Holy Russia exhibition starts at the Louvre The Louvre Museum in Paris unveiled to the public today its latest exhibition: Holy Russia: Russian Art from the Beginnings to Peter the Great. The exhibition focuses on the history of Christian Russia, from the 9th to the 18th century. The exhibition begins with the appearance of Russians in the historical record and the rivalries and power struggles between Latins, Vikings and Byzantines. There followed the early conversions in the Kievan Rus, culminating in the famed baptism of Vladimir the Great in 988. Rus then became definitively Christian, borrowing its ecclesiastical model from Constantinople. Christian art flourished in Kiev, Chernigov, Novgorod, Pskov, Vladimir, Suzdal and elsewhere, wavering stylistically between Byzantium and the temptation of the Latin West. After a hiatus during the 13th century with the invasion and subsequent domination of the region by the Mongols, Christian art returned in all its splendor in the major Russian centers, notable figures being the painters Theophanes, Rublev and Dionysius. This renaissance was accompanied by an unprecedented proliferation of monasteries and the gradual ascendancy of Moscow. Among the medieval art works on display is a a jewel-laden, 12th-century procession cross, and bronze doors from the Cathedral of the Nativity in Suzdal, which were made in the 13th century by pouring mercury over etchings of tales from Jesus life. Another highlight is a 14th-century painting on wood of Saints Boris and Gleb, shows two martyrs standing in identical poses, framed in rich, textured gold leaf. Their father, Prince Vladimir, formally converted Russia to Orthodox Christianity in the 10th century, and the two were killed by a half brother. Curator Jannic Durand told reporters, My hope, and the Louvres hope, is that people coming to the exhibit and visiting it can catch the specificity of Orthodox Russian art. Because its not Byzantine art, its not Christian art, its not oriental art, its Russian art. This is the heart of the matter. The art work comes from both Russia and other parts of Europe. Irina Lebedeva, director of Moscows Tretyakov Museum and a key contributor to the Louvre exhibition, said Such an exhibit has never happened before, in Russia or anywhere.. She added that bringing together pieces such as the doors, carefully transported from monasteries, churches and museums around Russia, is a very expensive, very difficult project. The presidents of Russia and France enjoyed a preview on Tuesday of the Louvre show. The exhibit is the centerpiece of a year of French-Russian cultural exchanges meant to highlight growing cooperation between the countries, from investments to military deals. France sent hundreds of works to a Picasso exhibit recently opened in Moscow, and both countries will exchange concerts, ballets and film showings throughout the year. Western and southern Golden Doors from the Nativity Cathedral at Suzdal Southern doors (1222–1233), Material, technique: Copper; gold fusion (fiery gilding) technique Dimensions: Western doors – 3.65 x 2.10 m; southern doors – 3.65 x 2.45 m The Golden Doors, a unique specimen of monumental art of medieval Russia, executed in the technique of gold fusion or fiery gilding were made for the southern and western portals of the Nativity Cathedral at Suzdal. The western and southern doors are identical in their structure and composition. They both consist of two leaves with 7 rows of panels on each – two panels in a row – 28 panels all in all on every pair of doors. Places of panels junction are hidden behind the laid-on rolls, on the intersections of the rolls semispherical shields (umbons) are riveted. A special big vertical roll on the left leaf of each pair of doors covers the chink between the leaves. The central umbons in the fourth row of the western doors are replaced by lion masks with ring-handles in the lions mouths. The rolls and umbons are covered with a floral design, in which figures of birds and animals are entwined. Scenes from the New and Old Testament are on the panels. The subjects on the western doors are based on the description of the deeds of angels and Archangel Michael (24 subjects). The subjects of the southern doors are taken from the New Testament (23 subjects). All the subjects are provided with the inscriptions. Four lower panels on both gates represent heraldic figures of griffins and lions.
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 20:44:43 +0000
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