polish
influence on the current Tsar.
Another fire in 1682 caused a redecoration project
under Sophia, Peter the Great’s sister (1682-9) who used her favorite Prince
Golitsyn, and used quite amount of gold and silver. With the removal of the seat
of Government to St. Petersburg, the palace was allowed to deteriorate to a
shocking degree ( ham. 234). Catherin II who had a stronger sense of Russian
tradition than any of the lineal heirs of Peter the Great, ordered the palace to
be kept in better repair, and even proposed transforming the Kremlin into a
national shrine. ( ham. 234). Model of the 1760s of the wooden palace at
Kolomenskoe, built in 1667-81. this was like a giant dictionary, a preservation
of all the historic archtiectual models on the Russia architecture. Bochki,
kokoshniki, tent roofs, bulbous domes, and a variety of carved woodwork had been
preserved in this model
The Tower of Ivan Veliky (“ John the Great”) in
the Kremlin, late sixteenth century: This building contains a tall belfry
above the church, and was begun under Tsar Feoder Ivanovich and completed in
1600 by Boris Goudunov. The height of the tower and cupola form the highest
point from the ground in Moscow.
Kolomenskoe wooden palace, 1667-81
( and the engraving, eighteenth century). Rectangles situated at angles
presenting a constantly shifting arrangement. There was no precedence for this
type of liberal floor plan. This was not tradition or an accident.
Moscow, the
Ambassador’s Palace in 1661.
From a drawing by Augustin von Meyerberg: Wooden chambers and tent roofs,
elements of tradition. A ground floor arcade reminiscence of Italian tastes.
State Pharmacy ( now demolished), late seventeenth century. Predecessor
Posolsky Prikaz ( foreign office) 1591, in Kremlin possibly inspired this
building. This palace was an early example of the direction which Russia
architecture was to take. Peter I devoted the building to new scientific
programs.
School of Navigation, First Russian cartography school, an an
astronomical center.
Building the German
district.
(Nemetskaya Sloboda) German Suburb, on the
eastern outskirts of Moscow. At end of centiry, the space was filled with
foreign diplomats and merchants indicating wide economical and political contact
with the west. The Tsars thought to close-off the Germans ( Protestants) into a
district to keep their culture in and away from the Russians, but it proved to
be a fascination of the higher nobility and younger generation.
I. Background
A. Kiev Holy Sophia
Cathedral, 11th c. (Ham. 2-4, 7-8)
terms: opus mixtum;
nave, transept, crossing, apse
B. Novgorod/Pskov
Holy Sophia
Cathedral, Novgorod, 11th c. (Ham. 12-14)
Church of the
Transfiguration of the Savior on Il'in Street, 1374, Novgorod, (Ham. 18)
trefoil roof line
C. Vladimir/Suzdal'
1. Dormition/Assumption
Cathedral (Uspenskii sobor), Vladimir, 12th c. (Ham 22-23);
terms: Romanesque; pilaster; blind arcading
2. Church of the
Intercession (Pokrov) on the River Nerl', near Vladimir, 12th c. (Ham.
24-25)
3. Cathedral of St.
Demetrius, 1194-97, Vladimir (Ham. 27-28)
D. Wooden
architecture
1. Church of the
Raising of Lazarus, late 14th c. (?), Island of Kizhi, Lake Onega (Ham.
109-110)
2. Church of St.
Nicholas from the Village of Glotovo, 18th c., Suzdal' (Ham. 111)
3. Church of the
Transfiguration, 18th c., Island of Kizhi, Lake Onega (Ham. 124)
terms: kokoshnik
gable; octagon on a square; 20-walled log church plan
E. Fortress
architecture
limestone walls at
Staryi Izborsk; Truvor, brother of semi-legendary Riurik
Moscow
Kremlin: white limestone walls of 14th c., Gr. Pr. Dmitrii Donskoi
red brick walls by
northern Italians, late 15th-early 16th cc., Ivan III the Great
terms:
machicolation; embattlement; crenellation; swallowtail merlons
II. Muscovite
church architecture, 15th-16th cc.
A. Dormition
Cathedral, Kremlin, 1475-79, by Aristotele Rodolfo Fioravanti (Ham. 127-129);
where tsars were crowned, and metropolitans/patriarchs buried;
brick
and limestone
B. Archangel
Michael Cathedral, Kremlin, 1505-09, by Alevisio the New (Ham. 130-131);
royal male necropolis of Moscow ruling dynasty; brick
C. Annunciation
Cathedral, 1484-89 (Ham. 125-126); by architects from Pskov, built of
brick
D. Church of the
Deposition of the Robe of the Mother of God, Kremlin, 1484-85; by
architects from Pskov; built of brick
E. [Tent] Church of
the Ascension, Kolomenskoe, 1532 (Ham. 133-134); brick, with
white
stone trim
F. [Tower] Church
of the Decapitation of St. John the Baptist, D'iakovo (next to Kolomenskoe),
ca. 1547-54 (Ham. 136-137); brick
G. Cathedral of the
Intercession on the Moat, a.k.a. the Temple (khram) of Vasilii [Basil]
the Blessed [a popular Moscow holy fool]), 1555-60, with 17th-c. additions and
alterations (Ham.
139-142); brick, with white stone trim
III. Additional
Italian contributions to the Kremlin
A. The
Chamber of Facets (Granovitaia palata), early 16th c.; rustication (projecting
stone work) (Ham. 169-171)
B. The
Bell Tower complex, 16th-17th cc. (Ham. 174)
IV. Influence of
Kremlin structures throughout Muscovite Russia
imitations of Kremlin walls, Dormition Cathedral, scallop shells, faux
rustication
“Muscovite
Synthesis” in Architecture
Key developments
Dimitrii Donskoi Orders the wood contraction replaced with
limestone ( look for date on test)
1470s, very important period: Ivan III's wife brings in foreigners,
from Italy and abroad 1470-1500s cannon makers, and many western technology not
seen in Russia.
Muscovite
Synthesis can be described in the rulers bringing in architects from all Russian
cities to claim they have a monopoly on style.
Muscovite Church architecture, 15-16th cent.
-
Archangel Michael Cathedral Kremlin 1505-09
-
Royal male necropolis of Moscow ruling dynasty; brick
-
Very Italian style. Very beautiful , done by Italians ( silver color domes)
by Alevisio, after Fioravanti left. Reflect back to traditional
construction, where one see irregularity, not the golden ratio-like
symmetry.
-
Archangel Michael Cathedral & Dormition Cathedral, Kremlin become the two
models of Muscovy large building techniques.
-
Muscovite Synthesis is the showing off of all the builders, Pskov, Lagimer,
Novgorod and we are the king now.
-
This became a new models for all enlarge Muscovy buildings. These models
could be studied and reproduced. Fioravanti really introduced brick making
techniques.
-
Metropolitan Cathedral, called the Deposition of the Robe of the Mother of
God ( Kremlin) next to the Dormition was built bu Pskov architects, and
this was done in brick, and they were introduced to brick.
-
Dormition Cathedral, Kremlin, 1475-79 ( main place)
-
16th
cent. Illustrated Manuscripts of Ivan being crown, Yuri pouring gold coins
on Ivan, seen in the Eisenstein movie.
-
Dimitrii Donskoi Orders the wood contraction replaced with limestone ( look
for date on test)
-
1470s
Dormition Cathedral
Ivan III wife brings
in foreigners, from Italy and abroad 1470-1500s cannon makers, and many western
technology not seen in Russia.
Why are the 1470s important?: incorporated Novgorod – the began an
incorporating of other towns, districts and cities by the following leaders and
Muscovite government officals.
Ivan III maries the
Niece of last Byzantine emperor was raised in Italy, and Pope helped engineered
the marriage in hopes to Catholicize Russia, but nothing never happens.
Dimitrii replaced
the walls around the Kremlin with white stone walls in place of wooden, a
epithet carried till this day, “ Moscow the White Walled City” even though it is
made mostly of brick. Metropolitan, 1320s Peter Metropolitan accidentally dies
and Dorminiton was built in the 1470s,
Where to get the plans and idea to build the main church in the Kremlin?
To build the
Dormition Cathedral, was put up a bidding war, they wanted the lowest bid. Where
are they to get the notion of the purpose to build a large masonry structure?
The Kiev Sofia Cathedral, they could have looked at, build long ago, but Kiev
was in control of Lithuania to the east and steppe nomads to the west, so they
couldn’t go there and get plans.
1474 walls came
cashing down, claimed an earthquake, but no other buildings fell, so this proved
an attempt to build a large cathedral was tough, so they looked to Italy.
Competition for buildings were normal, such in Italy competitions to build great
structures was also a competitive thing. So the gov. sends an agent into Italy.
He says anyone here work cheap and is an architect? So that is how one got the
word out. Aristotole Rodolfo Fioravanti ( he teaches Muscovite how to cut stone,
but what he really teachers them is to use brick in structure, and this was
innovating for Russia) The golden ratio ( Kokóshnik), was used in the Dormition,
Much of this was Classical Greek understanding back in Italy, and this was
brought to Moscow. Fioravanti showed them compus ?, rule, mathematical
measurements such as the golden ratio to use for making structure, to show you
how primitive Muscovy architects were, and he showed them how to make stronger
mortar and stronger brick. And when he left these techniques were forgotten, and
this didn’t last. The Cathedral was a large cube-like structure. Five domes,
done in limestone, and brick on the inside, and in the drums done in brick,
strong but lighter than using limestone. 500 people can fit inside, and this is
where the coronations took place.
Byzantine opus
mixum [?], the brick, motor, crushed brick layer method.
Novgorod churches mainly had single domes and one
east aspe. Rubble stone construction, today most stuccoed over.
Great Cathedral of
Legimer, represented the capital Vladimir-Suzdal prominence. French artistic
work, and Novgorod and Lagimer had foreign contact.
Wood
architecture
Small village
churches or personal church, simple, construction, same basic floor plan of a
house: Post and grove slat work was rare, mostly basic log buildings, a type of
cabin like we understand. Politsa ( to police the water away from the structure
was also needed to get the snow melt off away from the structure). Poval under
it, shows where the curve is. .
1.
Structure designs, some and Octagon on a square.
2.
Techniques, overlap, notch logging. Notching the underneath notch
corners, to keep the rain and water out.
3.
types of wood most used: Fir, pine or spruce, were the main logs
used.
4.
These buildings were not made with saws, not until the 19th
centry, but the made them with axes.
5.
Tree stump with a root left on it was a gutter board, and simple
gravity kept it on, root holds the gutter board by gravity , no nails. Spruce
was flammable , but available and easy to work with. This is why many fires
reported in the chronicles.
6.
Basic church structure: Central square and four square side
structures, an octagon.
7.
Bochka: Pointed gable, origins possible to due with o-g is the
same as a cross-section of an ‘onion’ dome.
8.
Also storied churches of raised octagons, and all rest on squared
base.
Church of the
transfiguration, Island of Kishi, Lake Onega, 1776 c.
