N.M. Mikhailova. EVFIMY CHUDOVSKY and DATING OF PARSUNA

"PATRIARCH NIKON WITH CLEAR"

Instead of my description of Parsuna, with which my article began in 1993, I chose this time to replace it with the words of the learned monk, archimandrite of the Resurrection Monastery Leonid (Kavelin), written in 1876. He wrote about the painting that has become famous, and really unique, so exhaustively that over the 140 years that have passed since him, art critics have not come up with anything significant about it. During this time, all foreign artists named by the archimandrite have already been in the role of the author of the famous Parsuna, but none of the versions, due to the lack of new documents, has been proven. Therefore, until now Parsuna remains with the inscription "artist unknown", although many are sure that this is Wuchters.

As for its dating, many sometimes the most fantastic versions were expressed in this field. In my opinion, Archimandrite Leonid put forward the most reasonable one, suggesting that, in any case, Parsuna was written from living people, and not from the dead, and therefore it could not have been written earlier than 1658 (when Gerasim became archimandrite) and later 1665 - the year his death. While working on a book on the history of New Jerusalem, I, of course, could not ignore the problem of attribution of such famous work... In this case, I was interested not so much in the patriarch himself as in the people standing around him. Unexpectedly for myself, among them I found a very famous person at that time - Archdeacon Euthymius, whose circumstances of life were well known. Comparison of dates allowed us to narrow the time frame from the period 1658-1665 (like Archimandrite Leonid, to autumn months 1662, or rather from September to December. Perhaps I will give my arguments in more detail below, but for now I suggest reading what her discoverer wrote about the Parsun. In a magazine article, I would not have been allowed to quote such a large quote, although even then I was sure that it could not be better said. All text highlights and notes are made by me.

Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin). Historical description Resurrection New Jerusalem called mrnastyr. M. 1876. p. 22, 328, 329

“This image in old frames, painted on canvas, is about three arshins high and about two arshins wide, occupies a place in the choirs in the Resurrection Monastery, or New Jerusalem. It depicts the famous Patriarch Nikon, the founder of this monastery, in all the sacred majesty of his dignity in the high, or saintly, place, as it says in the inscription:

St. Nikon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

Inscription: His Holiness Nikon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

Above his head is visible on the wall the image of the Mother of God; the patriarch will have his clergy. They are all in full vestments, as should be in a cathedral service. The patriarch bears the same omophorion and the same miter that are kept in the Patriarchal vestry; on the Persians he has a panagia and a cross. In his left hand he has a staff with horns; right - put on open book held in front of him by the young clerk Herman. His servants await him with reverent attention: the archimandrite of the Resurrection Monastery Gerasim in phelonion and miter, after spiritual father him, hieromonk Leonid, hieromonk Job, archdeacon Euthymius, deacon Josiah, clerk Iliodorus and, finally, clerk Seraphim, holding patriarchal rosary and glasses.

Since all these faces are from monastics, it can be confidently assumed that the painter depicted the hierarchical service, or the preaching of the Word of God, in the Resurrection Monastery.

In terms of its importance in the primitive and domestic churches, it is remarkable for us in the patriarchal clergy. archdeacon [Euthymius- NM] as superior over deacons. He is in the monastic hood, because the archdeacons under the patriarchs, metropolitans and archbishops were appointed from monastics. This rite existed in the Russian Church until the publication of the Spiritual States in 1764. Finally, this very youth, the clerk Seraphim, accompanied the patriarch to the Council, convened in the Chudovo monastery to depose this saint, and there, despite obstacles, he was faced with a cross.

In terms of its content and time, this image is important not only in artistic, but and in historically , because it presents us not only the features and vestments of a great leader in the Russian church, but and his clergy - his co-workers, the compassionate ones. In the correct and at the same time sharp features of the patriarch, some kind of self-awareness of the mind, ardor and staunchness of character, strength of will are expressed. Despite the fact that he crossed over half a century of his life, he still retained vigor and freshness of bodily strength; his intelligent and animated face is in sharp contrast to those around him. Worthy to be in the foreground, it expresses readiness for prayer and heroism.

By similarity him with the image under No. 92 and with others, we can conclude that it is written off here from nature.

Note by HM. Archimandrite Leonidas speaking about the similarity most likely means one of two graphic portraits of Patriarch Nikon, made by Meyerberg in 1662. Both figures are given here in the Appendix, so that, if desired, you can compare.

