The legendary name of Andrei Rublev, who worked in the 15th century, was preserved in the people's memory, and works of different times were often associated with him when they wanted to emphasize their outstanding historical or artistic significance. Thanks to restorations, the release of monuments from the later layers, it was possible to recognize the true painting of the master. In parallel with the restoration discoveries, information from historical sources was accumulated, which began to be used for systematic searches for the works of Andrei Rublev. Thus, the true discovery of Rublev's painting took place in the twentieth century.
It is not known exactly when Andrei Rublev was born, what class he belonged to, who was his teacher in painting. Most researchers conditionally consider 1360 as the date of birth of the artist. The earliest information about the artist comes from the Moscow Trinity Chronicle. Among the events of 1405, it is reported that “the same spring, more often than not, the stone church signed the holy annunciation to the prince of the great court, and the masters byahu Theophanes the iconic Greek, and Prokhor the old man from Gorodets, and the black Andrei Rublev.” The mention of the name of the master last, according to the then tradition, meant that he was the youngest in the artel. But at the same time, participation in the honorary order to decorate the house church of Vasily Dmitrievich, the eldest son of Dmitry Donskoy, along with Theophan the Greek, then famous in Rus', characterizes Andrei Rublev as already quite a recognized, authoritative master.
The following message of the Trinity Chronicle refers to the year 1408: on May 25, “they began to sign the great stone church of the Holy Mother of God in Vladimir by order of the Great Prince and the masters Danilo the Iconist and Andrei Rublev.” Daniil mentioned here is Andrei's "friend", better known under the name of Daniil Cherny, a comrade in subsequent works. Vladimir Assumption Cathedral, mentioned in the annals, the oldest monument of the pre-Mongolian era, erected in the second half of the 12th century under princes Andrei Bogolyubsky and Vsevolod the Big Nest, was the metropolitan's cathedral. The temple, devastated and scorched by the Horde conquerors, needed to be restored. The Moscow prince Vasily Dmitrievich, a representative of the branch of the Vladimir princes, descendants of the Monomakhs, undertook the renewal of the Assumption Cathedral at the beginning of the 15th century as a kind of natural and necessary act associated with the revival of the spiritual and cultural tradition of Rus' of the era of national independence after the victory on the Kulikovo field.
From the works of Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, the icons of the iconostasis have survived to this day, forming a single ensemble with frescoes, partially preserved on the walls of the temple.
In 1768-1775, the dilapidated iconostasis of 1408, due to inconsistency with the tastes of the Catherine's era, was taken out of the cathedral and sold to the village of Vasilyevskoye near Shuya (now the Ivanovo region). Information about the later fate of the iconostasis prompted the Central State Restoration Workshops to organize a special expedition, which in 1919-1922 removed the preserved monuments. After restoration, these icons entered the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery and the State Russian Museum. The iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral included icons of the deesis, festive and prophetic rows. In accordance with the size of the cathedral, its iconostasis is one of the largest that has come down to us. Thus, the Deesis icons (eleven of them in the gallery collection) have a height of 3.14 m. which belonged to Andrey Rublev.
The Vladimir Deesis is a stylistically integral ensemble of a single epic solemn rhythm, perfectly correlated with the scale of the interior and the compositional structure of the fresco images. The coloristic solution of the deesis is harmonically clear. Calm, uncomplicated and pure colors are in perfect agreement with the general sublimely enlightened intonation. The ideological idea of the composition of the deesis (in Greek, “deesis” means “prayer”) is connected with the theme of the Last Judgment and reflects the idea of the intercession and prayer of the saints for the human race before the Savior. The program of the "Last Judgment" in the frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral is solved with special penetration. The vast space of the temple is filled with images of sublime beauty and nobility. In the icon deesis, which correlates with the images of the fresco ensemble, the individual characteristics of the Savior and the saints presented in prayer before him are, as it were, strengthened and sharpened.
The central icon of the deesis "The Savior in Power" depicts Jesus Christ with the revealed text of the Gospel, sitting on a throne. The red rhombus framing Christ, the bluish-green oval and the red quadrangle symbolize his glory and "powers", heavenly (in the oval) and earthly (symbols of the four evangelists at the corners of the rhombus). The icon of the Savior, like most of the icons of the iconostasis, was repeatedly updated, painted and strengthened. The restoration opening of the monument revealed the author's surface with areas of inserts on the new ground and a thorough wear of the original painting with the loss of delicate transparent upper layers (glazes). But thanks to the technological solidity of the monument, the multi-layered painting of the face, beautifully filled with melt, the modern viewer, even in this state of the icon, is able to comprehend the depth and sublime nobility of the image, appreciate the pure, soft-sounding tones of the icon, its solemn, classically clear rhythm. The majesty of the appearance of the Savior, combined with spiritual softness, make it possible to see here the national Russian ideal, fundamentally different from the Greek one, the presence of which is so noticeable in the monuments of the pre-Ruble era. In the expressive face of the Savior, the viewer can easily notice Slavic ethnic features. In his image, people's ideas about justice, trampled in real life, were embodied. The saints praying before the Savior, represented on other icons, are filled with selfless faith in a fair trial. Surprisingly accurate soulful characteristics were found for each character, which at the same time do not violate the intonational unity of the entire ensemble. The ability to unite large multi-figure groups with a single emotional sound is one of the features of Andrey Rublev's compositional gift. In the image of the Mother of God, a capacious, monumental, flowing silhouette is emphasized, broken by an accentuated gesture of outstretched hands in prayer. The whole image is imbued with a meek and sad prayer, intercession "for the human race." In the image of John the Baptist, attention is focused on the theme of majestic sorrow, “spiritual lamentation,” according to an old expression. John calls for repentance, which is stated in a large inscription in a charter on an unfolded scroll in his hand. John the Theologian and Andrew the First-Called, Gregory the Great and John Chrysostom turn to the Savior with epic concentration and trust. In the image of Gregory the Great, wise by the experience of a long life, majesty was combined with meek calmness, thoughtfulness. In several layers, in a warm tone, the face is smoothly written, traversed by the elegant graphics of the upper picture. The scarlet stripes of the lining of the sakkos, the pale green omophorion with the finest tints, the green edge of the Gospel, the lid of which is intricately ornamented, are marked by a special beauty of a pure, exquisitely composed tone.
The true adornment of the coloring of the deesis series are sections of red cinnabar arranged in certain places and with a certain calculation, different in area and configuration. These are the geometric frames of the figure of the Savior on the throne in the center, the wide cloaks of the archangels and narrow expressive inclusions on the icons of Saints Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.