20 walled church
plan - (1776) 22 domes in tears in pyramidal silhouette, and hard to see floor
plan from out side observance, it was a central Octagon to the ground level.
with four projecting squared side-arms, tops recessed. Many o-gs and pointed
gables, and medium onion domes.
Fortress
Walled Construction
Fortress Walled
Construction, mainly local limestone, and 14-15th century, mainly
white walls made in the Kremlin, toady red and brick. Limestone still in the
foundation of the river sides. Tartars arrived on the south side, of the
Kremlin.
Slots leads from
holes in the parapet on the towers and holes are functional if anyone attacks
you pour molten metal, throw rocks out these holes, and this design was common
around italy. These were features of fortress walls.
Merlons, outer wall
area, were the groves in the wall, where you poke a musket out or a cannon out
at the enemy.
Kremlin roughly 70
acres triangle shaped. Mote surrounded the Kremlin walls. And the one area in
the Kremlin was dedicated for foreign commerce. Commerce came here first, so the
leaders take the spoils of the best and also sellers sell and give tax to the
government.
Wood
Houses, rectangular
units, added on with extensions of families. Live in the stove room in the
winter. Carbon monoxide problems: no chimneys, only louvers holes. Wax was
expensive, inexpensive pitch-pine; it is a crude method of lighting. Soup bowels
carved out a single piece of wood. In the north animals were kept inside for the
winter, so many barns rooms connected a peasant house. All pitched roofs in the
north. One way to distinguish a church’s floor plan is to determine if the base
is octagonal or square. 20 walled-log plan, a much used planned and is
referenced in 17th century chronicles is referred too and considered
as a traditional shaped.
Look to a Squint
roof ( at a raised level off the ground) in complex churches to determine if the
floor plan is square ( look to nave) determining the base to hold the octagon
rise
Nikon it is unfit to
have only one top on God’s church, must have three or five atop God’s churches (
see 17. cent.).
Overlapping
technique: wood then brick overlap called corbelling, bricks overlaying.
Fioravanti did not affect Russian style; but his teaching of brick and
structure-techniques is what dramatically affects Russian architecture after.
Wider transept, cross-isle was a Russian tradition, and after Fioravanti,
Alevisio returned to the Russian tradition in the building of Archangel Michael
Cathedral with the uneven plan with a wider cross-isle. Structural debt to the
Italian was the brick building technique, mainly headed by the inspiration of
Fioravanti. The great 16th century buildings in the Kremlin and
Moscow were now built in brick, instead of stone. Stone was hard work, and
difficult. Faux rusitfication an asthetic, deliberately barrowed form the
cathedral churches in Red Squar.
Centrally planned
churches: Sudal, Italy, Novgorod: Basil, St. John, and Ascension, were
different ideas, centrally planned church, and the symbol of a central state,
and the capture of Kazan.
1543 – Ivan IV buildings.
Missile looking
dome, a on royal estate outside of Moscow, commissioned with the birth of the
son and heir. It is brick, but in chronicles said, it was stone, Style a
cut-away square, and an octagon resting on a square base.
Missile
Church
Church of the
Ascension,
built in commemoration of Ivan IV in 1530. Nothing like this built in stone, and
nothing like this was ever built before the Chronicle bemoaned. The walls were
thick, and this squared floor planned with double recessed corners. One feels
the ascension, the height. It was derived from wooden architecture. Interior
space is rather quite small, but it was built for its visual ascetics, and
didn’t need to hold large crowds.
Red Square
St. Basil.
9 dedicated chapels,
very reminiscent of the 20 walled plan, and other influences.
Fabulous lowing
Fruit Basket. Tales of blinding the architects so they wouldn’t build another is
a myth and in many cultures in this theme. Eight precisely located chapels
around the central chapel. Ward pointing triangles, false fortress towars, a
combination both native and Italian in St. Basils, Built after the popular Holy
Fool who died in Moscow. In honor of the victory over Kasan in the 16th
century and dedicated to Ivan IV.
Who drew the four
plan, Leonardo Da Vinchi, and there was Italian influence. Da Vinci drawing was
a tad different, but the 8 chapels surrounded by the central was the same type
of plan.
Projecting stone
work that was popular in Italy became also adopted in Russia. So diamond shaped
projections, and changing shadow patters that Russians liked.
Swan Lake: in Moscow
and Merlin tale swallow tales on fortress structure
THE "MUSCOVITE
SYNTHESIS" IN ART
I. Finish Muscovite
architecture
II. The Moscow
School of icon painting
Theophanes the Greek (Feofan Grek) (Novgorod and Moscow)
Dormition (Uspenie) of the Mother of God (Ham.
76)
The Don
Mother of God (Ham. 75)
cf.
Vladimir Mother of God (Ham. 54)
Icons
attributed to Andrei Rublev (ca. 1370-1430)
Icons:
Multiple
perspectives cannot discriminate must show all sides of things so no part is
left out.
Rublev: Circular
Icon schema, representing the trinity, the endless mystery this hard to
understand but very important eternal trinity concept. Roublev imitate him, but
no one ever succeeds him.
Any old Icon is
usually dedicated to Rublev, so thousands of Icons are attributed to him. Do we
really know?
The
Zvenigorod icons
Savior (Ham. 71)
cf. Mosaic of Christ in Kiev Sophia Cathedral (Ham
31)
Archangel Michael (Ham78)
Apostle Paul (Ham 79)
Old
Testament Trinity (Ham 77)
cf. Novgorod O.T. Trinity (Ham. 83)
cf. Novgorod fresco attributed to Feofan Grek, Ch. of Transfig. on
Il'in St.
School
of Dionisii (ca. 1440-1503)
Frescoes at Ferapontovo (Ham. 94-95)
Incredulity of Thomas (Ham. 96)
Vision
of St. Eulogii, mid-16th c. (Ham. 97)
St.
Zosima and St. Savva at the Solovetsky Monastery, late 16th c. (Ham. 99)
III. The
iconostasis
1st row,
or tier (chin, or riad) = veneration, or local row
royal
doors = tsarskie vrata = tsar gates (this tsar = God)
2nd &
3rd rows (interchangeable)
deesis row, Christ in middle
festival row, major holidays in the church calendar
4th &
5th rows: prophets, early Church Fathers, Patriarchs of O.T.
Iconostasis of Annunciation Cathedral, Moscow Kremlin (Feofan Grek, et al.)
Iconostasis of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Trinity-St. Sergii Monastery
IV. The
politicization of Muscovite art
cf.
"Praying Novgorodians", "Battle Icon" of Novgorod (Ham. 84)
Icons of
Dionisii School: Metropolitan Peter and Metropolitan Aleksii
Border
scenes of St. Metropolitan Aleksii icon illustrating his Vita
Tombs
and frescoes of princes of Moscow dynasty, Archangel Michael
Cathedral, Kremlin
Church
Militant, or Heavenly Forces icon
Paleologos was the
name of the dynasty, Zoia, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor who married
Ivan III. The icon revolution was attributed to the artists that came with her
betrothal.
1543 – Ivan IV buildings.
Missile looking dome, a on royal estate outside of
Moscow, commissioned with the birth of the son and heir. It is brick, but in
chronicles said, it was stone, Style a cut-away square, and an octagon resting
on a square base.
Missile Church
Church of the Ascension,
built in commemoration of Ivan IV in 1530. Nothing like this built in stone, and
nothing like this was ever built before the Chronicle bemoaned. The walls were
thick, and this squared floor planned with double recessed corners. One feels
the ascension, the height. It was derived from wooden architecture. Interior
space is rather quite small, but it was built for its visual ascetics, and
didn’t need to hold large crowds.
Red Square
St. Basil.
9 dedicated chapels, very reminiscent of the 20
walled plan, and other influences.
Fabulous lowing Fruit Basket. Tales of blinding
the architects so they wouldn’t build another is a myth and in many cultures in
this theme. Eight precisely located chapels around the central chapel. Ward
pointing triangles, false fortress towars, a combination both native and Italian
in St. Basils, Built after the popular Holy Fool who died in Moscow. In honor of
the victory over Kasan in the 16th century and dedicated to Ivan IV.
Who drew the four plan, Leonardo Da Vinchi, and
there was Italian influence. Da Vinci drawing was a tad different, but the 8
chapels surrounded by the central was the same type of plan.
Projecting stone work that was popular in Italy
became also adopted in Russia. So diamond shaped projections, and changing
shadow patters that Russians liked.
Swan Lake: in Moscow
and Merlin tale swallow tales on fortress structure
THE "MUSCOVITE
SYNTHESIS" IN ART
I. Finish Muscovite architecture
II. The Moscow School of icon painting
Theophanes the Greek (Feofan Grek)
(Novgorod and Moscow)
Dormition (Uspenie)
of the Mother of God (Ham. 76)
The Don Mother of God (Ham. 75)
cf. Vladimir Mother of God (Ham.
54)
Icons attributed to Andrei Rublev (ca.
1370-1430)
Icons:
Multiple perspectives cannot discriminate must
show all sides of things so no part is left out.
Rublev: Circular Icon schema, representing the
trinity, the endless mystery this hard to understand but very important eternal
trinity concept. Roublev imitate him, but no one ever succeeds him.
Any old Icon is usually dedicated to Rublev, so
thousands of Icons are attributed to him. Do we really know?
The Zvenigorod icons
Savior (Ham. 71)
cf. Mosaic of Christ
in Kiev Sophia Cathedral (Ham 31)
Archangel Michael (Ham78)
Apostle Paul (Ham 79)
Old Testament Trinity (Ham 77)
cf. Novgorod O.T. Trinity
(Ham. 83)
cf. Novgorod fresco
attributed to Feofan Grek, Ch. of Transfig. on Il'in St.
School of Dionisii (ca. 1440-1503)
Frescoes at Ferapontovo
(Ham. 94-95)
Incredulity of Thomas
(Ham. 96)
Vision of St. Eulogii, mid-16th c.
(Ham. 97)
St. Zosima and St. Savva at the
Solovetsky Monastery, late 16th c. (Ham. 99)
III. The iconostasis
1st row, or tier (chin, or
riad) = veneration, or local row
royal doors = tsarskie vrata =
tsar gates (this tsar = God)
2nd & 3rd rows (interchangeable)
deesis row, Christ in
middle
festival row, major
holidays in the church calendar
4th & 5th rows: prophets, early
Church Fathers, Patriarchs of O.T.
Iconostasis of Annunciation Cathedral,
Moscow Kremlin (Feofan Grek, et al.)
Iconostasis of the Holy Trinity
Cathedral, Trinity-St. Sergii Monastery
IV. The politicization of Muscovite art
cf. "Praying Novgorodians", "Battle
Icon" of Novgorod (Ham. 84)
Icons of Dionisii School:
Metropolitan Peter and Metropolitan Aleksii
Border scenes of St. Metropolitan
Aleksii icon illustrating his Vita
Tombs and frescoes of princes of
Moscow dynasty, Archangel Michael
Cathedral, Kremlin
Church Militant, or Heavenly Forces
icon
Paleologos was the name of the dynasty, Zoia, the
niece of the last Byzantine emperor who married Ivan III. The icon revolution
was attributed to the artists that came with her betrothal.
