Rublev's icon of Christ the redeemer

[Fabio Lins]

Does anyone know if Rublev's icon "Christ, the Redeemer" has a fully painted version somewhere even if not original?
http://www.auburn.edu/forlang/russian/icons/redeemer-rublev.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_the_Redeemer_(icon)

In Christ,
Fabio Lins

[Olga]

The image you have posted is indeed the original icon painted at around 1410 by Andrei Rublyev. It was the central panel on the Deesis row of the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Dormition at Zvenigorod, Russia. Sadly, only three, all badly damaged, panels have survived, the others being of the Archangel Michael and of Apostle Paul.

I'll look through my archive, but from memory, copies of this particular icon are rare, unlike copies of other famous, historic icons of Christ such as the Chilandar (13thC) or Sinai (6thC), which are plentiful, though the quality of the copies varies widely. Perhaps iconographers worth their salt are daunted by the utter sublimity, subtlety and power of the Rublyev original to attempt to reproduce it.

[Andreas Moran]

Perhaps iconographers worth their salt are daunted by the utter sublimity, subtlety and power of the Rublyev original to attempt to reproduce it.

No reproduction can capture these qualities Olga describes, nor could any copy. When you see the original (in the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow), you are overwhelmed by it. You look at it trying to figure out how the effect has been achieved but in the end you just give up. The important thing is that despite being in a gallery, you can pray in front of it. Thoughtfully, they have put benches in front of it so you can sit and contemplate it. Unlike some icons, or singing, which are beautiful and brilliantly done, you don't admire its aesthetic beauty. Rather, it's beauty serves and is subordinate to its spiritual beauty and power to work on the soul. The icons Olga mentions hang either side of Christ, that of Archangel Michael on the left and St Paul on the right. These too have great power. The famous Holy Trinity icon is in the same room. The original Mother of God of Vladimir used to be there but thankfully is now in a church attached to the Tretyakov. This icon by contrast has been much copied but rarely very well.

[Olga]

Unlike some icons, or singing, which are beautiful and brilliantly done, you don't admire its aesthetic beauty. Rather, its beauty serves and is subordinate to its spiritual beauty and power to work on the soul.

Well said, Andreas. A particular icon may be physically, aesthetically, beautiful, but can fall far short of touching the soul. Similarly, I have seen many icons painted by a less-than polished but sincere and humble hand, yet they have true spiritual beauty. The latter is by far preferable to the former.


The original Mother of God of Vladimir used to be there but thankfully is now in a church attached to the Tretyakov. This icon by contrast has been much copied but rarely very well.

I quite agree. I have come across perhaps only two or three copies of Vladimirskaya which come anywhere near to reproducing the exquisite sorrow and compassion in the face of the Mother of God, and the consolation of her Child. It is interesting that, despite the great age of this icon (close to 800 years old), and being damaged by fire and other causes over the centuries, requiring overpainting, the portions of the original painting which remain are, significantly, the faces of the Virgin and Child, and their hands.