The presence in the deesis composition among the praying saints of two figures of the archangels, Michael and Gabriel, goes back to a long tradition of depicting “heavenly powers” worshiping him on the sides of the central image of Jesus Christ (the Savior). In the painting of Andrei Rublev, the images of angels are given special importance. In the fresco ensemble of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, numerous faces of angels present an exceptional beauty and variety of a spectacle that draws a person into the world of sublime feelings and moods. The angels on the icons of the deesis organically complement the images of angels trumpeting into heaven and earth, twisting the vault of heaven, standing behind the apostles in the Last Judgment, worshiping the Mother of God, solemnly sitting on the throne.
The festive row located above the deesis, illustrating the gospel events, has not been completely preserved. In total, five icons have come down to us: "Annunciation", "Descent into Hell", "Ascension" (in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery), "Presentation" and "Nativity" (in the collection of the State Russian Museum). Most researchers tend to consider these monuments as the works of the workshop of Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny. Three festive icons from the gallery's collection were made by different masters, but they are united by the unity of scale, compositional-rhythmic and coloristic principles, and the impeccability of the drawing. According to ancient tradition, the leading masters were the authors of a drawing or graphic drawing, they were called bannermen. Probably such denominators of the Vladimir "holidays" were "friends" Andrey Rublev and Daniil Cherny. A lot was laid down in the preliminary drawing, so that the subsequent work with paints, no matter how individual it was, retained the main properties of the image, destined by the leading master. That is why the Vladimir "holidays" do not fall out of a single ensemble of the iconostasis. Perhaps responsible images or details were painted by the main masters. The icon "Ascension" stands out for its most perfect execution, and many researchers attribute it to Andrei Rublev himself. The image of Christ ascending into the heavenly world in the circle of glory, accompanied by gracefully soaring angels, deployed on a relatively small space of the icon surface, captures the greatness of the moment. The figures of two angels standing among the apostles in white robes, as if pierced by light, point with their raised hands to the evidence of the miracle taking place. On the tops of the mountainous landscape, which serves as a backdrop to what is happening, fragments of trees with lush crowns, as if illuminated by a mystical light and shimmering blue-white-red highlights on fruits or flowers, have been preserved. The image of these trees is correlated with the idea of a "life-giving tree", one of the ancient symbols of Christ and the Resurrection. Nature, responding to an event presented as a cosmic event, is depicted by the artist with an understanding of the most ancient symbolic identifications, rooted in deep pre-Christian antiquity.
Against the background of the bright clothes of the angels, the figure of the Mother of God stands out in the center of the group. Hand gestures emphasize her state: the left hand with an open palm, as it were, is in contact with divine energy, which fills the space, the right hand in the gesture of conversation is turned towards the Apostle Peter, who sedately extended his hand in a similar position. On either side of the Mother of God, the apostles, filled with sublime joy, contemplate the miracle of the Ascension. It should be noted the typological similarity of the faces of the icon with similar images in frescoes and deesis. In the ensemble of 1408, most of the characters acquired those character traits, which, in the future, will determine the Rublev type.
The icon "Ascension", like no other of the multi-figure holiday icons, has a special rhythmic organization of the composition. Here, Andrei Rublev's characteristic sense of harmony, plastic balance manifested itself. The color of the icon is diverse due to the nuance of each tone. The picturesque planes of the main tones are enlivened by the richness of the upper modeling pattern and glazes.
The next work by Andrey Rublev is the so-called "Zvenigorod rank", one of the most beautiful icon ensembles of Rublev's painting. The rank consists of three belt icons: the Savior, the Archangel Michael and the Apostle Paul. They come from Zvenigorod near Moscow, in the past the center of a specific principality. Three large-sized icons were probably once part of a seven-figure deesis. In accordance with the established tradition, the Mother of God and John the Baptist were located on the sides of the Savior, on the right the icon of the Archangel Michael corresponded to the icon of the Archangel Gabriel, and paired with the icon of the Apostle Paul, the icon of the Apostle Peter should have been on the left. The surviving icons were discovered by the restorer G.O. Chirikov in 1918 in a woodshed near the Assumption Cathedral on Gorodok during an examination by the expedition of the Central State Restoration Workshops of this ancient princely temple of Yuri Zvenigorodsky, the second son of Dmitry Donskoy. Since the nature of the location of the icons on the altar barrier is not entirely clear, the rank could be included in the iconostasis of both the princely Assumption Cathedral and the neighboring Nativity Cathedral of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, whose patron was the Zvenigorod prince.
With regard to this group of monuments, the authorship of Andrei Rublev, unfortunately, is not verified by any of the written sources that have come down to us, contemporary painting. After the restoration of the tier, I.E. Grabar, who first published it, based on the data of stylistic analysis, attributed the icons as works by Andrei Rublev. This attribution, not disputed by any of the researchers of the artist's work, is confirmed at the same time and historical facts. The alleged customer of the rank, Yuri Zvenigorodsky, is known for his connections with the Trinity-Sergius Monastery; he was the godson of St. Sergius of Radonezh and erected a stone Trinity Cathedral over his coffin (1422). It is natural to assume that Andrei Rublev, who worked in the Trinity Monastery, could fulfill the order of a major investor, who was also the godson of the founder of the monastery.
Later information has been preserved that is associated with the Zvenigorod rank. According to the inventory of 1697-1698, seven icons of the deesis were hung on the walls of the Assumption Cathedral in Gorodok. It is difficult to say why the deesis at that time was located not on the altar barrier. Maybe the icons were transferred from the Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery, maybe they were transferred from the altar barrier of the Assumption Cathedral.
The "Zvenigorod" rank combined high pictorial merits with a depth of figurative content. The soft soulful intonations, the “quiet” light of its coloring surprisingly echo the poetic mood of the landscape of the Zvenigorod environs, the most beautiful places near Moscow, personifying the image of the Motherland for us. In the Zvenigorod rank, Andrei Rublev appears as an established master who reached the heights on the path, an important stage of which was painting in 1408 in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. Using the possibilities of a half-length image, as if bringing enlarged faces closer to the viewer, the artist counts on long-term contemplation, attentive peering, and interview.