Moscow’s Synthesis: Palaeologus Renaissance.
Manuel II was the father of John VIII Palaeologus and Constantine XI, the last
Byzantine emperor (Constantine XI Palaeologus), as well as the despots of Morea
Demetrius Palaeologus and Thomas Palaeologus.Thomas Palaiologos or Palaeologus
(Greek: Θωμάς Παλαιολόγος, Thōmas Palaiologos) (1409– May 12, 1465) was Despot
in Morea from 1428 until the Ottoman conquest in 1460. After the desertion of
his older brother to the Turks in 1460, Thomas Palaiologos became the most
legitimate claimant to the Byzantine throne.The Palaiologos or Palaeologus
(Greek: Παλαιολόγος, pl. Παλαιολόγοι) family was the last dynasty ruling the
Byzantine Empire.Thomas' daughter Zoe married Ivan III of Russia and, on
rejoining the Orthodox faith, returned to her earlier name Sophia. Her influence
on the court curtailed the power of the boyars and eventually led to the
proclamation of the lord of Muscovy as the Tsar of all the Russias. Thomas's
male-line descendants soon went extinct, and his descent lives on through a
daughter and the family of Castriota Dukes of san Pietro di Galatina in
south-Italian aristocracy. (wiki)
Palaeologus renaissance in Art
Thomas Palaiologos daughter Zoe married Ivan III of Russia, she returned to her
earlier name Sophia. The Palaiologos family had escaped to Venice after the
Ottoman’s began to take control of Anatolia. At this time Italy was going
through a renaissance. Sophia a niece of last Byzantine emperor was raised in
Italy. The Pope engineered the marriage in hopes to Catholicize Russia. She
brought with her cannon makers, and many western technologies never seen in
Russia.
Many fires had ravaged Moscow between 1380 and 1547 and the damage was so
intense that Metropolitan brought icon painters from Novgorod. Most Rus homes
were build with “soft wood” which deteriorated and burned easily.
Feofan Grek left Novgorod for Moscow, painted Interior of Church of the Nativity
of the Virgin in Moscow with Semen Cherny and his pupils in 1395: In 1399
continued working with pupils in the Cathedral of St. Michael in the Kremlin.
Archangel Michael Cathedral, Kremlin, 1505-09, was built by Alevisio. This was a
new royal male necropolis of Moscow ruling dynasty; brickwork became the lasting
contribution of Aristotele Rodolfo Fioravanti. His use of the Greek golden
ratio, which appears on the Dormition in the Kremlin, was not adopted by later
Muscovy architects. Pskov architect helped built the Metropolitan’s church in
the Kremlin.
Feofan Grek continued, according to a chronicle to decoration of the Cathedral
of the Annunciation in the Kremlin. Here, in the chronically, Andrey, Rublev
appears for this first time (ham. 133). In 1482, masters from Pskov came to
Moscow and helped with the new structure of the Annunciation. Rublev and Feofan
Grek worked together in the Cathedral in 1405, both demonstrating Byzantine
impressionism. The Dormition Cathedral in Moscow can be attributed to Theophane’
school with its technical resemblance to his Novgorod work (Ham. 136) Here
Rublev accompanied Feofan Grek and Prokhor of Gorodets.
The icon of the Old Testament Trinity (ca 1410), Trinity Cathedral in the
Troitse-Sergiev Monastery in Zagorsk , is considered Rublev’s masterpiece.
The Influence of Kremlin structures throughout Muscovite Russia became a
standard contribution from later Muscovy architects. The Italian style signified
one of the foreign synthesis styles with contributions of scallop shells and
faux rustication. Later architects directly imitated the Kremlin walls and the
Dormition Cathedral which employed these styles.
Rublev: 1425–1427 the Cathedral of St. Trinity in the Troitse-Sergiyeva
Lavra.
Rublev accredited with thousands of works of art. Attribution to his extensive
work in the Dormition in Vladimir: His theme was a long reawakening of Moscow
and Suzdal after the Tartar Yoke? Rublev introduced a new spirit of gentleness,
dignity and compassion, a characteristic which became synonymous of Russian
church art. He also introduced a masterful technique which depicted individual
craftsmanship. Rublev studied at fourteenth century monastery art schools. This
impressed the Grand Princes who promoted a monastic art-school partnership. The
Metropolitan and Tsar conflicts in the sixteenth century brought an end to this
partnership. Moscow’s indebtedness to Novgorod icon-painting can be seen through
Rublev’s migration to Moscow after Daniil’s death. He lived at the Moscow's
Andronikov Monastery where he painted his last work, frescoes of the Savior
Cathedral.
Possibility of Movement and Depth: Painting in Moscow in the Later Fifteenth and
Sixteenth Century. Change occurred in the sixteenth century art. Dionisy and his
sons: The Parable of the Widow’s mite, Frescos in the Church of the Nativity of
the Virgin, Ferapontov monastery: proportionally, Symmetry, overall unity in
composition, equilibrium, naturalism, illusion to motion. Dionisy and his sons:
Christ Enthroned with the Virgin and St. John the Babtustm fom the Last Judgment
, fresco in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, Ferapontov monastery,
1500-2. the style: discursive and disparate, stressing the spiritual concepts,
yet with exalted emotion and natural exspressive interchange ; narrative. 1484,
Venerable Paissi and his sons Feodosy ( Theodosius) and Vladimir painted an
extensive series of icons for the monastery of Volokolamsk: More than 100 icons
were attributed to the family. Regarded as great by Bishop Vassian of Rostov,
none of their work survived but their influence in this stage of Russian art
survived in Vassian’s St. Paphnutius Borovshy, and affected later panel-painting
, and the school of Dionisy, more closely allied with the Ferapontov Monastery
associated with Moscow. (Ham. 155). Considerable influence. Legacy, this style
was too refined to serve as a basis for a new school. Sixteenth century Muscovy
entitled concentration of artistic effort at the capital. After a fire in 1547,
Metropolitan Macarius, former Novgorod Archbishop, ordered icons from Novgorod (
and later Pskov) and with their workshops. The Characteristic of the Novgorod
school would be transformed into a Moscow Synthesis along with other regions and
foreign influence.
Italian architects and craftsman came to Moscow after 1470. Spatial
inter-relations between subjects appearance of new subject mater, appeared in
part of Moscow’s theory of the “third Rome.” Italian architects and craftsman
came to Moscow after 1470.
Moscow: The Entry into Jerusalem, late sixteenth century, represented a new form
of decorative elegance; this time with a mountain and architecture in the
background, creating two distinct spaces in depth. (Ham. 159). The Incredulity
of St. Thomas, c. 1500, and The Vision of St. Eulogius, c. 1530-40, in Moscow,
also exhibited this new spatial depth.
Novgorod school: pragmatic naturalism.
Rublev: elegance, softness, refined, subtle /emotional.
Dionisy: Spiritually.
Consequences: Greek symmetry was not copied by the Russian followers.
(159). Moscow: SS. Zosima and Savva at the Solovetsky Monastary in the White
Sea, later sixteenth century shows a close observation of nature. Decorative
aspect overruled the artist’s exact appearance of the location.
In the 1551 Stoglav council, issues of icon production to notice, and a new rule
that Priests would over see icon style possibly halted the naturalistic
expressions that were developing. Artist were to obverse a set of rules “
according to the consecrated type.” (ham. 161). Andrei Rublev’s style after the
meeting was condemned. The regulations placed restrictions mediocre work.
However, it is arguable if this threat was enforced, and not “ intended to annoy
the priest Sylverter of the Cathedral of the Annunciation, because of his
relationship to Ivan.(ham 162). Viskovaty, a secretary, supported novelty-
artistic tastes in a case of a four-part icon in the Cathedral of the
Annunciation, but was later in 1554, obliged to retract his assessments of an
objectionable material. Viskovaty noted novelties in a western influence in the
Pskov school, but a final rejection came to mean a return to following
codification and regularization of artistic endeavors, henceforth.
Wooden Church architecture: Masonry structures in Moscow influenced, rather than
followed, wooden church architecture. “ Wood buildings are then described as
imitations of the forms of Court architecture.” (Ham. 164). How did Moscow
architecture influence the provinces? Novgorod churches mainly had single domes
and one east apse. Rubble stone construction, today most stuccoed over. Russian
Churches over time became more complex. First, Tiny Church: Olonets, St.
Lazarus, before 1391, represented a basic exterior of a three rectangular floor
plan. The nave constituted the largest rectangle, and east the apse. Suzdal, St.
Nicholas from Glotovo, 1766, represented the three interior spaces of the tiny
church plan had expanded. Tent churches: Nizhny Uftiug, Church of the Dormition,
octagon is adjoined by a square apse. Five-sided Apse churches: Nicholas Church
at Lyavla (1589), Church of the Virgin of Vladimir at Belaya Sluda (1642), and
St. George at Vershino on the Toima (1672). More complex churches added east
sides of the north and south additions to the octagon, as represented in SS.
Florus and Laurus (1755) at Rostovskoe. Five tent roof: Church of the Trinity,
1727, of Nenoska was a combination of pyramidal, octagon and cube construction
and were the most widespread in the seventeenth century. These Gothic Churches
of the north could be possibly influenced by “European Gothic in its verticality
or Gregorian in the articulation of its parts.” ( Ham. 177). Berezovets, St.
Nicholas, early eighteenth century, is a “cross composed of an octagon with
equilateral arms roofed with large bochki.” ( Ham. 181). Church of the
Transfiguration, 18th c., Island of Kizhi, Lake Onega. Octagon with cross-arms
plan. Nickname - a wooden St. Basil. This is a silhouette of the church
pyramidal tradition (Ham. 183).
terms: kokoshnik gable; octagon on a square; 20-walled log church plan
Architecture in Moscow.
Moscow’s Synthesis c. 1300-1600
Masonry:
Ideology: Ivan III, Vasily III, and Ivan IV Russian nationality: Here
nationality identifies the correct meaning of the mental process of the mind,
and not defining a state, with borders or an army. Cathedrals of the Kremlin
represent the close association with the dynasty, and as a center of the
Orthodox faith, with the Chief metropolitan churches built in the capital.
Influence after arrival of the Italian architects’: Italian, Byzantine on
Moscow.
St. Basil's Cathedral (1555-1560) Masonry: Originally called, Cathedral of
Protection and Intercession of the Virgin. St. Basil's Cathedral is positioned
just outside the savior gate at the entrance to the Kremlin, dominating the
southern side of Red Square. The plans were drawn by Leonardo De Vinci, but were
loosely followed, and represented the Italian influence Muscovy has ordered. It
was ordered and completed by Ivan IV. The carnival-like decorate of the onion
domes express a three- dimensional expression. It was to honor Russia's victory
over the Tatars khanates of Kazan and Astrakhan. The principle symbolized a
unity by maintaining a central chapel with eight circumference chapels. It was a
myth, still purported today, that Ivan had the architect’s eyes put out.