In the faces around him, the difference in characters, ages, nations and positions is expressed. Take a face for example confessor of the patriarchal... It shows a venerable old man, experienced in monastic life, adorned with gray hair, prudence and humility.

Note by HM. TO Unfortunately, this "venerable old man" was soon caught in a schism and was imprisoned. So, if they wrote Parsun from memory, then we would not see his persona on it.

The faces of the archdeacon and deacons are opposite to him, full of strength, young, fresh; courageous their features promise a courageous bass voice, for which they were elected patriarch, a lover of the sacredness of church ministry. Like other servants, his gaze expresses attention to the words of the saint; while the eyes of two young clerks are fixed on the patriarch in anticipation of his beckoning: one to turn a leaf in the book, the other to give him glasses and a rosary.

Judging by the face, some of Nikon's clerics similar to the Greeks, Jews, Moldovans. And indeed, surrounding himself with foreigners to translate and compare books from Greek and Latin languages, the inquisitive archpastor often studied with them himself. Some of these employees and interlocutors shared disgrace and imprisonment with him.

In the composition of the picture, the artist, faithful to decency and decorum, sacrificed the terrain with the legitimate conditions of perspective. Embarrassed by the placement of faces, he was forced to mix the second plan with the third, at the same time, the proportions of the heads, in order to show in their own light all persons who had their significance in the clergy by the patriarch... If they were placed on both sides of the patriarch, then some would overshadow the others. Yet on one side, in one row, could not fit; for this, he put them in two rows: one above the other , as the zographers do in crowded icons. In addition, the picture still lacks perspective air. But the heads are drawn correctly and clearly, the faces are given an expression corresponding to their character.

Note by HM. In 1968 and 1970 Parsuna was filmed in x-rays... At the same time, the preservation of the author's layer was established - 50%. When I was writing my article about Parsuna, I could see it every day, because at that time I was working as an archivist at the Museum (MOKM). Photocopies X-rays were kept in the museum, and I was allowed to work with them. It seemed to me then that the faces from the layer revealed by the X-ray were much more expressive than those that have come down to us. I have only two photographs of the faces of Archandrite Gerasim and Hieromonk Job. And here they are, so everyone can compare. Unfortunately, I have not preserved a photograph of the patriarch himself. But as far as I remember, it was his face that underwent severe distortion after repeated "corrections".

In general, there is a noticeable agreement and warmth of color, so that this work can be recognized as one of the most beautiful monuments of portrait painting of the 17th century in Russia.

Striking contrast to him in style and some similarity in facial features is the image of Nikon on the icon of St. Kings Constantine and Helena, standing on Calvary in the Resurrection Monastery: the patriarch with the king and queen in prayer falls at the foot of the cross.

HM's note: See this icon below in the Appendix

There you can see a painter-artist, here an icon-painter-imitator. According to the expression, this picture more belongs to Flemish or Dutch than to the Italian, or fryazhskaya, schools. The followers of the first were among the royal and even patriarchal zograf, who, at the sovereign's and hierarch's courts, constituted the family of the Academy of Arts.

Among them were foreign painters: from Austria Danilo Wuchters and Ivan Deters, from Sweden Derson, or Deterson, from England Ivan Ingles, from Poland Stanislav Loputsky, Vasily Poznansky and so on.

Note by HM. Could Archimandrite Leonid think that all the persons listed by him would be tried for the role of the author? The question is rhetorical. This is exactly what happened. In 1889 D.A. Rovinsky attributed the authorship to the Pole S. Loputsky. Young I.E. Grabar in 1910 attributed authorship to the Dutchman Daniel Wuchters, and N. Romanov in 1948 to his son. E.S. Ovchinnikov - to the German Hans Deterson, I.A. Bezminu and a team of Russian craftsmen. Stylistic analysis allowed art critics to find in this work similarities with all styles known in that era in Europe. E.S. Ovchinnikova found "a lot in common" with the Russian icon-painting tradition, L.I. Tanaeva in 1979 - with a "Sarmatian portrait", P.A. Beletsky in 1981 - with a "noble portrait" (although this is the same thing), and N. Romanov - with a "Dutch group portrait of an archaic style." I was not too lazy and reprinted this information from my article. Judging from this passage, at that time I considered it necessary to re-read everything that the connoisseurs had written. The sad story with Parsuna reminded me of a similar mess in another diocese, namely in the literary one. I mean the world famous "Word about the Regiment" (more precisely, "The Iroic Song of Prince Igor") - this is the only ancient work written in ancient Russia. According to various versions set forth in the "Dictionary of Russian scribes", it was written by no less than 20 people from different cities with different professions in the period from 1185 to 1250. As for Parsuna, they did not find its author either, but, in any case, there is much less reason to doubt its authenticity. Let's continue reading Archimandrite Leonid. He tells a lot of interesting things.

