Greek icons from the Hermitage collection Velimezisa

[gans]

Hermitage, from 11 September until 13 December.

Business Emilios Velimezis engaged in collecting art in the mid 1930's and for ten years, has collected about 90 icons of the so-called Post-Byzantine period, ie the time after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. After the death of Velimezisa meeting broke up for various owners, the best works were in Athens Benaki Museum, others have settled with relatives, private individuals, in the funds. In the early 1990's one of the descendants decided to restore the collection, restore and study the works, and publish scholarly catalog of the collection. Moreover, it turned into a traveling exhibition, which is already more than ten years, travels to different countries, from Poland to Korea. The Hermitage bring about 40 icons XV-XVIII centuries, and several later prorisey on paper, XIX century.

Since the middle of XV century, when Constantinople became the capital of the Ottoman Empire, the role of the arts center of the Orthodox East was transferred to Crete. The island had already two centuries was under the protectorate of Venice, and as a result of the Greek Orthodox in Crete was closely intertwined with the Italian Catholicism. Artists choose freely between the Byzantine and Renaissance style, the same artist may well have to write like an icon - to established iconographic scheme, the flat and open flowers, and now with the foreground and background, skillfully constructed by composition, a sharp turn shapes and warm colors of the Venetian .

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The main figure of the Cretan icon painting school - is, of course, El Greco, Domenikos Theotokopoulos, was admitted as the master had in 22 years, and in 26 departed for Italy, never to return to his native island. Such seekers of fortune among Greek painters were many, but he managed to do a brilliant European career. The collection Velimezisa brush attributed to El Greco's "Pieta with Angels" (1566): limp body of Christ is supported by two winged warrior, the next desperate person Mary with sunken eyes. From the figures comes the characteristic al-grekovskaya expressiveness, vibrating light, they seem to be lumps of energy, received bodily density. It is believed that this icon of the artist wrote on the eve of departure from the island: a composition is wholly owned by the Italian tradition, while the technique is characteristic of the Cretan School. Also seems to have an old picture, where discernible sign painter, later erased too zealous restorer.

In other things the collection, not just from Crete but also from Greek workshops Otranto in Italy, with Mount Athos, Epirus and the Ionian Islands, also combines Byzantine and Western elements, sometimes quite fanciful. Dark ascetic face of St. Antipas' Constantine Kontarinisa (1738) with the familiar white-space cuts for wrinkles crowned a magnificent Baroque throne with the doves on the sides, amurchikami and big-nosed monsters on the legs, patterned pillow on the seat. Gold background into a wall, placed against the poison-green floor. Nimbus St. obscures the top of the chair and therefore looks like a large disk, fastened behind the head. "St. Nicholas" Emanuel Tzanesa (1683) is a cloud over the sea with a sailing vessel, illustrating the patronage of travelers. The "Annunciation" by Nicholas Kallergisa (first half of XVIII century) in Byzantine, traditional spaces, written not only the shape of an angel and the Virgin Mary, but the terrace balustrades, and columns of the house, and a mountain landscape, sustaining a gold background.

If the XVIII century eclecticism is not surprising, then in the early things realistic departures from the canon makes a strong impression. For example, the icon of the Virgin of Tenderness "(apparently, the circle Andreas Ritzosa, the second half of XV century), one of sandalikov infant talked enough and hangs on the slender cords, and he seemed to instinctively tightened his leg, trying to restrain him. Such images are very useful for those who are accustomed to see in the sacredness of Byzantine icons and nothing but the sacredness. And then hide a smile, not a stupid petition.

Olga Luzin.

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