Kolomenskoe, Church of the Ascension, probably 1530-2, ordered possibly by
Vasily III in commemoration of his new son Ivan Vasileovich. This church was
without precedence, a vanguard and harbinger of what was to come? Dynastic
estate, not public.
Ostrov, Church of the Transfiguration, lower part of sixteenth century.
Zagorsk, Cathedral of the Dormition in the trinity-Sergius Monastery, 1559-85.
This represented and symbolized Nikon’s insistence of Orthodox style. Dormitions
were usually monastic or cathedral structures. Cube churches were also a
reflection of the reforms of Nikon ( Ham. 181).
Cathedral of the Annunciation, Moscow, in the Kremlin, 1484-9. ( and Ferapont
Monastery near the White Lake both were of Novgorodian origin. The Cathedral of
the Annunciation was built by masters summoned from Pskov, who used a Vladimir
model (ham. 190).. This church is where the tsars were christened and married.
It was the second major work undertaken by Ivan III. Ivan IV later added
additions.
Red Square: originally Red Square was covered with wooden buildings, with
concerns for damage by periodic fires, in 1493 Ivan III by edict, ordered
masonry to replace all wood structures in the district. The name of the Red
Square derives from the color red from the Communist era or color of the bricks,
and possibly from the connotation of the color red “beautiful,” in Russian
lexigraphy. Dimitrii Donskoi ordered the wood construction be replaced with
limestone in the fifteenth century. Dimitrii replaced the walls around the
Kremlin with white stone walls in place of wooden, a epithet carried till this
day, “ Moscow the White Walled City,” even though it is made mostly of brick.
Preference for limestone was changed after the arrival of Aristotele Rodolfo
Fioravanti who promoted brick as a structural enforcement in construction in the
sixteenth century.
Outskirts of Moscow in the seventeenth century contained wooden buildings
enclosed in a tilled area. The tilled land also doubled as a fire-break. Moscow
still consisted of wooden walls, but later brickwork would form the outside
foundation of the wood?
The golden ratio ( Kokóshnik), was used in the Dormition Cathedral, Kremlin,
1475-79, by Aristotele Rodolfo Fioravanti (; where tsars were crowned, and
metropolitans/patriarchs buried;brick and limestone.
Fioravanti showed them compus ?, strait-edge rule, mathematical measurements
such as the golden ratio to use for symmetry. To show you how primitive Muscovy
architects were, and he showed them how to make stronger mortar and stronger
brick. His brick work made a lasting impression on Russia. And when he left most
these techniques were forgotten. The Cathedral was a large cube-like structure:
five domes, done in limestone, and brick on the inside, and in the drums done in
brick, strong but lighter than using limestone. 500 people can fit inside, and
this is where the coronations took place.
226-240
Secular Art: Fortress walls and towers.
Fortress architecture
limestone walls at Staryi Izborsk; Truvor, brother of semi-legendary Riurik
Moscow Kremlin: white limestone walls of 14th c., Gr. Pr. Dmitrii Donskoi red
brick walls by northern Italians, late 15th-early 16th cc., Ivan III the Great
terms: machicolation; embattlement; crenellation; swallowtail merlons
Pslov characteristic of stout walls unadorned, irregular windows placed
according to interior arrangements is represented in the Pogankin House, late
sixteenth century or early seventeenth century.
Kremlin fires of 1547 and 1571 rebuilding was understood, even by the foreigners
to be something of a periodic challenge. Kremlin, although not touched in 1571,
bears influences of changing tastes during the Polish and French occupations of
1611. Wooden walls around Moscow could be seen as late as 1661 in the foreground
of Meyerberg’s drawing. In 1451 the Tartars enter through the wooden barriers.
Ivan III rebuilt the walls around the Kremlin in red brick beginning work in
1485, under the direction of Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari, and was
largely completed by 1516. Fioravanti influence and Italian artists help us to
assume the towers were remarkably Italianate. Hydraulic engineer, Aloisio de
Carcano, redirected the stream along the western side of the Kremlin, and Solari
created a system of motes and double and triple walls. 1624-5, English architect
Christiopher Galloway, designed the upper part of the Gate of the Redeemer (Spasskia
Vorota) opposite of St. Basil on Red Square, and still the principle entrance to
the Kremlin. ( ham. 227) He combined Gothic, Renaissance and old Russian motifs.
He also inserted a clock that was destroyed in 1654. The Borovitsky Tower was
rebuilt as a series of diminishing square storeys in imitation of the Syumbeky
Tower ( stonework on the upper stories added in 1685) in Kazan, which was ruined
in 1552, was rebuilt in the seventeenth century. ( ham. 227)
Dormition and the upper stories.
Ivan III & Sophia Palaeologa time the palace was not a single building, but a
group of small structures, principally of wood, although in some cases the
foundations were of stone. This is where the Grand Prince and his family lived
with his principle courtiers, all were part of the upper stories. The gradual
replacement of wood to brink was accomplished over a long period of time.
The State Building:
The Faceted Palace displaced a rusticated façade , which was built by Solari and
Marco Ruffo between 1487 and 1491. This was a simple stone building, contenting
the second story a large rectangular hall, with a groined vault supported by a
huge pier in the center. ( ham 229) The design was like the earlier renaissance
Italian palaces.
Faceted Palace in the Granovitaya during an audience held by the false Dmitry,
early seventeenth century and shows the floor covered in oriental rugs. The
vaulted hall is where the tsar sat during state occasions. Wooden benches line
the outskirts of the floor space, this was where the boyars and councilmen would
sit, usually in a ranking order, most seated on the right of the Tsar and some
to the left. All bowed in honor at certain times, and the tsar sat on a
silver-gilt throne. This throne was raised three steeps above the benches. When
everyone was inside the it could seem narrow. This building was damaged in fires
of 1547 and 1571 ( tartar attacks) and total devastation during the Polish
occupation. The replacement was the Terem Palace in the Kremlin, 1635-6. This
was a two story Italianate design, resting on the base of an earlier buildings
and crowned with a pavilion. It was built under the directions of Tsars Mikhail
Feodorovich and Alexey Mikhailovich. In 1661 von Meryerburg noticed the Flemish
and Persian tapestries which covered the walls of the state apartments, so
completely that the rooms, floors and walls were barely noticeable. A painting
decorated with “astronomical accuracy of the solar system and the fixed starts,
an indication of modern science. Samuel Collins and English traveler remarked a
Polish influence on the current Tsar.
Another fire in 1682 caused a redecoration project under Sophia, Peter the
Great’s sister (1682-9) who used her favorite Prince Golitsyn, and used quite
amount of gold and silver. With the removal of the seat of Government to St.
Petersburg, the palace was allowed to deteriorate to a shocking degree ( ham.
234). Catherin II who had a stronger sense of Russian tradition than any of the
lineal heirs of Peter the Great, ordered the palace to be kept in better repair,
and even proposed transforming the Kremlin into a national shrine. ( ham. 234).
Model of the 1760s of the wooden palace at Kolomenskoe, built in 1667-81. this
was like a giant dictionary, a preservation of all the historic architectural
models on the Russia architecture. Bochki, kokoshniki, tent roofs, bulbous
domes, and a variety of carved woodwork had been preserved in this model.
The Tower of Ivan Veliky (“ John the Great”) in the Kremlin, late sixteenth
century: This building contains a tall belfry above the church, and was begun
under Tsar Feoder Ivanovich and completed in 1600 by Boris Goudunov. The height
of the tower and cupola form the highest point from the ground in Moscow.
Kolomenskoe wooden palace, 1667-81 ( and the engraving, eighteenth century).
Rectangles situated at angles presenting a constantly shifting arrangement.
There was no precedence for this type of liberal floor plan. This was not
tradition or an accident.
Moscow, the Ambassador’s Palace in 1661. From a drawing by Augustin von
Meyerberg: Wooden chambers and tent roofs, elements of tradition. A ground floor
arcade reminiscence of Italian tastes. State Pharmacy ( now demolished), late
seventeenth century. Predecessor Posolsky Prikaz ( foreign office) 1591, in
Kremlin possibly inspired this building. This palace was an early example of the
direction which Russia architecture was to take. Peter I devoted the building to
new scientific programs.
School of Navigation, First Russian cartography school, an an astronomical
center.
Building the German district.
(Nemetskaya Sloboda) German Suburb, on the eastern outskirts of Moscow. At end
of centiry, the space was filled with foreign diplomats and merchants indicating
wide economical and political contact with the west. The Tsars thought to
close-off the Germans ( Protestants) into a district to keep their culture in
and away from the Russians, but it proved to be a fascination of the higher
nobility and younger generation.
I. Background
A. Kiev Holy Sophia Cathedral, 11th c. (Ham. 2-4, 7-8)
terms: opus mixtum; nave, transept, crossing, apse
B. Novgorod/Pskov
Holy Sophia Cathedral, Novgorod, 11th c. (Ham. 12-14)
Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Il'in Street, 1374, Novgorod,
(Ham. 18) trefoil roof line
C. Vladimir/Suzdal'
1. Dormition/Assumption Cathedral (Uspenskii sobor), Vladimir, 12th c. (Ham
22-23); terms: Romanesque; pilaster; blind arcading
2. Church of the Intercession (Pokrov) on the River Nerl', near Vladimir, 12th
c. (Ham. 24-25)
3. Cathedral of St. Demetrius, 1194-97, Vladimir (Ham. 27-28)
D. Wooden architecture
1. Church of the Raising of Lazarus, late 14th c. (?), Island of Kizhi, Lake
Onega (Ham. 109-110)
2. Church of St. Nicholas from the Village of Glotovo, 18th c., Suzdal' (Ham.
111)
3. Church of the Transfiguration, 18th c., Island of Kizhi, Lake Onega (Ham.
124)
terms: kokoshnik gable; octagon on a square; 20-walled log church plan
E. Fortress architecture
limestone walls at Staryi Izborsk; Truvor, brother of semi-legendary Riurik
Moscow Kremlin: white limestone walls of 14th c., Gr. Pr. Dmitrii Donskoi
red brick walls by northern Italians, late 15th-early 16th cc., Ivan III the
Great
terms: machicolation; embattlement; crenellation; swallowtail merlon
II. Muscovite church architecture, 15th-16th cc.
A. Dormition Cathedral, Kremlin, 1475-79, by Aristotele Rodolfo Fioravanti (Ham.
127-129); where tsars were crowned, and metropolitans/patriarchs buried;
brick and limestone
B. Archangel Michael Cathedral, Kremlin, 1505-09, by Alevisio the New (Ham.
130-131); royal male necropolis of Moscow ruling dynasty; brick
C. Annunciation Cathedral, 1484-89 (Ham. 125-126); by architects from Pskov,
built of
brick
D. Church of the Deposition of the Robe of the Mother of God, Kremlin, 1484-85;
by
architects from Pskov; built of brick
E. [Tent] Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoe, 1532 (Ham. 133-134); brick, with
white stone trim
F. [Tower] Church of the Decapitation of St. John the Baptist, D'iakovo (next to
Kolomenskoe), ca. 1547-54 (Ham. 136-137); brick
G. Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat, a.k.a. the Temple (khram) of
Vasilii [Basil] the Blessed [a popular Moscow holy fool]), 1555-60, with 17th-c.
additions and
alterations (Ham. 139-142); brick, with white stone trim
III. Additional Italian contributions to the Kremlin
A. The Chamber of Facets (Granovitaia palata), early 16th c.; rustication
(projecting
stone work) (Ham. 169-171)
B. The Bell Tower complex, 16th-17th cc. (Ham. 174)
IV. Influence of Kremlin structures throughout Muscovite Russia
imitations of Kremlin walls, Dormition Cathedral, scallop shells, faux
rustication
“Muscovite Synthesis” in Architecture
Key developments
• Dimitrii Donskoi Orders the wood contraction replaced with limestone ( look
for date on test)
• 1470s, very important period: Ivan III's wife brings in foreigners, from Italy
and abroad 1470-1500s cannon makers, and many western technology not seen in
Russia.