The central icon of the deesis "Savior" is marked by special significance, infinite, inexhaustible depth of its content. With this mature work, Rublev affirms the iconographic type of Christ, which is fundamentally different from the Byzantine one, the previous version of which was similar images in the ensemble of 1408 (the fresco of the Savior the Judge from the Last Judgment and the iconic Savior in the Powers discussed above). The Zvenigorod "Spas" seems to lose a certain abstraction of the images of the deity and appears humanized, inspiring confidence and hope, bearing a good beginning. The master endows Christ with Russian traits and outwardly, and makes them feel in the inner warehouse, in a special tonality of the state: clarity, benevolence, active participation. Despite the fragmentarily preserved face and half of the figure, the impression of the image is so complete and complete that it suggests the fundamental, increased importance in the art of Andrei Rublev of the expressiveness of the face and eyes. In this, the master follows the precepts of pre-Mongolian art, which left excellent examples of the psychological expressiveness of faces: “Our Lady of Vladimir”, “Ustyug Annunciation”, Novgorod “Savior Not Made by Hands”, “Angel with Golden Hair”, “Savior with Golden Hair”. Endowing the Savior with a Slavic appearance, the master paints the face in exceptionally soft light tones.
The expressiveness of the Byzantine faces of that time was achieved by contrasting the brown-green lining tone (in Greek "sankir") with a light, strongly whitened layer of subsequent modeling (ochre). In Byzantine faces, the whitening strokes - “engines” laid on top of the modeling layers, were sharply distinguished, which were sometimes fan-shaped, sometimes in pairs or combined into groups. Cinnabar stains also sound contrastingly and artistically catchy in Greek faces: on the lips, as a “blush”, along the shape of the nose, along the contour of the eye sockets and in the inner corner of the eyes (teardrop). This is how the faces of Feofanovsky's deesis from the Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin, including the face of the icon of the Savior, are written.
Rublyovskaya face painting is different. The Russian icon painter prefers a soft chiaroscuro style, the so-called melt, that is, smoothly, “fluidly,” as the icon painters said, and the tones laid in several layers, taking into account the translucence of the brighter lining through the transparent and light upper ones. The most protruding places were covered with light modeling ocher several times, so that these areas of multi-layer writing give the impression of radiating light, luminiferous. To enliven the painting of the face, a thin layer of cinnabar was laid in certain places between the final layers of ocher (called by icon painters “in a rouge”). The features of the face were outlined in a confident, calligraphically clear upper brown pattern. Modeling of the form was completed with very delicately placed whitening “engines”. They were not painted as actively in the faces of the Rublev circle and were not as numerous as those of Theophan and the Greek masters. Thin, graceful, slightly curved, they were not opposed to the tone on top of which they were laid, but served as an organic completion of the light molding of the form, becoming part of this smooth highlighting, as if its culmination.
Turning to the image of the Archangel Michael, it should be noted his proximity to the circle of angelic images in the wall painting of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. The elegance and flexibility of the contour, the proportionality of movement and rest, the subtly conveyed pensive, contemplative state - all this makes the image especially related to the angels on the slopes of the large vault of the cathedral. Among the frescoes there is an angel, which can be considered as preceding the Zvenigorod one. It is located on the southern slope of the large vault, in the second row, where it rises above the seated Apostle Simon. But the fresco angel is perceived in the circle of his numerous brothers, the entire fresco angelic host or cathedral. His figurative characteristics are, as it were, dissolved in the environment of those like him. Archangel Michael of Zvenigorod is an icon from the deesis. Like, probably, the now-lost icon of the Archangel Gabriel, which is paired with it, it embodied the quintessence of the “angelic theme”, since through these two images in the deesis the “heavenly powers” coming to Christ are perceived, praying for the human race.
The Zvenigorod archangel was born in the imagination of the artist of the highest thoughts and embodied the dream of harmony and perfection that lives in his soul in spite of all the hardships and tragic circumstances of that life. In the image of the archangel, distant echoes of Hellenic images and ideas about the sublime beauty of the heavenly inhabitants, correlated with a purely Russian ideal, marked by sincerity, thoughtfulness, and contemplation, seem to have merged.
The picturesque solution of the icon is distinguished by its exceptional beauty. The pinkish tones prevailing in the personal melt are slightly enhanced by a pink splash along the nose line. Delicate, slightly plump lips, written in more intense pink, seem to concentrate this leading tone. Golden blond hair in soft curls framing the face gives the range a warmer tone, which is consistent with the golden assist of the angel wings, written in bright ocher, and with the gold of the background. The turquoise-blue bandage in the hair, as if penetrated by light, is woven into this golden scale like a blotch of noble enamel. It has a tonally echo of blue, a more muted shade in paportkas (wings) and in small sections of a tunic with a gold patterned mantle. But the prevailing in the dolichny (a term in iconography, meaning all painting, except for the face, that is, painted before the face) is again pink. This is the tone of an angelic himation draped over the shoulders and draped in exquisite folds. Filling most of the painterly surface, the pink tone is expertly modeled with whitened creases accentuated by an overhead pattern of thickened coral pink tone. The coloristic solution of this icon, which combines golden yellow, pink and blue tones, ennobled with gold of the background, ornament and assisted shading of angel wings, as if ideally corresponds to the image of the archangel, the heavenly celestial.
The third character of the rank, the Apostle Paul, appears in the master's interpretation as completely different from what he was usually depicted in the circle of Byzantine art of that time. Instead of the energy and decisiveness of the Byzantine image, the master revealed the features of philosophical depth, epic contemplation. The clothes of the apostle, with their color, the rhythm of folds, the subtlety of tonal transitions, enhance the impression of sublime beauty, peace, enlightened harmony and clarity.
The Tretyakov Gallery also holds Andrei Rublev's most famous work, the famous Trinity. Created in the prime of his creative powers, the icon is the pinnacle of the artist's art. At the time of Andrei Rublev, the theme of the Trinity, embodying the idea of a triune deity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), was perceived as a symbol of the reflection of universal existence, the highest truth, a symbol of spiritual unity, peace, harmony, mutual love and humility, readiness to sacrifice oneself for the common good. Sergius of Radonezh founded a monastery near Moscow with the main temple in the name of the Trinity, firmly believing that "looking at the Holy Trinity conquered the fear of the hated strife of this world."
The Monk Sergius of Radonezh, under the influence of whose ideas the worldview of Andrei Rublev was formed, was a holy ascetic and an outstanding personality in the history of mankind. He stood up for overcoming civil strife, actively participated in political life Moscow, contributed to its rise, reconciled the warring princes, contributed to the unification of Russian lands around Moscow. A special merit of Sergius of Radonezh was his participation in the preparation of the Battle of Kulikovo, when he helped Dmitry Donskoy with his advice and spiritual experience, strengthened his confidence in the correctness of the chosen path and, finally, blessed the Russian army before the Battle of Kulikovo. The personality of Sergius of Radonezh had special authority for his contemporaries, a generation of people from the era of the Battle of Kulikovo was brought up on his ideas, and Andrei Rublev, as the spiritual heir to these ideas, embodied them in his work.
