The History of Russian Icons
In 787 A.D., the Seventh Ecumenical Council
of Nicea gave the Orthodox Christian Church’s official approval to the
practice of using icons in prayer. This
means that the leadership approved of icons, even though some
of the people did not approve at all. (For
more information on the controversy, see Icons and Religion.) Because the
controversy
continued, a later meeting (Endemousa Synod) was called in
Constantinople
in 843 A.D. for a final ruling on the matter. Icons
were approved once again. Today, all
Orthodox Christians approve of icons. They
celebrate
the decisions of these church meetings on the first Sunday of every
Lent.
Roughly 1,000 years ago, the first icons in
Russia came from Greek painters in Byzantium. The
Byzantine painters had a very dark and dramatic painting style. Russian artists softened the Byzantine
painting style by using brighter colors.
| The Archangel Gabriel, from Cyprus, looks like a real person--a holy, but real, person. The Archangel Michael, from Russia, looks less human and more idealized. His face, like his clothing, has been stylized according to the canons. |
Russian artists developed a very formal style by using the same poses and symbols for many different figures. This style was shaped by church laws called canons. These canons used a strict set of symbols for showing holiness. (For more information on the canons, see Icons and Religion.) The Russians obeyed the canons (church rules) more strictly than the Greek artists did because they had no outside artistic influences. Greek artists were influenced by Western (European) artists as well as the Eastern (Russian) artists.
In time, icon artists used other materials
to decorate their work. They began using
precious metals to protect icons from too
much handling. The most common were silver and gold-plated (gilded)
silver. They also used precious stones and
gems. (See How
They Were Made for more information.)
| The Virgin of Kazan |
Christ Pantocrator |
By the middle of the 18th century, Russian religious art
was also influenced by Western art. Western artists tried to make their
paintings look as natural as possible. So,
Russian
artists tried mixing naturalism with the traditional canons. Gradually, their icons became more
personalized. It became easier to
recognize the styles of different artists. The images looked more like
portraits—paintings of real people. They also painted portraits of real
people, using some of the same traditional techniques
they had used icons.
| The Royal Romanov
Family of Nicholas II |
By the 19th century, almost every
Russian artist used “modern” or Western painting techniques. 19th century icons were usually
made by machines with cheap metal and printed color.
In the early 20th century, the Russian
Revolution temporarily stopped the production of icons. Their history
as religious objects made them unpopular to the new communist
government.
Here in the 21st century, artists are once again interested in creating traditional icons. Icons are popular all over the world. These days, they are usually collected for their artistic and historical value. It is possible to see them in museums and art galleries. Cheap versions are available for sale as tourist souvenirs. Of course, many people still use them for religious purposes.