They transferred to us the style of the school, which then dominated in Europe, and at the same time the true concept of portrait painting... Doesn't even the very title of the portraits show icons (Greek = similarities), then parsuns, persons, by persons(lat.- person, personne) that portrait art was first borrowed by Russians from the Greeks, after from Italians and Germans. Although the experiments in it were known to Russians even in Kiev under the Grand Duke Svyatoslav Yaroslavich1 and in Moscow under John III, but in the 17th century. it began to spread more when artists began to study the beauty of external lines and bring personality and nationality into art. Then, apart from St. icons, royal and hierarchical chambers, boyar mansions and halls were decorated with portraits of sovereigns and hierarchs.

According to the testimony of Reitenfels in 1670: "Some persons were allowed to have a portrait of the Tsar in their home, as a sign of special mercy." The 1672 "Titular" contains portraits of Tsars Mikhail and Alexei, Tsarevich Alexei Alexeevich and Nikon the Patriarch. The census book of the Armory of 1687 reads: "Parsuna the Great Sovereign Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich on a board 1 arshin 10 vershok long, 1 arshin 1 1/2 vershok wide; Parsun the Great Tsar Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich painted on canvas, 3 arshins 2 vershok long, 2 arshins 1 vershok wide. "

Although the portraits of the patriarchs were not placed over their tombs in the Assumption Cathedral, like the royal ones in the Archangel Cathedral, they were preserved in the Chudov Monastery and in the Patriarch's sacristy. When St. Dionysius, archimandrite of the Sergius Lavra, then, according to the legend of his biographer, many iconographers gathered to his coffin to write off his face.

Using science and art for his own purposes, the far-sighted Nikon also used portraiture to preserve his image and his favorites and servants in the New Jerusalem he created, where he appointed himself a grave at the burial place of the priest-king Melchizedek in ancient Jerusalem.

Unfortunately, in the picture itself, in all likelihood, contemporary to Nikon the Patriarch, We did not find either the name of the artist or the year of its writing. Taking into consideration the very inscription, where is this saint named only by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, one could assume that the image of Nikon written before 1655, when the king was given to him for the salvation of the royal family from the pestilence title of Great Sovereign which he reluctantly accepted.

But if we assume the area in the Resurrection Monastery, whose construction began in 1656, then this picture must be attributed to the year of Nikon's test, when he was accused of unwittingly appropriating the title of Great Sovereign and when this free exile, shaking off the dust from his feet at the Kremlin gates, bound by the spirit, he departed to his New Jerusalem.

The latter is confirmed by the Resurrection depicted in the painting Archimandrite Gerasim, who joined in 1658 in the management of the monastery after Stephen, who built the first wooden church there in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. "

END OF QUOTE, and now I, in theory, have to print my article here. But while I was busy with the search and preparation of illustrations for posting on the site, I realized that the dating of Parsuna is not the most pressing problem, and since the article has been published, the curious can find it by reference, and I do not want to reprint it.

So, perhaps, I will limit myself to letting you know in time brief information about these people, but for now I propose to see 8 of their portraits separately.

UPPER ROW from left to right:

Inscriptions: "... Euphemia, ... Leonidas, ... Herman"

MIDDLE ROW from left to right:

5a. Archim. Gerasim. X-ray. - bottom layer

Icon of the Life-giving Cross (for the Monastery of the Cross on the island of Kiy). 1662 g.

FUTURE: Saints Equal to the Apostles Tsar Constantine and his mother, Queen Helena, who found in Jerusalem in the 4th century. on Calvary the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. In honor of this “ Of the Life-giving Cross"Was built in Jerusalem Godfather monastery.

The second royal couple is Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov and his wife Tsarina Maria.

Below, to the left of the Cross, Patriarch Nikon is kneeling. The icon depicts t from the very cross, which was made by order of Patriarch Nikon on Mount Athos for his Godfather monastery on about. Cue. This cross is now in one of Moscow's churches, and the icon is in a museum in New Jerusalem in Istra.