In the twenties of the 15th century, an artel of craftsmen, headed by Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, decorated the Trinity Cathedral in the monastery of St. Sergius, erected over his coffin, with icons and frescoes. The iconostasis included, as a highly venerated temple image, the icon of the Trinity, traditionally placed in the lower (local) row on the right side of the Royal Doors. There is evidence from one of the sources of the 17th century that the abbot of the monastery Nikon instructed Andrei Rublev "to write the image of the Holy Trinity in praise of his father, St. Sergius."
The plot of the "Trinity" is based on the biblical story about the appearance of a deity to the righteous Abraham in the form of three beautiful young angels. Abraham and his wife Sarah treated the strangers under the shade of the oak of Mamre, and Abraham was given to understand that the deity in three persons was embodied in the angels. Since ancient times, there have been several versions of the image of the Trinity, sometimes with details of the feast and episodes of the slaughter of the calf and the baking of bread (in the gallery's collection, these are icons of the Trinity of the XIV century from Rostov Veliky and the XV century from Pskov).
In the Rublev icon, attention is focused on three angels and their condition. They are depicted seated around the throne, in the center of which is placed the Eucharistic chalice with the head of a sacrificial calf, symbolizing the New Testament lamb, that is, Christ. The meaning of this image is sacrificial love. The left angel, meaning God the Father, blesses the cup with his right hand. The middle angel (Son), depicted in the gospel robes of Jesus Christ, lowered to the throne with his right hand with a symbolic signet, expresses obedience to the will of God the Father and readiness to sacrifice himself in the name of love for people. The gesture of the right angel (Holy Spirit) completes the symbolic conversation between the Father and the Son, affirming the lofty meaning of sacrificial love, and consoles the doomed to sacrifice. Thus, the image of the Old Testament Trinity (that is, with details of the plot from the Old Testament) turns into an image of the Eucharist (Good Sacrifice), symbolically reproducing the meaning of the Gospel Last Supper and the sacrament established on it (communion with bread and wine as the body and blood of Christ). The researchers emphasize the symbolic cosmological significance of the compositional circle, in which the image fits succinctly and naturally. In the circle they see a reflection of the idea of the Universe, the world, unity, embracing the multiplicity, the cosmos. When comprehending the content of the Trinity, it is important to understand its versatility. The symbolism and ambiguity of the images of the "Trinity" go back to ancient times. For most peoples, such concepts (and images) as a tree, a bowl, a meal, a house (temple), a mountain, a circle, had a symbolic meaning. The depth of Andrey Rublev's awareness of ancient symbolic images and their interpretations, the ability to combine their meaning with the content of Christian dogma suggest a high level of education, characteristic of the then enlightened society and, in particular, of the artist's likely environment.
The symbolism of the "Trinity" is correlated with its pictorial and stylistic properties. Among them, color is the most important. Since the contemplated deity was a picture of the heavenly mountain world, the artist, with the help of paints, sought to convey the sublime "heavenly" beauty that was revealed to the earthly gaze. The painting of Andrei Rublev, especially of the Zvenigorod rank, is distinguished by a special purity of color, the nobility of tonal transitions, the ability to give color a luminosity of radiance. Light is emitted not only by golden backgrounds, ornamental cuts and assists, but also by the gentle melting of bright faces, pure shades of ocher, peacefully clear blue, pink and green tones of angels' clothes. The symbolism of the color in the icon is especially noticeable in the leading sound of the blue-blue, called Rublev's cabbage rolls. Comprehending the beauty and depth of content, correlating the meaning of the "Trinity" with the ideas of Sergius of Radonezh about contemplation, moral improvement, peace, harmony, we seem to come into contact with the inner world of Andrei Rublev, his thoughts, embodied in this work.
The icon was in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity Monastery, which later became a Lavra, until the twenties of our century. During this time, the icon has undergone a number of renovations and copybooks. In 1904-1905, on the initiative of I.S. Ostroukhov, a member of the Moscow Archaeological Society, a well-known artist, icon collector and trustee of the Tretyakov Gallery, the first thorough clearing of the Trinity from later records was undertaken. The work was supervised by the famous icon painter and restorer V.P. Guryanov. The main notes were removed, but the inscriptions were left on the inserts of the new gesso, and in accordance with the methods of the restoration of that time, additions were made in the places of loss that did not distort the author's painting.
In 1918-1919 and in 1926 the best craftsmen The Central State Restoration Workshops carried out the final cleaning of the monument. In 1929, the Trinity, as a priceless masterpiece of ancient Russian painting, was transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery. There is still, as it were, a second circle of monuments created in the traditions of Andrei Rublev's painting, probably by his students and followers.
To the Trinity iconostasis, for which Andrey Rublev wrote the "Trinity", rises over the gate canopy with the image of the Eucharist. The compositional and iconographic scheme of the vestibule closely repeats the solution of the two icons of the Trinity iconostasis (“Communion with bread” and “Communion with wine”), and it is possible that it was written specifically for the Royal Doors of the Trinity Cathedral. The monument originates from the Annunciation Church located near the Trinity Monastery (Lavra) in the village of Annunciation, or Knyazhy, an ancient patrimony of the extinct family of the Radonezh princes. The village was donated as a contribution to the monastery by Prince Andrei Vladimirovich of Radonezh. The subtly conveyed thoughtful and contemplative state of the characters in the Eucharist is close to the character and spirit of Rublev's works.
The Rublyov monuments kept in the Tretyakov Gallery were created at the time of the highest flowering of Moscow art in the 15th century. Having joined in the XIV century due to historical conditions to the Byzantine (Constantinople) art of the so-called Paleolog style (that is, the period of the reign of the Palaiologos dynasty in Byzantium), a style that had an impact on the culture of most countries of the Eastern Christian world, Moscow masters, having mastered its individual elements and techniques, managed to overcome the Byzantine heritage. Rejecting the asceticism and severity of Byzantine images, their abstractness, Andrei Rublev, however, sensed their ancient, Hellenic basis and translated it into his art. Andrei Rublev managed to fill traditional images with new content, correlating it with the main ideas of the time: the unification of Russian lands into a single state and universal peace and harmony.
