Constructive and artistic features of the iconostasis of the Church of the Transfiguration of Jesus in the village of Pidhirya in Zolochiv district

Abstract

The iconostasis of the Church of Transfiguration of Jesus was for the first time studied. It was determined that according to the type of construction it belongs to the group of a multilayer, parted over the fixed layer iconostasis. Such a design solution, as well as the absence of a basement layer, was typical of the iconostasis of Eastern Opillia in the middle of the XIX century. The feature of the iconostasis is a clearly emphasized central vertical axis of its composition. The iconostasis consists of four layers: nomadic, festive, apostolic, and prophetic.The fixed lazer consists of large-sized Holy doors with open-type carvings and two fixed icons placed over the deacon’s doors. Two more fixed icons (St. Nicholas and Transfiguration of Jesus) are located in the side altars, which are a continuation of the iconostasis.The apostolic layer is the heaviest, it rises in height to the central icon of Christ the Bishop. On the both sides of the central icon there are two great compositions with images of the apostles (six on each side). The figures are depicted with attributes typical for them and from different angles. The icon of Christ the Pontiff on the open Gospel also includes the inscription 1853 – the date of the iconostasis creation.The artistic features of the performance of the monument of art, consisting of the use of a rich color range, a smooth, light-colored modeling of the body planes and a more contrasting solution to the draperies were also highlighted. The parties of hands and faces are light, the basis is half a ton, the artist does not use sharp graphics. Also, the artist avoids a vivid graphics in the design of clothes. More attention and study was devoted to the icons of the fixed and apostolic layers. Smaller icons of other layers are less examined and graphic techniques in modeling draperies are used to a greater extent. Judging from the manner of performance of the icons, they belong to the hands of one artist (except for the icon of Transfiguration of Jesus from the side altar).The considered monument of art is an example of the use of neo-stylistics in painting and decorative plastics. Paintings are made using neo-baroque styles, carvings – using two stylistics: neo baroque - open-type carvings of stylized acanthous leaves (the completion of the iconostasis) and neo-rococo – flat open-type carvings and rocaille ornaments (Holy doors).Keywords: icon painting, iconostasis, construction of iconostasis, artistic features, stylistic, layer of iconostasis