Patriarch Nikon. Fragment of the Cross icon

V. PATRIARCH NIKON IN LIFE DRAWINGS

"His Holiness Patriarch Nikon and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich".

In the book: N.V. Pokrovsky. Siya icon-painting original. T.III// Monuments ancient writing... SPb., 1897. Issue CXXII. L. 1841, plate XLIII. No. 136.

Princess Tatiana Mikhailovna Romanova (?). "Portrait of Patriarch Nikon"(late 1650s - early 1660s). In the book: A. Rechmensky. Collection of monuments of church antiquity to commemorate the three hundredth anniversary of the reign of the House of Romanov// M., 1913, No. 9. P.37.

Patriarch Nikon in vestments. Rice. Meyerberg when visiting the Iversky Monastery. in 1662 t.

"Patriarch Nikon in ordinary home dress".

In the book: Drawings for the journey through Russia of the Roman-imperial envoy Baron Meyerberg in 1661 and 1662, representing views, folk customs, portraits// SPb., 1827, No. 60.

"Patriarch Nikon"... In the book: Portraits, coats of arms and seals of the Great State Book of 1672. Published by the St. Petersburg Archaeological Institute... SPb., 1903.S. 57.

V.G. Schwartz. "Patriarch Nikon in New Jerusalem" (1867).

In the book: Three centuries. T.I... Edited by V.V. Kallash // M., 1913. Ill. 19.

Dmitriev-Orenburgsky. "End of Patriarch Nikon on the Kotorosl River in Yaroslavl"... Engraver - P.P. In the magazine: Niva. 1892, no. 40. C.872.

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unknown

HISTORY
Source: Wished to be unknown - 1997

SILVER PARSUNA - "300 years 1613-1913 of the house of the Romanovs"
- 1917-1919 in St. Petersburg Emmanuel Nobel was the holder of a similar PARSUN;
- from 1919 to 1934. the holder of the identical PARSUNA was Aleksey Putilov in Paris;
- and from 1934 to 1948 Stepan Lianozov was the largest oil tycoon in Russia of the XX century. was the holder of a similar PARSUN in Paris;
- in 1950, a similar Silver PARSUNA was spotted in trading platforms antiques and numismatics in Munich, then: 1955 - Geneva, 1965 - Rome, 1972 - Kiev, 1986 - Vienna, and in 1994 in Kiev, this masterpiece of the Silver PARSUNA may have traveled.

Continuing Short story from the Seller from 1996 to 2018: Silver PARSUNA, "300 years of 1613-1913 of the Romanov House" was bought 22 years ago in numismatic auctions, the price at that time was high.

Different experts in the field of Numismatics and Antiques comment in different ways. Some say that this type of PARSUNA was produced exclusively by the St. Petersburg Mint. Others argue that this is a personalized - gift work exclusively by Faberge. All the experts who studied, considered this PARSUNA convincingly argued that the quality is ideal, the work is delicate, which is definitely within the power of a master of the highest class, and there were only a few of them.

Some Buyers ask about the brand (the seal of the master) - I had to open the panel and made sure that yes there really are brands (see the photo), It is reliable that only the most famous, skillful craftsmen it was allowed to portray faces Imperial family, dynasty. This suggests that, accordingly, this PARSUNA was made by one of them.

Based on numerous requests and inquiries from specialized antiques specialists regarding the identification of the stamp of the Silver PARSUNA, we received answers with several versions regarding the manufacturer, workshop, master, the stamp displaced on the PARSUNA, which boils down to the assumption:

1-E) The assumption indicates that this brand was supplanted at the end of 1912 on the Silver PARSUN, and that it was made by the factory of the court jeweler Karl Faberge for the anniversary of the House of Romanov, which required a particularly solemn artistic embodiment.

The basis for the egg was a miniature copy of the state shield, as depicted on the PARSUN, a shield that was included in the royal regalia with late XVII century. The egg itself amazes with its special splendor and the depicted faces on it are identical to those depicted on the PARSUNA, which confirms the simultaneous execution of the master's work, and that the PARSUNA and this EGG are and are an individual copy for exclusive gifts for the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty.

