Church artists. "Icons should enlighten"
The history of the Russian land is invariably connected with the church and worship. Cities arose around the temples, villages were built. Wooden, and later stone buildings served as a place where people gained peace of mind, talked with God, and were equal. Modern mores have changed: shopping and entertainment have replaced going to church, prayer has become a rarity in the home. But the architecture of church buildings still causes awe and awe. Therefore, oil paintings on which temples are painted are in demand in the design of premises.
Variety of storylines
Golden domes against a blue sky draped with white cumulus clouds are not the only option when creating such canvases. Temples are the main objects in the writing of summer, winter, autumn and spring landscapes. The buildings occupy a central or lateral plan, harmoniously woven into the rustic color or urban architecture ... In some way, churches are universal in terms of plot. And it makes it easier to find your canvas.
Another point is related to the accuracy of the image. Decorating a room with a canvas captivating realism means admiring every day the severity of lines and the variety of details that church buildings are so full of. The study, made in the genre of impressionism, with slightly blurred outlines and free strokes, has a special magic. It conveys the mood in which the awe, solemnity and majesty of these buildings are enclosed.
Looking for the perfect place
Temples are a symbol of purity, inviolability and tranquility. Their images create a peaceful atmosphere around. Therefore, it is preferable to place paintings with churches or monasteries in rooms where it is planned to equip a place of rest. Canvases are relevant in the design of the living room and bedroom. They will also be useful in the decor of a personal office. Hang them above the sofa or opposite the desk so that the sketch is always in front of your eyes.
When buying oil paintings with temples, consider the style of the interior. They are most in demand in the classics. The refinement of the design, combined with the correct geometry of the architecture depicted on the canvas, looks great and elegant. A suitable frame with curly elements or without decor will complement the picture.
It doesn't matter what format or size you buy a canvas with a church or a monastery. The main thing is that it gives a feeling of calm and harmony, which is so lacking in the modern world. In our catalog you can look and choose the picture closest to the plot and bring a little warmth and comfort to the house.
September 21st, 2016 , 09:26 am
The Cathedral of Christ the Savior in memory of the victory in the Patriotic War was built according to the design of Konstantin Ton and consecrated in 1883. With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, an anti-religious campaign began, and on the site of the temple it was planned to erect a grandiose architectural monument to the new system - the Palace of Soviets. The temple was blown up in 1931, the project of the Soviet skyscraper was prevented from being realized by the war, and the Moskva outdoor swimming pool was built on the historical foundation.
1904-1905: https://pastvu.com/p/2805
Before the explosion, valuables were requisitioned in the temple and everything that could be useful was dismantled, for example, large marble plaques were used to decorate new administrative buildings. Several high reliefs that adorned the facade were saved from destruction - now they can be seen in the Donskoy Monastery. Six paintings by Vasily Vereshchagin were wound on shafts, transferred to the Kazan Cathedral in Leningrad for storage and later restored. Fragments of the wall painting "The Last Supper", which adorned the altar, survived and are in the museum of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The marble altar chair has also been preserved.
In 1988, the millennium of the Baptism of Russia was solemnly celebrated in the atheistic Soviet Union. The state's policy towards religion softened and Orthodox groups began to make requests for the revival of churches. Such an initiative group, which advocated the restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in its former place, collected thousands of signatures, a fund for the construction of the temple was founded, and the authorities decided to close the pool and build a temple that outwardly copies the building of Konstantin Ton.
The construction of the historical temple lasted 44 years, but with modern building technologies, the work progressed faster and took only five years. On December 31, 1999, the temple was opened to the public, and on Christmas night the first solemn liturgy was served. In the 19th century, the design of temple interiors took two decades, the painters of the Imperial Academy of Arts Vasily Surikov, Ivan Kramskoy, Vasily Vereshchagin, Genrikh Semiradsky, Alexei Korzukhin, Fyodor Bruni worked on the painting.
The painting inside the modern temple covers an area of about 22,000 square meters. I do not presume to judge how detailed the historical decoration is recreated, but the main paintings are reproduced accurately, it is enough to compare them with old photographs. The reconstruction of the plot and ornamental paintings of the temple was carried out by the Russian Academy of Arts. The work was headed by Zurab Tsereteli, the coordinator of the group of specialists in artistic decoration was the priest Leonid Kalinin. Two dozen masters headed the teams of artists, these are Vladimir Ananiev, Nikolai Gavrilov, Vasily Nesterenko, Sergey Prisekin and others.
Temple altar. 1883-1910: https://pastvu.com/p/385918
Temple interiors. 1883-1910: https://pastvu.com/p/385917
The temple has three thrones - the main one in honor of the Nativity of Christ and two side ones in the choir stalls - in the name of Nicholas the Wonderworker (southern) and the holy prince Alexander Nevsky (northern).
