Life of Andrei Rublev - Essay Example

BIOGRAPHY OF ANDREI RUBLEV Biography of Andrei Rublev Andrei Rublev, a Russian painter who lived during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries was born in circa, Russia between 1360 and 1370. Rublev has been described as the most famous and esteemed artist of medieval Russia, and indeed he is seen by the Russian Orthodox Church as a saint. Little is known about his childhood life. However, many scholars agree that he lived in the trinity Lavra of St.Sergius near Moscow.1 While there, he was under the spiritual guidance of monk Nikon, a hegumen of the monastery after the passing of Sergius (1392).Later, he lived in Zvenigorod, in Vladimir Suzdal and at the Spaso-andronikov monastery near Moscow. He became a painter of frescoes and icons and his name is associated with painting of great churches in Moscow. He developed a new style, infusing his work with a gentleness and harmony at one with his spirituality, a style that largely influenced the Russian church.2 Rublev is regarded as the greatest icon painter by Russians in Byzantine Christian art. One of his most reckoned works is the Holy Trinity, which is considered to be the finest masterpiece ever in the art history.3 He attended the Novgorod painting school in Moscow where he derived most of his painting style. Subsequently, he entered the monastery of the Holy Trinity in Sagorsk where he received his education as an icon painter. He was instructed in the art by Sergei Radonezjki. Later on, he stayed in the monastery of Andronikov in Moscow. The earliest icons attributed to him are part of the frescos in the church of the Assumption in Zvenigorod (1399). It is noted that Theophanes, another famous Russian painter, founded the Novgorod school of painting where Rublev was trained.4 He was the teacher and mentor to Andrei Rublev. Some of the works they did together include a number of religious fresco cycles for the church of nativity of Mary in the Moscow Kremlin, the arch angel cathedral in the Kremlin and the Cathedral of annunciation in the Kremlin. Theophanes was a great and important figure in nurturing the talent of Reblev into being a celebrated icon painter in Russia. Rublev’s first major commission was the decoration of the iconostasis for the church of the Annunciation in the Kremlin (1405).This is the work he did with Theophanous the Greek.5 In 1408, Rublev decorated the cathedral of the Dormition in Vladimir with his friend Daniel Tcherny. Little is documented about Rublev’s life between 1410 and 1420, but it is generally accepted he created the finest paintings, including several icons at Zvenigorod, in this period. Researchers say that the seven icons of the festival cycle in the Kremlin Annunciation Cathedral in Moscow, including Baptism, Birth of Christ, and Presentation of the Lord, Transfiguration, Annunciation, Resurrection of Lazarus and Entry into Jerusalem belong to Rublev. These works are in Byzantine style and demonstrate Rublev’s exceptional talent. This was in the period of 1410, which is believed to be when he did most of his works. Rublev created another piece of art during this period, a book illumination of Khitrovo gospel. This wonderful miniature contains an image of an angel which symbolizes the Evangelistic Mathew. Further research has shown that in 1410 Rublev painted one of the Zvenigorod churches.6 The icons Savior, Archangel Michael and st Paul from Zvenigorod are attributed to Rublev, and they feature a new stage in Rublev painting. It expresses the beginning of the Golden age, the flourishing of icon painting in Russia. About the same time, Rublev created another outstanding work, a version of the famous Byzantine image, our lady of Vladimir.7 From 1425-1427 Rublev worked with Chernii on a new stone cathedral of the holy trinity. It is probably during this time that he painted the main feature of the monastery-The Holy Trinity. Sergius of Radonezh was a great influence on Rublev who lived and worked under his auspices. As a matter of fact, Rublev painted his famous icon, The Trinity as a memorial to Sergius. Sergius was a prayerful man, a Russian ascetic who exercised significant influence on domestic spirituality as well as Rublev’s personality. As such, he was Andrei Rublev’s greatest mentor and role model. 8During his period of art, Rublev experienced the Tatar attacks on Russia. In this period, large parts of Russia fell to the Mongol invaders. This century saw external continuities in the massive invasion by Mongol tribes and internal ones in the sustenance provided by religious traditions. The initial impact on religion and art was devastating. Priests and monks were slain, churches and icons were burned, cult objects made of precious metals and gems were looted. A lot of Orthodox Christians perished in the hands of pagans who believed that God had inflicted punishment on Russia for its sin. It was an era of immense social instability in Russia with the threat of punitive raids ever present. There was a population shift away from old urban centers and refugees built wooden chapels and shrines on lakes and in forests which attracted more settlers. The Mongol impact on Russian culture was not uniform. The North-Western cities escaped devastation and their economy based on trade, revived comparatively quickly. Regions in the Southwest that initially fell into Mongol control later found them incorporated in the Catholic Poland Lithuania where orthodoxy had to accommodate itself to alien artistic convections. These attacks by the Mongols created quite a violent environment for the Russian community especially for the Christians and the artists. Andrei Rublev working in Russia in the thirteenth and fourteenth century is not considered a Byzantine artist but an icon painter following in the spirit and traditions of Byzantine art .Despite the political and social unrest in the country, his painting spirit continued to grow. It is noted that the Mongol would steal and destroy the work of monks. This did not discourage Rublev but instead gave him more reasons to paint. Rublev did not break his convention due to the situation surrounding him at that moment. He instead did everything within that context and code to come up with many pieces of arts which helped people to pray especially during that difficult time. According to him, he wanted to show people that even if the earthly kingdom is insecure, there is safety and comfort in heavenly kingdom. His influence on later religious art in Russia was enormous. Many later artists imitated his style and copied his composition. His trinity icon in particular set a precedent and established a pictorial type repeated by many other icon painters. Perhaps it is the simplicity of the icon which gives it a great power and inspires many to continue to study it. Rublev painted his last work at the cathedral of savior at Moscow’s Andronikov monastery. It is here that Rublev met his demise in 1430. Consequently, he was buried in the altar vaults. Rublev was canonized a saint in 1988 by the Russian Orthodox Church and his feast is celebrated on 29th January and 4th July. Conclusion Rublev’s biography raises questions about the possible influences of his art. The Byzantine canon of icon painting had a great influence on his style. Also, the Novgorod school of painting as well as Rublev’s spiritual beliefs and monastic life were important influences on him. In addition, Sergius affinity to the hesychast dogma and the cult of the trinity as well as Theophanes artistic style had a great effect to the development of Rublev’s painting styles. Bibliography Reimer, J. "The Spirituality of Andrei Rublev’s Icon of the Holy Trinity." Acta Theologica 1, no. 1 (2014): 166-180. Ross, Leslie. Artists of the Middle Ages. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003. Siedell, Daniel A. Whos Afraid of Modern Art?: Essays on Modern Art and Theology in Conversation. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2015. Strezova, Anita. Hesychasm and Art: The Appearance of New Iconographic Trends in Byzantine and Slavic Lands in the 14th and 15th Centuries. ANU Press, 2014. Tarkovsky, Andrei. Andrei Rublev. Artificial eye, 1966. Read More