Academician D.S. Likhachev noted that “the national ideals of the Russian people are most fully expressed in the works of their two geniuses - Andrei Rublev and Alexander Pushkin. It was in their work that the dreams of the Russian people about the very good man about ideal human beauty. The era of Rublev was the era of the revival of faith in man, in his moral strength, in his ability to sacrifice himself in the name of lofty ideals.
Chronology of the life and work of Andrei Rublev
Around 1360 - Andrei Rublev was born, probably in middle lane Russia. According to other sources, he was born in 1365.
Late 1390s - Creation of miniatures for the book "The Gospel of Khitrovo".
Until 1405 - He took monasticism with the name Andrei in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. According to other sources - in the Andronikov Monastery.
1405 - Worked together with Theophan the Greek and Prokhor, "the elder from Gorodets", on the decoration with icons and frescoes of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the home church of the Moscow princes. "Transformation".
1408 - Together with Daniil Cherny, he worked on the painting and iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. "The Mother of God", "John the Theologian", "The Apostle Andrew", "The Savior is in strength".
Between 1408-1422 - Creation of the Belt Zvenigorod rank. "Savior", "Archangel Michael", "Apostle Paul".
Around 1411 (according to other sources 1427) - Icon "Trinity".
Between 1422-1427 - Together with Daniil Cherny, he supervised the painting and creation of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. The temple image of the Trinity is written.
All subsequent ancient Russian painting has experienced and continues to experience the enormous impact of Rublev's work. In 1551, at the Stoglavy Cathedral, Rublev's iconography was proclaimed the perfect role model.
The second birth of Rublev took place already in the 20th century, when numerous restorations of his works were carried out, studies of the master's life and clarification of his biography. Gradually, the name of Rublev becomes a legend, a kind of symbol of the lost Holy Rus' and all ancient Russian art. The brightest expression of this legend was Andrei Tarkovsky's film "Andrei Rublev", filmed in 1971, which expressively emphasized the amazing contrast of an extremely cruel historical era and the peacefully harmonious images of the reverend painter.
Andrei Rublev is revered as one of the great Russian saints.
In Russia and abroad, this name is well known - Andrei Rublev. Icons and frescoes, created by the master about six centuries ago, are a real gem of Russian art and still excite the aesthetic feelings of people.
First information
Where and when Andrei Rublev was born is unknown. There are suggestions that this happened around 1360-70, in the Moscow principality, or in Veliky Novgorod. Information about when the master began to paint the faces of the Saints is contained in medieval historical documents. From the "Trinity Chronicle" found in Moscow, it is known that, being a monk (monk), Rublev painted together with Feofan the Greek and Prokhor Gorodetsky the house church of Prince Vladimir Dmitrievich, son of Dmitry Donskoy.
Iconostasis of Vladimir Cathedral
A few years later, according to the same "Trinity Chronicle", in collaboration with the famous icon painter Daniil Cherny, he restored the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral after the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars, it was Andrei Rublev. The icons that made up a single ensemble with frescoes have survived to this day. True, in the magnificent era of Catherine the Second, the dilapidated iconostasis turned out to be out of step with the current fashion, and it was transferred from the cathedral to the village of Vasilyevskoye (now in the Ivanovo region). In the 20th century, these part of them entered the collection of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, the other part was placed in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Deesis
The central part of the Vladimir iconostasis, which is made up of icons painted by Andrei Rublev, is occupied by the Deesis (“prayer” in Greek). His main idea is God's judgment, which in the Orthodox environment is called Terrible. More precisely, this is the idea of the ardent intercession of the saints before Christ for the entire human race. The image is imbued with a high spirit of love and mercy, nobility and moral beauty. In the center on the throne - Jesus with an open Gospel in his hands. The figure is inscribed in a scarlet rhombus, this color symbolizes royalty and at the same time sacrifice. The rhombus is placed in a green-blue oval, personifying the union of the human with the Divine. This composition is in a red square, each corner of which is reminiscent of the four Evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Soft shades are harmoniously combined with slender clarity of lines.
Features in the image of the faces of Saints
What new did Andrey Rublev bring to the image of the Savior? Icons depicting the Lord existed in Byzantine culture, however amazing combination majestic solemnity with extraordinary meekness and tenderness makes the master's creations unsurpassed and unique. In the image of Rublevsky Christ, the ideas of Russian people about justice are clearly visible. The faces of the saints praying before Jesus are full of fervent hope for a judgment - just and right. The image of the Mother of God is filled with prayer and sorrow, and in the image of the Forerunner one can read inexplicable grief for the entire erring human race. The apostles and Gregory the Great, Andrew the First-Called selflessly pray to the Savior, and Michael is depicted here as worshiping angels, their images are full of heavenly solemn beauty, speaking of the delightful world of heaven.
"Spas" Andrei Rublev
Among the iconographic images of the master, there are several masterpieces, which are said to be the icon of the Savior.
Andrei Rublev was occupied with the image of Jesus Christ, and indeed such works as “The Almighty Savior”, “The Savior Not Made by Hands”, “The Savior of the Golden Hair”, “The Savior in Power” were created by the great painter. Emphasizing the extraordinary gentleness of the Lord, Rublev guessed the main component of the Russian national ideal. It is no coincidence that the color range shining with gentle warm light. This went against the Byzantine tradition, in which the face of the Savior was painted with contrasting strokes, contrasting the green and brown colors of the background with the strongly highlighted lines of facial features.
If we compare the face of Christ, created by a Byzantine master who was, according to some evidence, Rublev's teacher, with the images painted by a student, we will see a clear difference in manner. Rublev lays the colors smoothly, preferring soft transitions of light into shadow to contrast. The lower layers of paint transparently shine through the upper layers, as if a quiet, joyful light is streaming from the inside of the icon. That is why its iconography can be safely called luminiferous.
"Trinity"
Or as it is called, the icon "Holy Trinity" by Andrei Rublev is one of the greatest creations of the Russian Renaissance. It is based on the most famous biblical story about how the righteous Abraham was visited in the guise of three angels.
The creation of the icon "Trinity" by Andrei Rublev goes back to the history of the painting of the Trinity Cathedral. It was placed to the right of the bottom row of the iconostasis, as it was supposed to.
The Mystery of the Holy Trinity
The composition of the icon is constructed in such a way that the figures of angels form a symbolic circle - a sign of eternity. They sit around a table with a bowl in which lies the head of a sacrificial calf - a symbol of redemption. The central and left angels bless the bowl.