On the vault of the main dome, the artists depicted the Lord of Hosts, the Old Man. At the word of the Almighty Creator, the globe and winged cherubs appear, illuminated in flight by the flame of primordial fire. The head of the Lord, according to the biblical legend, is whitened with gray hair, his hands are raised. He creates the universe and at the same time blesses what He creates.
In the belt of the main dome, images of the Old Testament Church are presented, which are of particular importance in relation to the Savior of the world - either as forerunners of His coming, or as witnesses of His life and preachers of His teachings.
On the vaults of small domes, the Holy Spirit is depicted in the form of a dove, in a bright radiance, surrounded by His seven divine gifts; The Savior sitting on a throne in royal robes with a book and a scepter in his hands; baby Jesus Christ surrounded by angels; The Lord Almighty, holding in his hands a scepter and a book of fate, sealed with seven seals.
The main iconostasis of the temple is made in the form of an octagonal chapel made of white marble, with ornaments and inlaid with colored marbles. The chapel is crowned with a bronze gilded tent, tapering at the top, and consisting of four tiers intended for placing icons. Inside it is a throne. On the lower tier to the right of the Royal Doors is the image of the Lord Almighty, and to the left - the image of the Most Holy Theotokos. The second tier of the iconostasis consists of the Lord's and Mother of God feasts, the third tier represents the New Testament Church, and the fourth tier consists of half-length images of the Forefathers and Prophets of the Old Testament Church.
Sacred images are placed on the sails of the temple: the Transfiguration of the Lord, and under it - the Evangelist Matthew; Ascension of the Lord, and under it - the Evangelist John; The Resurrection of Christ, and under it is the Evangelist Mark; The descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, and under it - the Evangelist Luke.
The painting "The Resurrection of Christ" (artist Evgraf Sorokin). 1885: https://pastvu.com/p/79368
The painting "The Descent of the Holy Spirit" (artist Evgraf Sorokin). 1885: https://pastvu.com/p/79371
Among the main shrines of the Church of the Holy Relic of Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow (Drozdov)
Large chandelier with 148 candles. 1880-1883: https://pastvu.com/p/64914
On the walls of the corridors on marble plaques, descriptions of the battles of the war of 1812 are given in chronological order with places and dates, the names of military units, the names of the dead and wounded, and the awards received. It also reproduced the Highest Manifestos on the entry of the French army into Russia, an appeal to the Russian people about the militia, manifestos on the expulsion of Napoleon from Russia, gratitude to the Russian people and the Russian nobility, a manifesto on the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
When recreating the temple, new spaces appeared that were not in Ton's project. These are the premises of the stylobate part, built on the site of a hill. It houses the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Museum Gallery, the Hall of Church Councils, the Hall of the Supreme Church Council, the refectory chambers, as well as technical and office premises.
The Hall of Church Councils is intended for meetings of Local and Bishops' Councils, and, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, for social events. The hall opened in 2000, it is equipped with modern acoustic equipment and has a capacity of 1250 seats. Concerts of church choirs, symphonic music, folk groups, festivals and conferences are held here.
In the photo: concert "XII Sacred Psalms" performed by Galina Bosaya, accompanied by the Patriarchal Choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Among the variety of pictures of Russian painting, a special place is occupied by works depicting various architectural objects. Most often these are architectural monuments - temples and monasteries - for centuries riveting the views of artists, but often the theme for studies, and sometimes large paintings, are at first glance insignificant buildings or even elements of buildings, such as windows, arched openings or columns. Not drawing too much attention in reality, transferred to the canvas by the hand of the master, they become a finished work and catch the eye no worse than genre painting or portraits.
Having decided to buy ready-made paintings, one way or another reflecting the theme of architecture, connoisseurs of the Russian school of painting will have a rare opportunity to see the continuity of generations with their own eyes. Churches and monasteries often became the theme of the works of Soviet artists, but contemporary authors also turn to this topic. Soviet painting gave the world such works as Igor Rubinsky's "Church in Ostankino", Enver Ishmametov's "Cathedral in Suzdal" or Vladimir Gremitsky's "Monastery". It is no coincidence that each of these works shows the viewer exactly the winter time. Muted cold colors and the absence of flashy bright details remind us that churches and monasteries are primarily spiritual abodes, and not architectural sights for the development of tourism. By complementing the home interior with such a picture, art lovers will be able to enjoy the strict simplicity of architectural forms and the excellent technique of Soviet masters of painting.
