The Evangelists by V. L. Borovikovsky as a Pattern for the Church Wall-Paintings of the Tver Region in 19th Century
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18688/aa188-2-21Keywords:
V. L. Borovikovsky, Evangelists icons, church murals, wall-paintings, German engravings, iconographic programmes, north-eastern Tver regionAbstract
Vasily Borovikovsky is famous for his icons of Evangelists in the central iconostasis of the Holy Gates of the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, in St. Petersburg. It is well-known that the imprints of the icons were published in 1819 and served as a popular pattern for church art. Nevertheless, the nature and the scale of this phenomenon have not been duly researched so far.Vasily Borovikovsky is famous for his icons of Evangelists in the central iconostasis of the Holy Gates of the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, in St. Petersburg. It is well-known that the imprints of the icons were published in 1819 and served as a popular pattern for church art. Nevertheless, the nature and the scale of this phenomenon have not been duly researched so far.
The study of the previously unknown church murals in the north-eastern Tver region revealed that the Evangelists were a very popular pattern in wall-paintings throughout the 19th century. The Evangelists became the first Russian academic prototype among the plenty of German engravings — also very popular prototypes for wall-painting. The images of Evangelists and their important role in iconographic programs remained since the ancient times till the beginning of the 20th century.
The devices of the original imprints transference from the graphic images to the monumental form of murals are indicative of the painters’ craftsmanship. The analysis of the changes made by the regional painters in the metropolitan patterns allows us to value the artists’ degree of freedom and their deep understanding of the murals tasks.
The life-cycles of the prototypes in different stylistic directions during the 19th century and the kinds and the peculiarities of Classicism and Eclecticism in wall-painting art have been analyzed. The present study of the icons by V. L. Borovikovsky permits us to demonstrate the variety of regional monumental artistic means of that time.
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