Behind the angels we see Abraham's house, the oak under which he received his Guests, and the peak of Mount Moriah, which Abraham ascended to sacrifice his son Isaac. There later, in the time of Solomon, the first temple was erected.
It is traditionally believed that the figure of the middle angel depicts Jesus Christ, his right hand with folded fingers symbolizes unconditional submission to the will of the Father. The angel on the left is the figure of the Father blessing the cup that the Son is to drink to atone for the sins of all mankind. The right angel depicts the Holy Spirit, overshadowing the consent of the Father and the Son and comforting Him Who will soon sacrifice himself. This is how Andrei Rublev saw the Holy Trinity. In general, his icons are always full of high symbolic sound, but in this one it is especially penetrating.
There are, however, researchers who interpret the compositional distribution of the faces of the Holy Trinity in a different way. They say that God the Father sits in the middle, behind whom the Tree of Life is depicted - a symbol of source and completion. We read about this tree on the first pages of the Bible (it grows in and on its last pages when we see it in New Jerusalem. The Left Angel is located against the background of a building that can denote the Housebuilding of Christ - His Ecumenical Church. We see the Right Angel against the backdrop of a mountain : it was on the mountain that the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles after the Ascension of Christ.
Color plays a special role in the space of the icon. Noble gold shines in it, delicate ocher, greens, azure blue and soft pink shades shimmer. Sliding color transitions are in harmony with the smooth tilts of the head, the movements of the hands of the calmly sitting Angels. In the faces of the three hypostases of the Divine, unearthly sadness lurks and at the same time - peace.
Finally
The icons of Andrey Rublev are mysterious and ambiguous. Photos that contain images of the Deity give us an incomprehensible feeling of confidence that the meaning of the Universe and every human life is in loving and reliable hands.
Chronicles speak very sparingly. We only know that he was a monk, we know that he painted several cathedrals, and often not just one, but together with other famous icon painters: Theophan the Greek, Prokhor and Daniel. We know that in the days when he was not engaged in icons (on holidays), the Monk Andrew indulged in spiritual contemplation. We know that he lived and died in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery.
There is very little data, and they are often contradictory, which provides abundant ground for endless disputes between historians and art historians. The situation is exactly the same with the icons that are associated with Andrei Rublev. But the main thing is important: the Church honors the memory of St. Andrei Rublev precisely as a holy icon painter. And honors the icons associated with his name. These icons speak better than any words.
The mystery of the icon painter Andrei Rublev
Reference: Andrei Rublev is one of the most mysterious people of his time. We know little about him. It is only known that the years of his life coincided with a difficult period in Russian history. But even in conditions of famine, deprivation, the invasion of the Tatars, great works of art were created that continue to delight our contemporaries. Until now, the exact number of his works remains a mystery; disputes continue about the authorship of some of them. His remains were also found under unusual circumstances in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery. Where they buried people who had special merits before the Church. The great icon painter was canonized by the Church as a saint.
The famous director Tarkovsky made the film "Andrei Rublev", where he presented his vision of the life path of the artist and icon painter. In the film, the events of Russian history pass before the eyes of Andrei Rublev and through the prism of his perception.
There is very little documentary evidence about Andrei Rublev. It is believed that he was born into a family of artisans. His work corresponded to the traditions of the Moscow principality. He painted the Annunciation Church in the Moscow Kremlin. Andrei Rublev died during the pestilence in 1482.
A number of his works are now attributed to the brushes of the workers of the Artel Andrei Rublev or other authors - his contemporaries. But it cannot be denied that the work of Andrei Rublevo had a huge impact on the entire school of painting of that time.
"Trinity" by Andrei Rublev
One of the most famous works of Andrei Rublev is the icon "Trinity". Her story is amazing. In 1422 there was a terrible famine in Rus'. The icon depicts three angels sitting at a table. On the table they have a bowl with the head of a calf. Angels sit against the backdrop of an unusual landscape. It is a house, a tree and a mountain. The house is Abraham's chambers, the tree is the oak of Mamre, and the mountain is Mount Moriah. The Temple Mount or Mount Moriah towered over Jerusalem, it was there that the Temple of Jerusalem stood, the place for which King David acquired from the Jebusite Arava (Orna). The oak of Mamre is the same tree under which Abraham met the Lord. Abraham met three angels of the Lord, who appeared to him under the guise of weary travelers. He invited them to rest in the shade of an oak tree. The oak stands in its place to this day.
Russian pilgrim, abbot Daniel wrote about him - The oak is that holy one next to the road; when you go there, on the right hand; and stands, beautiful, on a high mountain. And around its roots below, God paved with white marble like a church floor. Paved beside all that good oak; in the middle of this platform, a holy oak grew out of this stone, amazing! This oak is not very tall, it is very sprawling and dense with branches, and there are many fruits on it. Its branches are bent low to the ground, so that the husband can, standing on the ground, get his branches. Its circumference at its thickest point is two fathoms, and the height of its trunk to the branches is one and a half fathoms. It is amazing and wonderful that for so many years a tree has been standing on such a high mountain and not damaged, not crumbled!
The plot "Hospitality of Abraham" is the basis of the icon. It most fully reveals the dogmatic doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The unity of the Holy Trinity and the grace of communion with God are revealed in the amazing work of Andrei Rublev, one of the few that definitely belonged to his brush. The authorship of the "Trinity" is not in doubt.
There are two lists of icons.
- copy of Godunov, ordered by the king in 1598-1600.
- Copy of Baranov and Chirikov 1926-1928 for the International Restoration Exhibition of Icons in 1929.
Both icons are now in the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where the icon itself was located until it was transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery.
Now "Trinity" is in the hall of ancient Russian painting of the Tretyakov Gallery. A special cabinet has been created for it, maintaining the right level of humidity and temperature in order to preserve a unique work of art.
On the feast of the Trinity, the icon is transferred to the temple-museum, earlier there was talk of transferring the “Trinity” to the diocese, but it was decided to abandon this idea and the painting belongs to the Tretyakov Gallery. The icon needs special care and temperature regime. People continue to admire this amazing example of ancient Russian painting, which has survived to this day.
(by clicking on the icon you can view it in a higher resolution)
Icons by Andrey Rublev
Have you ever been to the great Tretyakov Gallery? No, go. And if there were, then probably your inspection began with the art of the ancient Russians - icon painting. And among them it is impossible not to notice the most famous icon - the "Trinity". This great masterpiece was performed by the monk Andrei Rublev. There are a number of other icons, but there are very few of them. You can't take his painting off the Moscow Kremlin church.