• Muscovite Synthesis can be described in the rulers bringing in architects from
all Russian cities to claim they have a monopoly on style.
Muscovite Church architecture, 15th-16th cent.
Archangel Michael Cathedral Kremlin 1505-09
Royal male necropolis of Moscow ruling dynasty; brick
Very Italian style. Very beautiful , done by Italians ( silver color domes) by
Alevisio, after Fioravanti left. Reflect back to traditional construction, where
one see irregularity, not the golden ratio-like symmetry.
Archangel Michael Cathedral & Dormition Cathedral, Kremlin become the two models
of Muscovy large building techniques.
Muscovite Synthesis is the showing off of all the builders, Pskov, Lagimer,
Novgorod and we are the king now.
This became a new models for all enlarge Muscovy buildings. These models could
be studied and reproduced. Fioravanti really introduced brick making techniques.
Metropolitan Cathedral, called the Deposition of the Robe of the Mother of God (
Kremlin) next to the Dormition was built bu Pskov architects, and this was done
in brick, and they were introduced to brick.
Dormition Cathedral, Kremlin, 1475-79 ( main place)
16th cent. Illustrated Manuscripts of Ivan being crown, Yuri pouring gold coins
on Ivan, seen in the Eisenstein movie.
Dimitrii Donskoi Orders the wood contraction replaced with limestone.
1470s
Dormition Cathedral
Ivan III wife brings in foreigners, from Italy and abroad 1470-1500s cannon
makers, and many western technology not seen in Russia.
Why are the 1470s important:, incorporated Novgorod incorporated.
Ivan III maries the Niece of last Byzantine emperor was raised in Italy, and
Pope helped engineered the marriage in hopes to Catholicize Russia, but nothing
never happens.
Dimitrii replaced the walls around the Kremlin with white stone walls in place
of wooden, a epithet carried till this day, “ Moscow the White Walled City” even
though it is made mostly of brick. Metropolitan, 1320s Peter Metropolitan
accidentally dies and Dorminiton was built in the 1470s,
Where to get the plans and idea to build the main church in the Kremlin?
To build the Dormition Cathedral, was put up a bidding war, they wanted the
lowest bid. Where are they to get the notion of the purpose to build a large
masonry structure? The Kiev Sofia Cathedral, they could have looked at, build
long ago, but Kiev was in control of Lithuania to the east and steppe nomads to
the west, so they couldn’t go there and get plans.
1474 walls came cashing down, claimed an earthquake, but no other buildings
fell, so this proved an attempt to build a large cathedral was tough, so they
looked to Italy. Competition for buildings were normal, such in Italy
competitions to build great structures was also a competitive thing. So the gov.
sends an agent into Italy. He says anyone here work cheap and is an architect?
So that is how one got the word out. Aristotole Rodolfo Fioravanti ( he teaches
Muscovite how to cut stone, but what he really teachers them is to use brick in
structure, and this was innovating for Russia) The golden ratio ( Kokóshnik),
was used in the Dormition, Much of this was Classical Greek understanding back
in Italy, and this was brought to Moscow. Fioravanti showed them compus ?, rule,
mathematical measurements such as the golden ratio to use for making structure,
to show you how primitive Muscovy architects were, and he showed them how to
make stronger mortar and stronger brick. And when he left these techniques were
forgotten, and this didn’t last. The Cathedral was a large cube-like structure.
Five domes, done in limestone, and brick on the inside, and in the drums done in
brick, strong but lighter than using limestone. 500 people can fit inside, and
this is where the coronations took place.
Byzantine opus mixum [?], the brick, motor, crushed brick layer method.
Novgorod churches mainly had single domes and one east aspe. Rubble stone
construction, today most stuccoed over.
Great Cathedral of Legimer, represented the capital Vladimir-Suzdal prominence.
French artistic work, and Novgorod and Lagimer had foreign contact.
Wood architecture
Small village churches or personal church, simple, construction, same basic
floor plan of a house: Post and grove slat work was rare, mostly basic log
buildings, a type of cabin like we understand. Politsa ( to police the water
away from the structure was also needed to get the snow melt off away from the
structure). Poval under it, shows where the curve is. .
1. Structure designs, some and Octagon on a square.
2. Techniques, overlap, notch logging. Notching the underneath notch corners, to
keep the rain and water out.
3. types of wood most used: Fir, pine or spruce, were the main logs used.
4. These buildings were not made with saws, not until the 19th centry, but the
made them with axes.
5. Tree stump with a root left on it was a gutter board, and simple gravity kept
it on, root holds the gutter board by gravity , no nails. Spruce was flammable ,
but available and easy to work with. This is why many fires reported in the
chronicles.
6. Basic church structure: Central square and four square side structures, an
octagon.
7. Bochka: Pointed gable, origins possible to due with o-g is the same as a
cross-section of an ‘onion’ dome.
8. Also storied churches of raised octagons, and all rest on squared base.
Church of the transfiguration, Island of Kishi, Lake Onega, 1776 c.
20 walled church plan - (1776) 22 domes in tears in pyramidal silhouette, and
hard to see floor plan from out side observance, it was a central Octagon to the
ground level. with four projecting squared side-arms, tops recessed. Many o-gs
and pointed gables, and medium onion domes.
Fortress Walled Construction
Fortress Walled Construction, mainly local limestone, and 14-15th century,
mainly white walls made in the Kremlin, toady red and brick. Limestone still in
the foundation of the river sides. Tartars arrived on the south side, of the
Kremlin.
Slots leads from holes in the parapet on the towers and holes are functional if
anyone attacks you pour molten metal, throw rocks out these holes, and this
design was common around italy. These were features of fortress walls.
Merlons, outer wall area, were the groves in the wall, where you poke a musket
out or a cannon out at the enemy.
Kremlin roughly 70 acres triangle shaped. Mote surrounded the Kremlin walls. And
the one area in the Kremlin was dedicated for foreign commerce. Commerce came
here first, so the leaders take the spoils of the best and also sellers sell and
give tax to the government.
Wood
Houses, rectangular units, added on with extensions of families. Live in the
stove room in the winter. Carbon monoxide problems: no chimneys, only louvers
holes. Wax was expensive, inexpensive pitch-pine; it is a crude method of
lighting. Soup bowels carved out a single piece of wood. In the north animals
were kept inside for the winter, so many barns rooms connected a peasant house.
All pitched roofs in the north. One way to distinguish a church’s floor plan is
to determine if the base is octagonal or square. 20 walled-log plan, a much used
planned and is referenced in 17th century chronicles is referred too and
considered as a traditional shaped.
Look to a Squint roof ( at a raised level off the ground) in complex churches to
determine if the floor plan is square ( look to nave) determining the base to
hold the octagon rise.
Nikon it is unfit to have only one top on God’s church, must have three or five
atop God’s churches ( see 17th cent.).
Overlapping technique: wood then brick overlap called corbelling, bricks
overlaying.
Fioravanti did not affect Russian style; but his teaching of brick and
structure-techniques is what dramatically affects Russian architecture after.
Wider transept, cross-isle was a Russian tradition, and after Fioravanti,
Alevisio returned to the Russian tradition in the building of Archangel Michael
Cathedral with the uneven plan with a wider cross-isle. Structural debt to the
Italian was the brick building technique, mainly headed by the inspiration of
Fioravanti. The great 16th century buildings in the Kremlin and Moscow were now
built in brick, instead of stone. Stone was hard work, and difficult. Faux
rusitfication an asthetic, deliberately barrowed form the cathederal churches in
Red Squar.
Centrally planned churches: Sudal, Italy, Novgorod: Basil, St. John, and
Ascension, were different ideas, centrally planned church, and the symbol of a
central state, and the capture of Kazan.
1543 – Ivan IV buildings.
Missile looking dome, a on royal estate outside of Moscow, commissioned with the
birth of the son and heir. It is brick, but in chronicles said, it was stone,
Style a cut-away square, and an octagon resting on a square base.
Missile Church
Church of the Ascension, built in commemoration of Ivan IV in 1530. Nothing like
this built in stone, and nothing like this was ever built before the Chronicle
bemoaned. The walls were thick, and this squared floor planned with double
recessed corners. One feels the ascension, the height. It was derived from
wooden architecture. Interior space is rather quite small, but it was built for
its visual ascetics, and didn’t need to hold large crowds.
Red Square
St. Basil.
9 dedicated chapels, very reminiscent of the 20 walled plan, and other
influences.
Fabulous lowing Fruit Basket. Tales of blinding the architects so they wouldn’t
build another is a myth and in many cultures in this theme. Eight precisely
located chapels around the central chapel. Ward pointing triangles, false
fortress towars, a combination both native and Italian in St. Basils, Built
after the popular Holy Fool who died in Moscow. In honor of the victory over
Kasan in the 16th century and dedicated to Ivan IV.
Who drew the four plan, Leonardo Da Vinchi, and there was Italian influence. Da
Vinci drawing was a tad different, but the 8 chapels surrounded by the central
was the same type of plan.
Projecting stone work that was popular in Italy became also adopted in Russia.
So diamond shaped projections, and changing shadow patters that Russians liked.
Swan Lake: in Moscow and Merlin tale swallow tales on fortress structure
THE "MUSCOVITE SYNTHESIS" IN ART
I. Finish Muscovite architecture
II. The Moscow School of icon painting
Theophanes the Greek (Feofan Grek) (Novgorod and Moscow)
Dormition (Uspenie) of the Mother of God (Ham. 76)
The Don Mother of God (Ham. 75)
cf. Vladimir Mother of God (Ham. 54)
Icons attributed to Andrei Rublev (ca. 1370-1430)
Icons:
Multiple perspectives cannot discriminate must show all sides of things so no
part is left out.
Rublev: Circular Icon schema, representing the trinity, the endless mystery this
hard to understand but very important eternal trinity concept. Roublev imitate
him, but no one ever succeeds him.
