Features of the Composition in the Iconography of the Crucifixion on the example of the works of Old Russian iconography of the late XV - early XVI centuries

Abstract

The concentration of research attention on the construction of an artistic form is a necessary part of the study of monuments of fine art. This article is devoted to the artistic analysis of the iconography of the Crucifixion by the example of considering several monuments of ancient Russian painting of the late XV - early XVI centuries. The studied paintings are the reference works of the heyday of Russian icon painting art. They are distinguished by the good preservation of the author's pictorial layer, which allows to fully analyze the art form. The fundamentals of the methodology in this study are the historical approach, formal-stylistic and comparative analyses. The article draws attention to the distinctive properties of the composition of the paintings, searches for an iconographic source, analyzes the relationship between changes in composition and semantic content of the painting. Focusing on a certain iconography allows to reveal the character of a particular image, to reveal its artistic uniqueness. With such an integrated approach, it becomes possible to present the interpretation of the plot and the history of the creation of the icon image. Author compares the iconography created within one decade to another, one artistic tradition or school to another. As a result of the research, a specific feature of ancient Russian painting is revealed - following a narrow iconographic tradition or artistic school does not limit the artistic interpretation and independence.