2-E) The assumption indicates that this brand was displaced before 1913 on the Silver PARSUN, and that it was made by the factory of Joseph Marshak, and is an individual copy for exclusive gifts for the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. It is known in the world that the works of the factory have been repeatedly noted at all kinds of exhibitions and competitions. For example, at an exhibition in Liege in 1905, the presented products received the Grand Prix.

In 1911, Joseph Marshak's factory was honored to create most exclusive gifts for the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty commissioned by members of the royal family. Joseph Marshak is well known all over the world.

He was the best jeweler in Russia late XIX- the beginning of the XX centuries, and to this day the Jewelry House, founded by his son and named after him, has been successfully operating in Paris.

Also, for example, the Faberge brand was placed exclusively on those goods that were made for sale, auction or for a store. A professional expert sees the quality of the product in the photo, it is this Silver PARSUNA that is ideal in terms of workmanship.

Material: Silver;
- back side has hallmarks (see photo);
- Size 70 × 110 mm (± 2mm);
- Condition: In the photo;
- Storage location: EU Bank.
Prepayment by agreement of the parties:
VISA and MasterCard - Сard 7300 UAH \ Сard 6930 USD

Delivery:
Valuable - including insurance policy;
Pickup from the Bank to the EU, the Buyer's proposals.
No refunds provided.

Storage location: EU Bank. Prepayment by agreement of the parties: VISA and MasterCard - Сard 7300 UAH \ Сard 6930 USD Delivery: Valuable - including insurance policy; Pickup from the Bank to the EU, the Buyer's proposals. No refunds provided.

Publications in the Museums section

The first portraits in Russia appeared around the 17th century, and they were created in the tradition of icon painting. At the same time, women were written extremely rarely, exceptions were made only for royal brides and wives. We recall rare portraits and their history together with Sophia Bagdasarova.

E.P. Gau. The interior of the Romanov Gallery in Winter palace(fragment). 1864, GE

Portraits in Icon Painting Traditions

It is believed that portrait painting in the European sense of this genre arose in Russia only during the reign of Peter the Great. As a rule, they were written by visiting foreign artists and domestic masters who studied abroad. Prior to this, painting was limited to Christian subjects, and images of people could be found on subject frescoes or in miniatures on the pages of manuscripts. However, already in the 17th century, the first portraits - parsuns - appeared in Russia. Kings, princes, boyars were depicted on canvases or boards. Women were not accepted to write, the rule did not apply only to royal brides and wives. The first portraits were created by master icon painters, so the paintings are so reminiscent of canonical images of saints: they are solemn, ornamental, static.

An example of such a portrait is the Parsun of Queen Marfa Apraksina from the Russian Museum. The second wife of Fyodor III Alekseevich was queen for a little more than two months, then her husband died. The picture, judging by the girl's kokoshnik, was painted before their wedding, when Martha was still the royal bride... The portrait was created by an anonymous artist from the Kremlin Armory workshops. All the features of "naive" art are visible here: an unnatural posture, a doll's face, a red outfit - like an applique. But there is also an interesting detail, progressive for that time - Marfa Matveyevna holds in her hands a fan, an object from another, "gallant" world.

Alexey Mikhailovich in the "big outfit" (1682, State Historical Museum)

Armory School. Portrait of Queen Martha Apraksina (1681-1682, Russian Museum)

Unknown artist. Portrait of the steward Prince Ivan Borisovich Repnin (second half of the 17th century)

Large edition portraits

In pre-Petrine times, portraits of royalty from nature were rarely painted. More often they were copied from other images, and then again, and again, until the similarity with the source was completely lost. In one of the portraits, Queen Martha Apraksina is depicted in Russian attire against the background of a landscape - this is a more traditional portrait painting. She has a dog in her hands, most likely a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The portrait was painted much later than her death, in Elizabethan or Catherine's time. Unknown master took as a model and embellished another portrait of the tsarina, oval, today it is kept in the Russian Museum.

The oval portrait was painted at about the same time as the parsuna with a fan - in the pre-wedding period. However, the artist was clearly a master of his craft: the face of the queen and her figure are painted subtly and gracefully, the fabrics of the dress and fur look voluminous. Perhaps the author of the portrait was "a foreigner of the Arnburg lands" Johann Walter. He, like the author of the parsuna with a fan, served in the workshops of the Armory.

Parsun Evdokia Lopukhina in an expensive fur coat is also the result of repeated "correspondence", during which the queen's appearance changed beyond recognition. The primary source - today it is kept in the Russian Museum - was created under Peter II. In his picture, the queen is not young, dressed in clothes of dark colors. From copy to copy, Evdokia Lopukhina blossomed: she herself became younger, and her outfit brighter.