Any old Icon is usually dedicated to Rublev, so thousands of Icons are
attributed to him. Do we really know?
The Zvenigorod icons
Savior (Ham. 71)
cf. Mosaic of Christ in Kiev Sophia Cathedral (Ham 31)
Archangel Michael (Ham78)
Apostle Paul (Ham 79)
Old Testament Trinity (Ham 77)
cf. Novgorod O.T. Trinity (Ham. 83)
cf. Novgorod fresco attributed to Feofan Grek, Ch. of Transfig. on Il'in St.
School of Dionisii (ca. 1440-1503)
Frescoes at Ferapontovo (Ham. 94-95)
Incredulity of Thomas (Ham. 96)
Vision of St. Eulogii, mid-16th c. (Ham. 97)
St. Zosima and St. Savva at the Solovetsky Monastery, late 16th c. (Ham. 99)
III. The iconostasis
1st row, or tier (chin, or riad) = veneration, or local row
royal doors = tsarskie vrata = tsar gates (this tsar = God)
2nd & 3rd rows (interchangeable)
deesis row, Christ in middle
festival row, major holidays in the church calendar
4th & 5th rows: prophets, early Church Fathers, Patriarchs of O.T.
Iconostasis of Annunciation Cathedral, Moscow Kremlin (Feofan Grek, et al.)
Iconostasis of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Trinity-St. Sergii Monastery
IV. The politicization of Muscovite art
cf. "Praying Novgorodians", "Battle Icon" of Novgorod (Ham. 84)
Icons of Dionisii School: Metropolitan Peter and Metropolitan Aleksii
Border scenes of St. Metropolitan Aleksii icon illustrating his Vita
Tombs and frescoes of princes of Moscow dynasty, Archangel Michael
Cathedral, Kremlin
Church Militant, or Heavenly Forces icon
Paleologos was the name of the dynasty, Zoia, the niece of the last Byzantine
emperor who married Ivan III. The icon revolution was attributed to the artists
that came with her betrothal.
Art And Architecture Hamilton: Art &
Architecture of Muscovy & Russia
Kiev
brick cement.
Pinkish, crushed brick, mixed into motor, highlights the Byzantine style.
Suzdalia white limestone, available locally.
Muscow, Cinnabar available.
Vladimir’s second is the church the Cathedral of
the Dormition of the Virgin (Uspensky Sober), known as the Desyatinnaya or
Church of the (Virgin of the ) Tithe 989
-
Subject: Iconography,
meaning the writing of the word in pictures.
-
Mosaic, pieces of glass,
most of it is pieces of glass, some of it is natural stone. Dedicated to
Archangel Michael, these Greek artists were more skillful, in figure making.
Than haigia sofia.
-
Elongation of the figures
bodies becomes a iconographic motif.
-
Cannon, also mean writings.
-
4th century, is how old
Christian Church services go back too in time.
Ch2 Architecture of Kiev
Vladimir returns
from conquering Kherson 989 and imposed conversion. Chronicles of 822 record
church of St. Nicholas built by Olma. Vladimir’s first endeavor, St. Basil.
First churches were wooden. Vladimir’s second is the church the Cathedral of
the Dormition of the Virgin (Uspensky Sober), known as the Desyatinnaya or
Church of the (Virgin of the ) Tithe 989. This church represented the tithe
instituted by Vladimir. Also used as a palace chaple. It was a basilica with a
nave and aisles ending in three semicircles apses and a wooden roof. Possibly a
three apse basilica without a dome. Cathedral of St. Sophia, wooden church
destroyed by fire in 1045, but chronicles say it was thirteen ‘ tops;’
silhouette pyramid appearance, its predecessor from Novgorod, Russian departure
from Byzantine principles, so it marked the beginning of native tradition in
masonry construction; cross-plan, three bays of the nave to the north and south
of the space beneath the central dome.
Ch4 Architecture of Vladimir-Suzdal:1100-1240; Slavs,
early settlements, forest lands between Oka & Volga rivers. Its cities
commanded the headwaters of the Volga, control of trade routs in that region.
Vladimir, Suzdal, Rostov the seat of the bishopric - therefore, important,
increased in size. nomadic contact in the south – trade possibilities, sometimes
strife; clearing forests for farming; Pioneers from Kievan Russia; Ruling
Princes Vladimir Monomakh (d. 1125) – Yury II defeated by Tartars 1238. Before
Mongols, Suzdalia rivaled Kiev in masonry structures. Constantine founded
school, monks, Latin & Greek, a library, 1000 Greek texts; before Monomakh most
buildings wood; Novgorod, Kiev brick cement, Suzdalia white limestone, available
locally. Kievan Paterik, source, build building like Pechersky church by
measuring and copying in the city of Rostov during Vladimir Monomakh period.
Vladimir’s son Yury I Dolgoruky ( George ‘Longarm’) built a similar church in
the city of Suzdal. Suzdal Cathedral (1222-5). Between 1125 – 1152 no church
building projects in Suzdal. Vladimir, Cathedral of the Dormitian, 1158-61,
Churches of Vladimir represent a transplantation of the Kievan style of the
second period (but not copyists). Andrey, Yury’s son, sacked Kiev in 1169. He
was loyal to Suzdal. Yury & Andrey constructions reflected the struggle between
boyars and prince. The churches Yuriev-Polsky and Pereyaslav were ‘garrison
churches.’ Palace church were small, and they represent the masonry churches of
ancient Russia. Possibly Galician builders were present in Suzdal. Yury founded
at least five churches. Most important SS Boris and Gleb. With Andrey’s
succession he began to build the Vladimir, Cathedral of the Dormitian, 1158-61,
about ten miles away from Vladimir in the village of Bogoliubovo. At that time
the church was known as Andrey Bogoliubsky. Original- Six piers, three apses,
and a single dome. Rebuilt in 1185-9
Andre assassinated in 1174, jealousy of
aristocracy. Vesvolod III, Audrey’s younger brother continued building. First
important endeavor was rebuilding the Dormition of Vladimir. In the new plan
was similar to the multiple-celled, many piered style of St. Sophia in Kiev and
Novgorod. It was the ‘ joy of Vladimir.’ Second project of Vesvolod, Church
of St Dmitry, four-piered, single dome. Church of St. George (1229-34), Yury
II’s brother, Svyatslav Vsevolodovich in the capital of his appanage; Yury II
succeeded Vesvolod. Period of increasing Mongol agitation. In 1471 the church
collapsed, but it was resurrected at the command of Ivan III by the Moscow
architect V.D. Ermolin. The end of architecture projects began around 1228 when
the Mongols inflicted their first defeat on the Russians at the battle of Kalka.
Nine years later, in the winter of 1237, they attacked Suzdalia. Vladimir was
besieged, taken and burned. Best preserved old church, Pokrov, on the Nerl, near
Vladimir.
Chapter 3 Hamilton
‘Novgorod school,’ attribution of an artistic
style.
1103-1207, no fewer than 68 churches built,
indicating great wealth of the city.
This is in contrast to Kiev where on ten churches
were built in a century. In Kiev on princes built churches, whereas, in
Novgorod, private citizens, groups and merchants built churches, indicating more
economic freedom. Most small parish churches took three years to finish, whereas
larger Sophias could take 20 years. Also, one can only produce the amount of
churches when things become standardized. The six pier, five domed plan of Kiev
and Vladimir were abandoned in favor of four pier supporting a single central
dome (p39). Climate problems can possibly explain the onion or bulbous domes,
where the snow needed to fall off the roofs or drainage from heavy rainfall.
Kiev used masonry domes, whereas Novgorod used the onion style.
After the fall of Kiev under the Tartars Novgorod
functioned as the main trade center. Pskov & Novgorod had close contact with the
west, especially thought its contacts with German traders. West-to-east ( not
n/s) Commercial quarters (Torgovaya Storona). Novgorod merchant family
Stroganovs were instrumental in discovery and exploring the Siberia in 16 to
early 17th centuries. Important factor in trade was being in good
graces with the Posadnik ( Mayor). Alexander Nevsky received the title
“of the river Neva” after he defeated the Swedes in 1236. In 1238 he won a
victory stopping the Tartar advancements and he routed the German Knights on
Lake Peipus in 1242 with skillful bargaining with the Tartars, to whom the court
of Batu he visited no less than four times. (p37). 1475 Ivan III conquered
Novgorod and its territory for control of Muscovy. Ivan IV.
Cathedral of Saint George’s - architect ‘Master
Peter,’ said to be the first truly native endeavor. Another differentiation than
Bysantium architecture is that Russian architecture went away from the complex
to the more practical and simple – toward simplification. “ triple apses were
almost submerged within the thick eastern wall.” (p44). One of the most
significant is the sharper pitched roof plan, which differed from Bysantine and
was do in large part because of the climate issues. Customary in Novgorod, each
church had one apse and a single dome above a tall, gracefully proportioned drum
(p47) .
“Pskov, the’ younger brother of Novgorod’, was
also a free city during the earlier Middle Ages and just as jealous of its
liberties, but it was less wealthy and its activities were more restricted by
the pressure of its enemies, the Lithuanians to the west.” (47)
Ch7
-
1045-’57, Novgorod Cathedral
of St. Sophia was decorated in 1108-1144 with frescos and not expensive
mosaics. It was damaged by fire during WWII, so hardly anything survived.
(p80).
-
1169 Suzdalians
attacked Novgorod.
1237 Mongols
devastated Suzdalia.
Nogvgorod maintained
the artistic endeavors after the Kievan state fell.
-
Mjm- Greek master in
Novgorod, and Valdimire-Suzdal principalities. At the end of the 10th
century, an immediate need for religious objects brought creative influences
into Rus’. Articles of Greek Manufacture and the arrival of Greek artisans
were a part of Kievan movement of prestige and to fashion the city as the
center of religious authority (p107).
-
The refined Greek
features…most delicate balance between supernatural and the human
attributes. (p81). Byzantine art in examples consist of the real and ideal,
a subtle equilibrium, the greatest and most characteristic. The Church of
the Savior at Nereditsa (until WWII) contained the earliest complete
ensemble of wall paintings. Built by prince Novgorod, Yaroslav Vladimirovich,
in 1198 and painted the following year.
-
Local Novgorod dialects,
some signatures, indicate Russians learning and contributing under Greek
masters. Russian apprentices focus more on lines than modeling. (p86-88). “
Human element,” influence of the west. In Frescos more complicated scenes
can be depicted, in otherwise mosaic fashion.
-
Theophanes impressionism –
chiaroscuro, shades of light.
-
Ch8
-
Russian art, far more
personal icons, then Greek art- eastern art. (p97)
-
Westerners have a negative
view on Russian/Byzantine art because they don’t understand the regions’
history. Until the 17th century icons were used as religious
communications. When people became widely literate, the need for them
dwindled.
-
Mind/emotions|
nature/supernatural.
-
Scenes often partake of
Apocrypha, the books allegedly left out of the Bible. In these books the
Virgin Mary is a key player in Christ’s life, or a more active member lets
say. Russians also added local saints and interpretations of their own
history in art.