In general, very little is known about Andrei Rublev. It is not known when he was born, but the exact date of his death is known. It is not known how much he managed to create his works in his entire life and how many of them died without reaching us. Many icons art historians cannot specifically attribute to his handiwork. And here they can be understood, because he did most of his work together with someone else. And therefore, confusion may arise, and as a result, the wrong addressee of the work.
They only admit that he probably lived in the Trinity Monastery, where he became a monk. True, the first mention of it in 1405 is known. In this mention, it was written that at that time he was decorating the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin with icons and frescoes, and not alone, but with Theophan the Greek and Prokhor from Gorodets.
His name on this mention is at the very end, since he was the youngest both in rank and in age. He also worked in Vladimir in 1408 together with Daniil Cherny. What they did in the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral is now kept in the Tretyakov Gallery, and the most valuable of the icons.
They also work with Daniil Cherny in the Church of the Holy Trinity in the Trinity Monastery. For three years they worked on frescoes and icons. Soon Cherny dies and then Andrei goes back to Moscow, to the Andronikov Monastery. There, presumably around 1428, he creates his legendary icon of the Savior, which was located in the Church of the Savior on the territory of the monastery.
I repeat, not much has been preserved, but what remains for us, the descendants, is quite enough to understand what Rublev's art was like. Almost all of his works are now kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. His most famous work, The Trinity, was located over the tomb of Sergius of Radonezh for a long time. Now they are trying to save it and try not to spoil it. Therefore, this work is kept under glass, and moreover, a special microclimate has been created inside the frame, which is better not to be disturbed, otherwise the consequences will be inevitable.
In his art, he combined two traditions - asceticism and the classical harmony of the Byzantine manner. His work seems somehow soft, somehow welcoming. This is clearly noticeable if we compare the work of the Byzantine masters and what Rublev did. The plots are, as it were, the same, but the craftsmanship is different and completely different. Goodness, it is goodness in faces that always attracts us in his works.
The monk died in the same Andronikov monastery on January 29, 1430. The master died, and his works continued to live for him. Many of his icons were either completely or partially restored only in the 20th century. "Saved" him and completely accidentally discovered restaurateurs in Vladimir. At the time, this find made a lot of noise. In the early 70s of the 20th century, another Andrey by the name of Tarkovsky directed the film "Andrey Rublev" or "Passion for Andrei". Tarkovsky made a unique film that tells us about Rublev and the time in which he lives and shows what is the difference between the world of art and the world of reality. The film turned out to be so strong in its content that the Soviet bureaucrats banned it almost immediately and put it on the shelf for many years.
A lot has been written and said about Andrei Rublev. Moreover, he was canonized in 1988 and began to celebrate his day.
Alexey Vasin
Andrey Rublev is the first Russian artist who was canonized as an Orthodox saint. He created his own icon-painting school and departed from the Byzantine artistic canons. In addition to icons, Rublev created wall paintings in churches and was engaged in book illustration: his miniatures adorn the ancient Gospel of Khitrovo. However, the most famous work of Rublev was the icon "Trinity", which is now recognized as a masterpiece all over the world.
Ilya Glazunov. The youth of Andrei Rublev (detail). 1985. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Ilya Glazunov. Sergius of Radonezh and Andrei Rublev (detail). From the series "Kulikovo Field". 1992. Ilya Glazunov Gallery, Moscow
Ilya Glazunov. Portrait of Andrei Rublev (detail). 2007. Ilya Glazunov Gallery, Moscow
Historians suggest that Andrei Rublev was born around 1360 in central Russia - perhaps in Veliky Novgorod or in the lands of the Moscow principality. At baptism, he was given a different name - Andrei was named later, during monastic tonsure. The opinions of historians about the origin of the icon painter are contradictory. On the one hand, "reklo" - a nickname, a prototype of a modern surname - was worn at that time only by noble and educated people. On the other hand, the nickname Rublev comes from the word "rubel" - this is how the device for leather dressing was called in the old days. Only a person from a family of artisans could get "reklo" from the name of the instrument.
There is also no reliable information about the childhood and youth of Andrei Rublev. He probably began to study painting while still a boy: at that time, they tried to send children to study as early as possible. Around 1405, the icon painter took the veil as a monk. This happened in Moscow, in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery, the abbot of which was then abbot Andronik.
The first mention of Andrei Rublev in historical documents dates back to 1405. In the "Trinity Chronicle" among the events of this year there is information about the painting of the house church of Moscow Prince Vasily I, the eldest son of Dmitry Donskoy. “And the masters byakhu Feofan the iconic Greek, and Prokhor the elder from Gorodets, and the monk Andrey Rublev”, - the chronicler reported. According to the traditions of that time, the youngest of the artel was mentioned last in the list of masters. However, the very fact that Rublev was entrusted with such an honorable order and his name was given in the annals suggests that by this time he was already considered an experienced master. Otherwise, his works would have remained anonymous, as happened with the works of most ancient Russian artists.
Rublev belongs to those happy chosen ones, so rare in the era of the Middle Ages, especially the Russian Middle Ages, whose name was already pronounced with reverence by contemporaries, and the nearest descendants surrounded by a legend ...
Mikhail Alpatov, art historian
Art critic Boris Dudochkin, based on the text of the chronicle, suggested that Rublev worked in Moscow or its environs for quite a long time, even before he took the tonsure.
In May 1408, according to the same "Trinity Chronicle", Andrey Rublev and Daniil Cherny started painting the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral, built in the 12th century under the princes Andrei Bogolyubsky and Vsevolod the Big Nest. By the beginning of the 15th century, the temple was badly damaged by the Horde invasion, and by decree of the Moscow prince Vasily I, its restoration began.
From the works of Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny in the Assumption Cathedral, fragments of wall frescoes and part of the iconostasis, one of the largest in Russia, have been preserved. The painting of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir is the only surviving work by Andrei Rublev, the year of creation of which is precisely known.
The icons of the Deesis series, which depict Christ, reach a height of 3.4 meters. Rublev relied on Byzantine artistic traditions and the Moscow icon-painting school of Theophan the Greek, however, he deviated from them in many respects and interpreted the images of Christ, the Mother of God and the saints in his own way. Of the frescoes, a fragment depicting the Last Judgment is especially interesting: Rublev did not paint a gloomy scene of the punishment of sinners, but a celebration of justice and eternal life, which, according to Christian ideas, awaits the righteous.