Unknown artist. Portrait of Queen Martha Apraksina (18th century, State Museum of Fine Arts Gatchina)

Unknown artist. Portrait of Queen Martha Apraksina (until 1715, State Russian Museum)

Unknown artist. Portrait of Queen Evdokia Lopukhina (18th century, Chukhloma local history museum them. A.F. Pisemsky)

Imaginary queen

Sometimes artists created “fictional”, retrospective portraits. It was customary to fill the halls of the imperial palaces with portrait galleries of their ancestors. If it was not known what a relative looked like, the artist simply invented his appearance. For example, the Hermitage portrait of Sophia depicts a young girl in an ermine mantle, but during her reign they were not yet worn.

In another portrait, Princess Sophia Alekseevna is depicted in an oval medallion on the chest of a two-headed eagle. The regent is written in a crown, with a scepter and orb - although she was not crowned. Painting researchers believe that the image of the princess could have been recreated from an engraving by Leonty Tarasevich. But the magnificent royal paraphernalia became a figment of the artist's imagination.

In clothes that did not correspond to the era, not only the elder sister of Peter I was immortalized. Tsarina Evdokia Streshneva, the second wife of Mikhail Fedorovich, is also dressed in a luxurious robe. A precious headdress reminiscent of the papal tiara may not have existed at all. In ancient documents, only one female royal crown was described - a gift to Irina Godunova from the Patriarch of Constantinople Eremey II.

Unknown artist. Portrait of Princess Sophia (1700, Russian Museum)

Unknown artist. Portrait of Princess Sophia (19th century, State Hermitage)

Unknown artist. Portrait of Queen Evdokia Streshneva (18th century, State Historical Museum)

Stories of pre-Petrine portraits

The history of pre-Petrine portraits is rarely established, documentary evidence of the creation of paintings reaches the present day, rare. Here is a rare example - the author of the portrait of Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina described it in his petition. The master of the Armory Chamber Mikhail Choglokov created the image "in dormition" in 1694, within 9 days after the death of the queen. In those years, posthumous portraits were painted to be placed in the church over the coffin of the deceased or to be given as a keepsake to relatives. Ivan Nikitin. Portrait of Tsarina Praskovya Saltykova (1st part of the 18th century Sergiev Posad Museum)

The portrait of Tsarina Praskovya Fedorovna Saltykov, wife of Ivan V, was painted by Ivan Nikitin. He was one of the first in Russian painting to move away from the traditional icon-painting style and began to paint pictures with a perspective. Tsarina Praskovya Saltykova is depicted in the portrait in European dress, and for a reason. She led in Petersburg high life, brought up her daughters in accordance with new trends and observed all the emperor's decrees regarding the refusal of the “Russian dress. It can be considered that it was from that time that women from the Romanov family began to dress in European style.

Victoria KHAN-MAGOMEDOVA.

This mysterious parsuna

Man is an object
eternally interesting to humans.

V. Belinsky

A strange duality is inherent in the large Parsuna "Portrait of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich" (1686, State Historical Museum), made in the tradition of icon painting. The face of the young tsar is painted in three dimensions, and the robes and cartouches are flattened. The divine power of the king is emphasized by a halo around the head, the image Savior Not Made by Hands up. There is a special charm in timid, inept Parsuns, in which we see a sign of the times.

V 17th century When secular tendencies intensified in Russia and a keen interest in European tastes and habits emerged, artists began to turn to Western European experience. In such a situation, when there is a search for portraiture, the appearance of a parsuna is quite natural.