-
Virgin Mary: Bysantine
Hodegetria (She who shows the way), the greatest popularity in Russia.
Legend, Virgin Blacherniotissa (p101), apse of the church of the Blachemae
in Constantinople.
-
Virgin Platytera, enthroned
as queen of heaven. Autocratic reserve, not tenderness.
-
Frequently Old Testament
scenes appear in Russian Art.
-
There own slant, Church
fathers between biblical figures, a unique thing. (p103).
-
Earlier Icons were made of
gold and silver and of Greek origin. In the 12th century ground
white and yellow ochre substituted for these metals.
-
Flax-seed and olive-oil were
used to cover frescos and paintings. There was a vibrant trade for these
products. Over time, these products in use darken the surface of the
art-work, and later generations tried to copy exactly the colors, not
understanding that such things darkened them. (104)
-
Ch 9
-
End of 10th
century
-
First icons were brought
from Kherson to Kiev by Vladimir. 1155 Andrey Bogoliubsky took from the
Kievan suburb of Vishgorod to Suzdalia, where he subsequently placed it in
the Cathedral of The Dormition of Vladimir. This is regarded as the most
venerated, and is called “Virgin of Vladimir”. (107).
-
The second group of Greek
artists arrived to Kiev around 1073. They came to decorate Pechersky
Dormition. (1131-1136); two icons of the Virgin Mary. In 1395 transferred to
Moscow to the right of the Royal Doors in the late 15th century
of the Cathedral of the Dormition in the Kremlin.
-
Russian masters worked under
Greek supervision.
-
Second group of Greek
artists arrived in Kiev around 1037. They came to decorate the Pechersky
Dormition.
-
The spiritual energy of
eastern, Syria religiosity was to find its parallel in Russia. Mystical
energy, entering Russia through its many contacts with the east. (p114).
-
“ A mood of contemplation
rather than observation.”
-
Ch10
-
Fundamentally Chiaroscuro:
where the contour line is most prominent. (119).
-
Art: Palaeologos style
mid-14th century revival of trade between Byzantine and Russia.
-
The legend of St. George,
victorious over a dragon, probably derived from a fresco of about 1167 of
the same subject in the church of St. George in Staraya Lodoga. (119).
-
Chiaroscuro is represented
in Saint and Princess (p121), text (122)
-
-
Novgorod Currency in the 14th
century: silver rods.
-
“After 1350 the Russian
version of Palaeologos impressionism completely transformed the earlier
two-dimensional linearism into a technique capable of communicating a much
wider range of special experience. “ (p 123)
-
Only a few icons can be
attributed to the 14th century.
-
Early icons: Nativity of the
Virgin (c. 1325)
-
“ Accent of early severity
can be found in many icons of the late 14th century, perhaps a
refection of the life of the people during those difficult times and of the
consciousness of the church.” (p127)
-
“ the large icon of SS.
Paraskeva, Gergory the theologian, John Chrysostom, and Basil the Great
illustrates the independence won by the Russian artists in these years.”
(127-8).
-
Probably from the school of
Pskov that utilized monochrome schemes. (p128). Russian artists reached a
critical point in the development of a national style.
-
Theophanes the Greek frescos
in the church of the Transfiguration of Novgorod.
-
Method of suggesting a
three- dimensional forms; different from earlier 11-12th century
where modeling in tomes and lines followed the curve of the plane –
inseparable.
-
Ch.12
-
Moscow school, Rublev’s
Trinity.
-
Novgorod school, St. Elais
c. 1400.
-
Theophanes prophets,
superhuman manifestations.
-
Novgorod, staple was the
Four-Part Icon system. This came from early Christian and Byzantine models.
Many were narrative paintings. This was a line of communication, offered as
a substitute for literacy. One example: Was the battle between Novgorod and
Suzdal in 1169, when Novgorod was besieged by Suzdalians. This was the
earliest known icon to deal with Russian history. (p144). Novgorod painters
achieved almost a monopoly in the production of large icons for
iconostasis…” (p148). In the Moscow fire of 1547, Novgorodian artists were
called up to repair the damaged icons and other works of art. Novgorod is
known for the Four-Part icon production. However, when mentioning “mixed
styles”, meaning two schools or two styles, this meant that a new national
style particularly just for Russian was developing. Finally, Novgorod style
was basically practical matters.
14th Century Frescos
(Frescos by Theophanes) 14th Century,
Frescos in Novgorod: Church of the Transfiguration was built by the people
living on the street. Rubble construction, brick, Church of the Savior on the
main street,
Frescos the Greek master Theophanes,
Quick strokes of the brush, that suggest couture.
Sit on top of a column, a monk would sit for thirty years and people would lift
up to them food, and, Theophanes painted from memory, and talking at the same
time, he came north from Bysantine bring styles,
-
Hermit Monk, to desert to
escape the pleasures, ascetic departure from this world, the white beard
picture no face,
-
Most famous Fresco is the
holy trinity, Abraham and Sarah, three angles, the elderly couple, ‘go get
food we shale entertain these three strangers.’ This icon painting comes
really important later on, a trefoil roofline, was used on this church.
-
Frescos is done on wet
plaster, so can only do small patches at a time. If dry, called Fresco Secco.
-
(Different Church – no color
Frescos in this one)
-
Moses and Noah, and three
apostles fall down the mountain blinded by the light, the Transfiguration ,
the manifestation of the light is one of the most important things in
Orthodox church.
-
Artists, nativity scene,
Orthodox belief Christ was born in a cave. So these scenes are important in
frescos in Russia. Medieval paintings were narrative, and renaissance were
snapshots.
-
Russia
artists learned their iconography from their Greek masters, and from Books
on iconography, and icon in Russia means ‘holy image’ plaster on wooden
boards, and plaster is where the paint is laid. 6 feet tale is often a
height so that many in Churches sitting far-off can see the iconic image.
From portable icons, Russian learned their iconography too. Ikonopis’:
To paint it - is to write it.
-
The Bible says no engraved
images of this world, but the saints are argued are not of this world, and
the 7th ecumenical council, this issue was dealt with; argue: in
theory this is a window to heaven in which we worship. In sense, when Christ
was sent to earth, they argue, God sent the first icon. Some argued, so to
say, this was still improper.
-
Cross-boards on the back on
the boards, and in a grove, the boards must be seasoned, or dried for a year
or two, cannot use a green[wood]. Older boards styles had a raised edge,
and typically a canvas is glued to the wood, and 7-10 layers of gypsum or
plaster were laid, and these layers fill up to the raised edges, flush now,
and now it is ready. So if well prepared the painting can last centuries.
-
Oldest layers in the face of
the famous virgin ( Mother and child) are supposed to be the originals, but
artist found many layers of paint on her. The nose and eyebrows form a ‘T’
and, there is a suggestion of the three dimensional, but in reality most
work is two dimensional in medieval style. Nose radii determine the
proportions of the head, in figures. Circle, from the forehead to the bottom
tip of the nose. Faces, were added only a little human touch, but tried to
stick to the other worldly style. Most icons were painted from icon monastic
schools. No true of three- dimensional illusionism in the medieval period.
Our Lade of Legima ( The famous one) is the proto type of so many copied in
the same style.
-
What happened in Russia
before the Greek masters? No monastic icon schools, no icon books, but some
copied from texts that had illuminations.
-
In general, icon painting,
In practice no two icons are alike, even when copying from icon books. Local
pigments, cinnabar pigment might not be available other places, some places
yes. So these were hand works of art. And no two hand writing scripts for
scribes were alike, so we see a comparison of similarity.
-
Patter books, only appear in
Russia in the 17th century. In these patterns books instructions
to mix gesso, and pin-pricks were used in outlining before beginning with
paint.
-
Wall of icons, the royal
prayer-doors, where these were for confession. Lineseed oil, brightens when
first put, but darkens over time, and so they put another layer and over
time they paint over the darken layer – to brighten it up.
-
A famous icon collector
wrote a book called “ black-boards” indicating this darken appearance of
linseed, or flaxseed oil used as a varnish darkened over time the icons
reserved till today. Now many restore them. Use turpentine. We can see
paint, of the icon, after our techniques of restoration began to be
perfected in the 20th century, then let say a icon copyist of a
few hundred years ago.
-
So why dark skin or
fleshtones? Because the copyist might have seen the darken varnish and
thought that is how the flesh looked so needed to copy it as it looked. So
they think the flesh is almost black.
Why repaint a Icon?
-
Changing taste in
appearance, is one reason for repainting. Icon boards were often repainted.
-
All icons boards tend to
bow-out. So steel frames, then the exploded, so cannot stop the bowing, just
retard it. Cinnabar red, backgrounds.
-
Hierarchy, of Novgorod, the
patron saint, will have the tallest figure in a icon narrative. The
semantics, the language of the icon, the prominent figure is the patron’s
decision, or the patron saint of the city or the church or we do not know.
-
Language of perspective or
proportions, in medieval, inverse, or reverse perspective, instead of
imaginary line in the distance where the perspective converges, it is
opposite and sometimes multiple, the sides go outwards and not inwards, one
might argue so that you see the both sides or from God’s eyes it is true
perspective, especially multiple perspective. INVERSE PERSPECTIVE or
MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVE.
-
For example seeing the
external scenery and internal scenery and doing are parts of multiple
perspectives. Can God see like this, or superman? Medieval two dimensional
artistry worked as such.
-
Medieval Iconic narrative
artistry: Intended to be vehicles for prayer, not to be put in museums where
their was none back then.
-
Russian Iconography to the
(Russiatation do not use this word)
of transformation from the Byzantine style to the Russian new style.
-
Salonika Teacher Icon, was
standing and changed to be sitting, so looks odd.
-
8 pointed style of the
Christian Cross. Not the western equal sided cross of the Middle Ages.
-
In Novgorod, Two
Nicholas’s, painted as the same time, but different in Hamilton, so two
styles, one raised an eyebrow, a human feeling to make him more assessable,
again, no two Icons are alike, the painters could have been looking at
different models.
-
Red
Cinnabar was popular in Novgorod,
important to note. There can be boarder scenes and a central icon figure in
the center of a narrative board.
-
General, no two figures
overlap, not natural, often dynamic poses, but most formalistic.
-
Vita: lives, Boris and Gleb,
were warriors, early leaders in Rus’ history, and these 11th
century Kiev and Rus’ saints, pop up in icons because in 989 is when Russian
adopted Christianity, and these two martyrs were part of the first waves of
early Russian Christians. So the reason these people are used in icons is
cities tried to claim heritage to them.
-
Crosses on the Robes of a
Byzantine Bishop.
-
Novgorod city-states trading
with the west and thse Baltic ties,
-
Cities of major heresies
were Novgorod, or the boarder towns. Hansiatic league connections, the
trade-town it was more influenced to more different types of people.
-
Triangular proportions of
God ( Novgorod), a formulations in later Icons. So when people pray,
meditate they can envision the icon and concentrate on the picture to add a
symbol of concentration.