Now preserved icons and fragments of frescoes are stored in the restored Assumption Cathedral, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Saved. Icon from the Zvenigorod Deesis Tier (fragment), previously attributed to Andrei Rublev. 1410s. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Andrei Rublev. The Last Judgment: The Procession of the Righteous to Paradise (detail). 1408. Assumption Cathedral, Vladimir
Apostle Paul. Icon from the Zvenigorod Deesis Tier (fragment), previously attributed to Andrei Rublev. XV century. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
From the beginning of the 20th century, Andrei Rublev was credited with the Zvenigorod rank - a collection of icons created by order of the Zvenigorod prince Yuri. Historians suggest that initially there were seven of them, and they were intended for the princely Assumption Cathedral or the Nativity Church of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery. Only three large icons have survived - half-length images of the Savior, the Apostle Paul and the Archangel Michael. There is no historical evidence confirming the authorship of Rublev or establishing the date of creation of the images. In 1926, art critic Igor Grabar conducted a stylistic analysis of the icons of the Zvenigorod rank and attributed them as the work of Andrei Rublev. Many art historians of that time supported him. But in 2017, employees of the Tretyakov Gallery and the State Research Institute of Restoration conducted another study and found that these icons were painted by another master.
In addition to creating frescoes and icons, Andrei Rublev was also engaged in illustrating church books. He created several drawings for the Gospel of Khitrovo: he was named after the owner, the boyar Bogdan Khitrovo. The manuscript of the end of the XIV century was decorated with images of Christ, the Virgin Mary and the apostles, but also with painted headpieces, initials in the form of animals. Rublev painted for her miniatures of the apostles-evangelists - Luke, Mark, John and Matthew. On separate sheets, he also depicted the symbols of the evangelists: a bull, a lion, an eagle and an angel. Prior to that, in the Russian Gospels, these symbols were not placed on separate pages: they were woven into the ornament surrounding the text, or made part of other illustrations. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the Gospel of Khitrovo, placed in a rich salary, was kept in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, then it was transferred to the Russian State Library.
Andrei Rublev. Ascension of Christ (detail). 1408. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Andrei Rublev. Last Judgment: Throne prepared. The Mother of God, John the Baptist, Adam, Eve, angels, the apostles Peter and Paul (detail). 1408. Assumption Cathedral, Vladimir
Andrei Rublev. Prophet Zephaniah (fragment). 1408. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
Early examples of Rublyovka icon painting correspond to general rules, which were followed by the masters of that time. On the Orthodox images of the XIV-XV centuries, it was customary to depict stern and ascetic faces with characteristic Byzantine features: large eyes, high forehead, straight nose and thin lips. Masters used mostly discreet, dark colors: dark red, brown, ocher yellow.
The icon painter and restorer of the early twentieth century Vasily Guryanov described Rublev's early works as follows: “... the faces are written in thin layers, following an extreme sequence in the transition from illuminated to unlit places, they look definitely greenish in the shadows and are modeled with brown (“dark”) ocher without marks, i.e. without blows on the brightest places to indicate glare with white paint; in accordance with the faces, the figures are also poorly modeled, and the contour is indicated only by a thin inventory.
In later works, Andrei Rublev departed from the canons of icon painting. He often used light, light colors - golden yellow, light blue, pink. The faces on his icons acquired Slavic features - a soft rounded oval face, blond hair and eyes, a wide forehead. The facial expressions have also changed: Rublyov's angels and saints have become joyful, inspired, some faces have barely noticeable smiles. "Andrey Rublev revived the ancient principles of composition, rhythm, proportions, harmony, relying mainly on his artistic intuition",- wrote art historian Mikhail Alpatov.
The icon painter often used the technique of glazing - on top of the main layer of paint he applied another, translucent one, on which he painted fine details. This technique made it possible to create smooth lines and smooth color transitions.
Icon "Trinity"
Andrei Rublev. Trinity (detail). 1420s. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Andrey Rublev set about creating his most famous work, the Trinity icon, in 1411 or 1425–1427. Such a vague dating is due to the fact that it is not known for which particular temple the image was intended: the early wooden cathedral of the Trinity Monastery or the stone one built in its place. In the first case, the icon could simply be transferred to a new temple, in the second, the icon painter worked on it simultaneously with all the other images of the iconostasis.
As the basis of the "Trinity" (the second name of the image is "Hospitality of Abraham"), Rublev took the Old Testament story about the forefather Abraham, to whom three angels appeared under the guise of wanderers. Abraham and his wife Sarah greeted them with reverence, washed their feet according to the ancient custom, slaughtered the calf for them and invited them to the table. The angels predicted to elderly childless spouses that they would have a son, and Abraham himself would become the ancestor of a whole nation.
Andrei Rublev abandoned many of the details that were customary to depict according to the canon: Sarah is absent from the icon, there are no scenes of washing the guests' feet and slaughtering a calf, and the angels do not have a meal, but talk. The figures of angels form a semblance of a circle, the gaze does not stop at one of them, perceives all three as a whole: this is how the icon painter embodied the Christian idea of the trinity of God.
For "Trinity" the author chose bright, pure colors - more saturated than in earlier works. He painted the background in golden yellow, the clothes of the angels in pink, green and bright blue. Blue paint - lapis lazuli - was rare and expensive at that time. The shade used by the icon painter was later called "Rublev's cabbage roll".
Before the revolution of 1917, the Trinity icon was kept in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. From the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the 20th century, it was placed in a golden frame, from under which only the faces and hands of angels were visible. In 1904, the icon painter Vasily Guryanov took up its restoration: he removed the darkened drying oil and late layers of paint, which were used to renew the original image, and then wrote it down again. Subsequently, the Gurianov layer was also removed, leaving only the work of Andrei Rublev himself. Now "Trinity" is stored in the Tretyakov Gallery.
Between 1422 and 1427, Andrei Rublev, together with Daniil Cherny, led an artel of icon painters who painted the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Then Rublev settled in the Moscow Spaso-Andronikov Monastery and took up painting the Spassky Cathedral. In January 1430, the icon painter died. He was buried on the territory of the monastery.
In 1947, scientists Igor Grabar, Pyotr Baranovsky, Pavel Maksimov and Nikolai Voronin founded the Andrei Rublev Museum in the Andronikov Monastery. In 1985, it was renamed the Andrey Rublev Central Museum of Old Russian Culture and Art. At the entrance there is a monument to the icon painter by sculptor Oleg Komov. In 1988, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Rublev as a saint.