“Parsuna” (distorted “person”) is translated from Latin as “person”, not “man” (homo), but a certain type - “king”, “nobleman”, “ambassador” - with emphasis on the concept of gender. Parsuns - secular ceremonial portraits in the interior - were perceived as a sign prestige. The Russian nobility needed to adapt to new cultural trends that penetrated traditional forms of everyday life. Parsuna was well suited for the ceremonial ritual of ceremonial court etiquette cultivated in the princely-boyar environment, to demonstrate the high position of the model. It is no coincidence that the Parsuns are compared with poetic eulogies. In the Parsun, first of all, it was emphasized that the person depicted was of a high rank. The heroes appear in magnificent robes, in rich interiors. The private, the individual is almost not revealed in them. In Parsun, the main thing was always subordination to class norms: there is so much significance and imposingness in the characters. The attention of artists is focused not on the face, but on the pose of the depicted, rich in details, accessories, the image of coats of arms, inscriptions. For the first time, such a complete and varied idea of ​​the first genre of secular art in Russia - Parsun, its origins, modifications - is given by the large-scale, informative and entertaining exhibition "Russian historical portrait... The Age of Parsuna. " More than a hundred exhibits (icons, frescoes, parsuns, face embroidery, coins, medals, miniatures, prints) from 14 Russian and Danish museums show how the art of portraiture was included in life in Russia in different ways in the 17th – 18th centuries. Here you can see an interesting gallery historical figures era. And it is not so important why these mysterious Parsuns were created. They are still invaluable testimonies of the times. One of the earliest exhibits contains the shoulder-length "Portrait of Ivan the Terrible" from National Museum Denmark (1630) - striking expressive eyes and eyebrows, bordered by a dark outline, a generalized interpretation of the face.

It was in the icon-painting environment, among the masters of the Armory Chamber, that a new understanding of man was born. The famous Moscow masters Simon Ushakov and Iosif Vladimirov balance the artistic requirements for an icon and a portrait of a tsar or voivode. Ushakov managed to convey materiality, a sense of corporeality, earthly in the images of saints: he combined icon

traditions with a realistic manner, using new means. His image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, whose face was painted with the help of black and white molding, is both an icon and a portrait with a certain human appearance. This is how the descent of the divine to the human took place. The tsarist icon painters were portraitists of the tsarist court, creating icons and portraits. AND unusual way exposure further enhances the strange appeal of the Parsuns. The portraits hanging from the ceiling are presented on transparent glass backgrounds through which one can see brickwork... And on the pylons covered with red fabric, kings, patriarchs, aristocrats sometimes appear in the manner of saints (Princess Sophia in the image of Tsar Solomon). The half-length "Portrait of Alexei Mikhailovich" (1680s, State Historical Museum) is unusually good. The king is depicted in a ceremonial costume embroidered with pearls and precious stones, in a high hat, covered with fur. The face is interpreted more truthfully than in the early Parsuns. Everything seems to be geared towards emotional impact. The viewer feels the significance of the depicted, occupying a high position, as in the “Portrait of V.F. Lyutkin "(1697, State Historical Museum). Full-length character in a blue caftan with wide sleeves and high cuffs right hand rests on the handle of the sword, with the left holds the floor of the clothes. His self-esteem and self-confidence are well conveyed. The simplicity and conciseness of the plastic characteristics of the face is combined with the light and shade modeling of objects and the ability to convey the texture of fabrics. But still, as in the earlier Parsuns, accessories are of great importance.

The portraits from the famous Preobrazhenskaya series of participants in the "All-drunken cathedral of the All-Right Prince-Pope", created by Peter I in 1694 with the aim of discrediting the church, are especially powerful and powerful. The portraits expressed creative searches, character traits, the attitude of a person at the turn of the Middle Ages and the New Age. Artists are already starting to think about composition.

Members of the "cathedral" - representatives of noble families took part in masquerade processions, buffoonery celebrations. The portraits boldly ridicule the traditional way of life of Ancient Russia, satirical characters endowed with strong emotions, but such a grotesque is not typical. Those depicted in the portraits of the Preobrazhenskaya series were considered jesters, but after research and clarification of the names of the characters, it turned out that the portraits depicted representatives of famous Russian surnames: the Apraskins, Naryshkins ... associates of Peter. The portrait of Yakov Turgenev (1695) is striking by the extreme nudity of the personality. The tired, wrinkled face of a middle-aged man. There is something tragic in his sad eyes, directed at the viewer, in the features of his face, as if distorted by a bitter grimace. And his fate was tragic. One of the first companions-in-arms of young Peter in the "cathedral" had the title of "old warrior and Kiev colonel." He commanded a company in the maneuvers of Peter's amusing troops. But from 1694 he began to play in buffoonery festivities, and Peter's amusements were fierce and wild character... Soon after his parody and blasphemous wedding, Turgenev died.

Unusual portraits of the Preobrazhensky series, in which the traditions of icon painting, the Parsuns were combined with the grotesque line of Western European art, did not receive further development in Russian portraiture, which chose a different path.