-
Purification of the Virgin,
40 days the women was unclean after the child, cannot come into the church
until after the 40th day, this was invented by man, not God.
-
Battle of Novgorod and
Suzdal, a narrative in 15th century, threatened by Moscow, is a
battle scene in the time of the 12th century, so the narrative,
shown in three tears, and the army is coming from Suzdal, and the to protect
the palladium, the first tier narrative; the second teir the three boyar
princes from Suzdal come to negotiate peace, but Suzdal people from beyong
shoot arrows at an icon of Novgorod; third tear, the Novgorod army have
three period saints, Boris, Gleb, St. George, (?and two others, making
five). So they will win. So the narrative tells of a victory. So it this a
image of a holy image or a historical scene, if from ‘Novgorod the Great’
it is an Icon; it’s a miraculous tale if not from Novgorod.
-
The Byzantine miracle the multi perspective one, The
Novgorod building up top, while the interior scenes and a cloud, it is a
Russian theme, with the onion domes,.
Miracle of Archangel Michael
Protector of cattle and horses, very important to
flocks of these in Russian religious lore.
When at Church, you learn to read and pray to the
icon as there are the lessons in the church and can approach it in service and
in church, so when illiterate you can read history and important things, but can
be making more of this in modern history as icons are not important now that we
all usually can read and write, so lessons are not necessary.
Before, icons were floating, some Novgorodian
icons show saints on the grass, on the terra ferma.
Hamilton: Art & Architecture
36-50) Alexander Nevsky, protected Novgorod with
politics against the Tartars ( Sees Batu four times, regular paid tribute).
1475, end of independence, Ivan III, patrimony. Republican mercantile character
(37) wealthy patrons of art; art flourished because Novgorod remained unabated,
continual contact with west, vibrant trade, wealthy patrons; trade to east post,
Tmutarakan, Mstislav’s (d. 1034 or 36 | Mstislav of Tmutarakan, Prince of
Chernigov, younger bother of Yaroslav) appanage, at the entrance at the Sea of
Azov, into wich flows the Don, had long been a port of entry for trade between
the East and Kievan Rus’.
80-96)
97-105)
106-118)
119-129)
141-151)
Icon of Metropolitan
Aleksii (d.1378),
with Border Scenes of His j painted late 15th-early 16th
C.;
School of Dionisii; State Tret’iakov Gallery, Moscow
See: Mikhail V. Alpatov, Early Russian Icon Painting /
Drevnerusskaia ikonopis’, Moscow, Iskusstvo, 1978, ills. 150-154 (currently
on reserve in Art Library under “Kollmann”)
Sequence of border scenes:
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8
9 10
11 12
13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20
Border scenes (slides will be shown of those marked with an asterisk *):
* 1. Nativity of Aleksii [model = Christ’s Nativity]
* 2. Presentation for instruction [model = Presentation of the Christ Child in
the Temple]
3. In a dream, Aleksii hears the words, “Lo, I will make thee a fisher of men, a
shepherd of souls” [cf. Matthew 4:19 & Mark 1:17, where Jesus says to the
fishermen Simon/Peter and Andrew: “Come with me, and I will make you fishers of
men.”]
* 4. Tonsuring of Aleksii (whose original name was Elevferii)
* 5. Installation of Aleksii as Bishop of the city of Vladimir
6. Aleksii, having become Metropolitan of Moscow, visits the Horde
* 7. Aleksii asks
Sergii of Radonezh to release his disciple Andronik to become hegumen (abbot) of
the Saviour Monastery near Moscow [note both Aleksii and Sergii have haloes]
* 8. Aleksii blesses Andronik as hegumen of the Saviour (Spasskii) Monastery
[now called Spaso-Andronikov Monastery]
9. Aleksii prays at the tomb of Metropolitan Peter (d.1326) in the Kremlin
Dormition Cathedral [first version] before departing again for the Horde
* 10. The khan, down on his knees in respect, greets Aleksii at the Horde. One
of the khan’s courtier’s holds his hat and curved saber. Aleksii, accompanied by
a monk and boyars, extends his hand to the khan.
* 1 1. Aleksii heals the Princess Taidula, who is reclining on her bed. Above
her we see her white tent (background = inside). A youth holds a basin of holy
water which Aleksii has brought from the Kremlin Dormition Cathedral; Aleksii
sprinkles the princess with it.
* 12. Aleksii returns to Moscow from the Horde and is greeted by the Grand
Prince, Dmitrii Donskoi (bareheaded), and the boyars (fur caps). Aleksii holds
out a cross for the grand prince to kiss. Buildings of Moscow to right.
* 13. Aleksii, aware that death is approaching, proposes to Sergii of Radonezh
that he become metropolitan (Sergii declined).
* 14. Aleksii prepares his tomb in the Kremlin Chudov (Miracles) Monastery,
conversing with the stonemasons.
* 15. Aleksii is laid to rest in the Chudov Cathedral (background =
inside). A bishop delivers the funeral mass, while the choir members, in white,
and Grand Prince Dmitrii and his boyars, bareheaded, pay homage.
16. Discovery of the incorruptible remains of Aleksii by a subsequent
metropolitan (lona) and grand prince (Vasilii lithe Blind; d.1462).
* 17/18. Miracle of the resurrection of a dead boy: Aleksii, emerging from the
Chudov Cathedral, approaches the boy, wrapped in funeral cloth, and touches him.
Note run-together scenes.
* 18/19. The mother of the resurrected boy presents an icon of Aleksii to the
priest of the cathedral.
20. Miracle of the healing of Naum, monk of the Chudov Monastery.
Frescos Rublev
Riza chasuble
Basma
Oklad,
a boarder, a metal overlay added, in the 17th become especially popular. Why,
the medieval two dimensional style becomes obsolete, and 3 d becomes illusional
dimensionality. Rublev's trinity. 2d, it dresses up the Icon, and added with
jewels, wealthy contributors including the grand prince.
School and detail &
west European tastes.
Nov. strong, blues
and strong red and detail
Pskov. dark red and
dark brown.
Dinosis & sons, next
most famous icon painters. and his sons,
No boarders, and
carpeting of narrative scenes It is new then to have new testament parables,
Distortion was a
multiple perspective and composites view. ( The throne) Note the elongation.
John the babtice on the right,
Diesis composition,
Greek word for the prayer for the treaty - the intercession on behave of God.
Dionisis schools, soft pastels
Novgorod and Moscow,
and Moscow counters, offeres icon painters a to come to moscow, and later Pskov
the picture of the
onion dome.
Bysantine holiday,
Russian Icon
production after 1470 Muscovite was a homogenation of all the schools together,
a mix-style.
Last Judgment
subject in art was attributed to Novgorod, and Novgorod's fondness to Red. Year
would end in 1700 was in 1492, and it came and went and this was the time the
Kremilin was being built on a grand scale.
Wood
Houses, rectangular units, added on with
extensions of families. Live in the stove room in the winter. Carbon monoxide
problems: no chimneys, only louvers holes. Wax was expensive, inexpensive
pitch-pine; it is a crude method of lighting. Soup bowels carved out a single
piece of wood. In the north animals were kept inside for the winter, so many
barns rooms connected a peasant house. All pitched roofs in the north. One way
to distinguish a church’s floor plan is to determine if the base is octagonal or
square. 20 walled-log plan, a much used planned and is referenced in 17th
century chronicles is referred too and considered as a traditional shaped.
Look to a Squint roof ( at a raised level off the
ground) in complex churches to determine if the floor plan is square ( look to
nave) determining the base to hold the octagon rise.
Nikon it is unfit to have only one top on God’s
church, must have three or five atop God’s churches ( see 17th
cent.).
Overlapping technique: wood then brick overlap
called corbelling, bricks overlaying.
Fioravanti did not affect Russian style;
but his teaching of brick and structure-techniques
is what dramatically affects Russian architecture after.
Wider transept, cross-isle was a Russian tradition, and after Fioravanti,
Alevisio returned to the Russian tradition in the building of Archangel Michael
Cathedral with the uneven plan with a wider cross-isle. Structural debt to the
Italian was the brick building technique, mainly headed by the inspiration of
Fioravanti. The great 16th century buildings in the Kremlin and
Moscow were now built in brick, instead of stone. Stone was hard work, and
difficult. Faux rusitfication an asthetic, deliberately barrowed form the
cathederal churches in Red Squar.
Centrally planned churches: Sudal, Italy,
Novgorod: Basil, St. John, and Ascension, were different ideas, centrally
planned church, and the symbol of a central state, and the capture of Kazan.
Missile Church
Church of the Ascension,
built in commemoration of Ivan IV in 1530. Nothing like this built in stone, and
nothing like this was ever built before the Chronicle bemoaned. The walls were
thick, and this squared floor planned with double recessed corners. One feels
the ascension, the height. It was derived from wooden architecture. Interior
space is rather quite small, but it was built for its visual ascetics, and
didn’t need to hold large crowds.
St. Basil.
9 dedicated chapels, very reminiscent of the 20
walled plan, and other influences.
Fabulous lowing Fruit Basket. Tales of blinding
the architects so they wouldn’t build another is a myth and in many cultures in
this theme. Eight precisely located chapels around the central chapel. Ward
pointing triangles, false fortress towars, a combination both native and Italian
in St. Basils, Built after the popular Holy Fool who died in Moscow. In honor of
the victory over Kasan in the 16th century and dedicated to Ivan IV
Who drew the four plan, Leonardo Da Vinci, and
there was Italian influence. Da Vinci drawing was a tad different, but the 8
chapels surrounded by the central was the same type of plan.
Projecting stone work that was popular in Italy
became also adopted in Russia. So diamond shaped projections, and changing
shadow patters that Russians liked.
Swan Lake: in Moscow
and Merlin tale swallow tales on fortress structure
Icons:
Multiple perspectives cannot discriminate must
show all sides of things so no part is left out.
Roublev: Circular Icon schema, representing the
trinity, the endless mystery this hard to understand but very important eternal
trinity concept. Roublev imitate him, but no one ever succeeds him.
Work
Cited and Readings:
References to "Ham."
= George H. Hamilton, The Art and Architecture of Russia, 3rd,
"integrated" edition, illustration numbers
Riasanovsky, Nicholas
V. & Mark D. Steinberg, History of Russia, vol. I. ed. 7th,
(Oxford: Oxford Unity Press, 2005).
Bibliography:
David Mackenzie &
Michael W. Curran, “A History of Russia, the Soviet Union and Beyond,” 6th
ed. (Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1993).
Nicholas V.
Riasanovsky & Mark D. Steinberg, “History of Russia,” vol. I., 7th
ed. (Oxford: Oxford Unity Press, 2005).
Nikolai Sergeevich
Trubetzkoy, “The Legacy of Genghis Khan and Other Essays on Russia’s Identity”
, ed. Anatoly Liberman, trans. Kenneth Brostrom ( Ann Arbor : Michigan Slavic
Publications, 1991).
Copyright © 2007 MichaelReport.com, Michael Johnathan McDonald
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