Modern authors, "taking over the baton" from the previous generation, also cannot refuse to depict cathedrals and churches. The current paintings of artists dedicated to this topic are distinguished by a constant search for innovations. There were works written from an unusual angle, such as “Bolkhov. View from the bell tower” by Olga Sorokina or “Nizhny Novgorod. View of Rozhdestvenskaya Street" by Daria Vorobyova. The viewer seems to get the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the church from a height, catch the glare of light on the golden domes and see the outlines of the city around the temple. Other authors have focused on the play of light. Yuri Aniskin's painting "The Assumption Cathedral at Sunset" surprisingly accurately conveys the soft glow of the setting sun, reflected from the walls of the Astrakhan Kremlin Cathedral. The same theme is visible in the work of Igor Razzhivin with the poetic title "The sun got entangled in the trunks."
Both during the Soviet era and now, artists are not limited to depicting Orthodox churches alone. The authors are attracted by the subtle beauty of oriental mosques and mausoleums. The world-famous Samarkand Shakhi Zinda complex was captured by many Russian artists. Its azure domes were painted by Valery Kovinin, Alevtina Kozlova was fascinated by the skillfully decorated arches of the mausoleums. Buying oil paintings on canvas depicting this architectural ensemble means bringing a subtle oriental note to the interior and giving yourself and your loved ones a unique opportunity to admire the legacy of bygone eras that has come down to us through the centuries.
They compare it with other world masterpieces of architecture in terms of area and height, but no monument of sculptural art can compare with it in terms of grandeur and holiness, as well as the sophistication and luxury of interior decoration. Inside, it looks like an elegant malachite box. During the construction and decoration, an unprecedented number of types of stone were used. Here you can find marble of various shades. It was mined throughout Russia, and also bought abroad. Tivdia pink, Sienese yellow, red from France. From Russian quarries they brought white, dark red, lemon.
Jasper, Shoksha porphyry, Badakhshan lapis lazuli, Ural malachite were also used in decoration. France, Italy, Afghanistan, Karelia - this is just an incomplete list of places where gems were imported from. Over 400 kg of gold and more than a thousand tons of bronze were used to decorate the temple. Nowhere and never in the world have temples been erected with the use of such a quantity of decorative stone. The facing of the walls inside the temple strikes with skill and grace. Every detail is made with amazing precision.
Magnificent finish
The interior of St. Isaac's Cathedral is striking in its beauty, scope and unusualness. The basic idea of interior decoration has been preserved since the time of Peter the Great. In the first cathedral it was impossible to install a high altar with several tiers. And then the architects installed in the iconostasis only the main icons of the lower row. And the images of the twelfth holidays were placed on the walls of the temple. This idea was adhered to in subsequent restructurings. Although in the modern cathedral the height of the iconostasis made it possible to equip many tiers, they did not do this. Icons not included in the iconostasis are placed in niches in carved marble frames. Below them are panels of burgundy marble, on which explanatory inscriptions are written in gilded letters.
stained glass
Behind the Royal Doors of the main altar, you can see a stained glass window depicting the Resurrection of Christ. Such images were not in the tradition of Orthodox churches. But the idea was supported by representatives of the Synod, who zealously followed the progress of construction and the observance of all church canons. After Isaac, stained-glass windows began to be placed in many churches. The creation of this masterpiece was led by the German artist Heinrich Maria von Hess. The area of the stained-glass window is 28.5 square meters. It is one of the main monuments of stained glass art in Russia.
Canvases and mosaics
Twenty-two well-known artists of that time were involved in the design of the interior of the temple: Shebuev, Bryullov, Bruni, Basin, Plushar and many others. There is a museum in the temple, where you can see a collection of religious and historical paintings of 1840-1850. It includes 103 wall paintings and 52 canvas paintings.
During the work, the designers understood that the canvases could not be preserved in the conditions of the damp St. Petersburg climate. Artists had to redo their masterpieces several times due to the instability of colors. Only four years before the end of construction, a stable dye composition was found that could withstand such conditions.
But already in 1851, work began on the translation of paintings into mosaics. This painstaking work continued until 1917. Now there are 62 mosaic canvases in the cathedral, the total area of which exceeds 600 square meters. Over twelve thousand shades of smalt were used to give liveliness and brightness to the works. The researchers calculated that it took about a year of hard work to complete 1 square meter of mosaic painting.
At an exhibition in London in 1862, mosaic works from Isaac were presented. They received the highest rating. The whole world has recognized that the production of smalt has been brought to perfection in Russia.
Dome
The main dome of the temple attracts the attention of the astonished public. Its vault is decorated with Bryullov's painting "The Mother of God in Glory", which depicts the Mother of God surrounded by John the Baptist, John the Theologian and the patron saints of the royal family. Unfortunately, the artist was unable to complete the work due to deteriorating health. The background and figures of the apostles on his cardboards were completed by another painter - Basin.
The drum of the dome is decorated with figures of twelve angels, who look from a height at the people who came to the temple. The crown of the composition is a silver-plated figure of a dove soaring at an 80-meter height. The one and a half meter bird is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
Everything in this amazing temple delights and amazes. Everything is done with skill and finesse. Despite the abundance of bright elements, there is nothing superfluous. It is impossible to describe the magnificence of the temple in words - it must be seen.
In the temple of the icon "Joy of All Who Sorrow" on Shpalernaya Street there is an icon of the New Martyr Catherine of Petrograd (Arskaya). She is distinguished from other faces by the fact that she is all dressed up in gold jewelry. They say in the temple that rings, chains, bracelets are thanks to those whom the miraculous icon helped to become parents. It turned out that many of the parishioners had been moving towards this for decades. The author of the icon Victor Benderov told how he differs from an ordinary artist, and why there should not be an imprint of sorrow on the faces of the saints.
In search of myself
Viktor Benderov has been engaged in icon painting for 20 years. How many faces came out from under his hands over the years, he does not remember. But he admits that he does not spend a day without this lesson. “I paint each icon with a prayer. There is no other way, he says. - I did only one without prayer - while still in the army. But I created that face rather out of love for the fine arts, and not for God. I got to know him much later.Victor grew up in an ordinary family of St. Petersburg doctors. His parents were baptized people, but not churched. Then, as now, many were often baptized "for show", because it was necessary. And they came to God much later.
Victor is no exception. He says that in the late 80s he was a "free muff": he painted either classically or avant-garde. But he was not satisfied with either one or the other. “And in the 90s, I came across the phrase of Edouard Manet “You won’t be an artist if you don’t love painting the most, but if you have nothing to say, goodbye!” The icon painter shares and sighs. - And I realized then with annoyance that I really had nothing to say, except for the usual post-Soviet platitudes. And I did not like my work then. This raised me to an active search. And I was looking for myself first of all.
Then he began to rummage in libraries, actively went in for sports. I swam in the ice-hole, ran in the winter in only sports shorts, pulled myself up on the horizontal bar. And even lost 30 pounds. He also continued to study painting. He read excitedly, that he had the strength, but there was still no clear understanding of what, in fact, he wants to convey to the viewer. “Active reading, painting to the point of pain in the eyes, sports to the point of sweating have paid off,” he notes. “In addition to European and Eastern philosophers, another kind of literature began to fall into the field of view.”
One day, one of Victor's friends, an avant-garde artist, brought him the book "Iconostasis" printed out in a samizdat way in his bosom. “By that time, I had already begun to discover with amazement that the Orthodox Church is not exactly an “institution for ignorant old women”, and not just an ethnographic museum, which I used to think it was,” Viktor says. “At exhibitions, I began to discover not just landscapes with temples, but modern avant-garde painting, clearly inspired by Christian motifs.”
At that moment, Benderov realized that it was impossible to paint half-heartedly. Need to show up. “Suddenly I came to the conclusion that I used to just “slap” paint on paper,” he recalls. - But it is necessary to work not "for the amusement of the working people of all countries", but for those who have grief and sorrow. And such people, as I understand it, usually do not go to the exhibition, but rather to the church. Thus, the idea came that I should become an icon painter.
Spiritual upheaval
Having decided to become an icon painter, Benderov learned that somewhere in the Theological Academy there was an icon painting class. There he found the young hieromonk Alexander Fedorov and asked to be enrolled there. But then it turned out that not everyone can become a student of this class. And it's not about registration, as it happens in ordinary schools. The hieromonk warned that first you need to start living a church life - to come to talks at Sunday school (for catechesis) and regularly attend the temple.Such conditions could alienate every person, but in Benderov this only increased the desire to engage in icon painting. First of all, Victor confessed and took communion. He recalls how he read Simeon the New Theologian and other similar Orthodox literature literally avidly. “I had a powerful upheaval inside,” he admits. - I abruptly “tightened the screws” and stopped “slapping” my pictures. And only a year later I was accepted into the icon-painting class.”
Having entered, Victor was periodically horrified by the fact that everything fell out of his hands. After all, he believed that he had been able to paint pictures before, but only at the academy, after three academic years, did he learn to draw a line really evenly. And by the end of his studies, he painted the icon "The Savior Not Made by Hands."
If you look closely at the icons of Viktor Benderov, you can see one common feature - there is no characteristic imprint of grief on the faces of the saints. The icon painter says that he himself hardly perceives faces with such a mood. “Icons should please the eye, enlighten a person. It is important to correctly convey emotions in a look, a barely noticeable smile, - he is sure. “Therefore, I always put a strong emphasis on facial expressions.”
Today, the icons of Victor can be found in various churches in St. Petersburg. There are especially many of them in the chapel of the Kolpino educational colony. Victor travels there several times a week to help teenagers, who are called difficult in the world, get on the right path. “He hugs all the guys every time he meets. And it is very important to combine spiritual and physical contact,” said Vladimir Ivlev, head of the colony.
