Report: Biblical subjects in painting. The Journey of the Holy Family to Egypt in Western European Art

bible fine painter secular

In Russian art of the early 20th century, when known part Russian society came under the influence of religious and mystical sentiments, the theme of the earthly life of the Lord lost its former tragic resonance. Now it has acquired a philosophical and lyrical tone. This trend is especially clearly visible in the works of Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov (1862 - 1942) and Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (1848 - 1926). E.N. Petrova writes about the work of M.V. Nesterov and V.M. Vasnetsova: “To varying degrees and in each person’s own way, but in the works of these masters there is a noticeable fusion of aesthetic self-expression and sincerely religious feelings. Vasnetsov’s is monumental and expressive, Nesterov’s is lyrical, refined” [Ibid].

It’s amazing, but biblical stories and images are found in the works of representatives of various kinds modernist movements. In the mid-1910s. Kazimir Severinovich Malevich (1879 - 1935), author of the infamous "Black Square", according to E.N. Petrova, “embodied several gospel scenes in symbolic style: the Ascension (Triumph of Heaven), Entombment, Christ surrounded by angels (Self-Portrait) and Prayer for the Cup (Prayer)” [Ibid].

Many of the creators of the “Russian avant-garde” turned to gospel subjects. Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova (1881 - 1962) became the author of a cycle dedicated to the evangelists (1911). St. George was repeatedly depicted in his compositions made in abstract style by Wassily Vasilyevich Kandinsky (1866 - 1944). Whole line plots from the New Testament are present in the works of Pavel Nikolaevich Filonov (1883 - 1941). Among them - " Holy family"(1914), "The Magi" (1914), "Three at a Table" (1914 - 1915), "Saint George" (1915), "Mother" (1916), "Flight into Egypt" (1918).

Biblical subjects and images, including those associated with the figure of Christ, are also present in the works of Marc Chagall (1887 - 1985), who was born in Vitebsk into a family of Orthodox Jews. His first work on the theme of Holy Scripture was “Calvary” (1912). In 1938, he created the painting “White Crucifixion,” which Mikhail Vaishengolts considers as Chagall’s reaction to the Judeophobic tendencies that were growing throughout Europe throughout pre-war period.

Chagall also turned to biblical themes later. So, in 1960 - 1966. he worked on the painting "The Sacrifice of Abraham". The stained glass window "Isaac meets his wife Rebekah" (1977 - 1978) adorns the Church of St. Stephen's in Mainz.

In the 1930s - 1980s. In the USSR, artists, despite existing restrictions, used biblical motifs in their works quite often. Some of them dedicated religious painting significant periods of its creative career. Among the masters who turned to biblical subjects and images in their work are David Petrovich Shterenberg (1881 - 1948), Pavel Dmitrievich Korin (1892 - 1967). Particular attention should be paid, apparently, to the work of Sergei Mikhailovich Romanovich (1894 - 1968). CM. Romanovich in the 1940s. painted the paintings “The Kiss of Judas”, “Storm on Lake Tiberias”, in the 1950s. - “The Annunciation”, “The Desecration of Christ”, “Behold the Man”, “The Descent from the Cross”, in the 1960s. - “Laying on the Crown of Thorns”, etc.

All these works were performed in a modernist manner. Representatives of the “underground” of the 1960s and 1970s showed no less interest in plots and images from the Holy Scriptures. By the beginning of "perestroika" use Christian motives V fine arts was no longer condemned, but tacitly approved. Subsequently, this approval became official.

The scene of the Annunciation is described in the Gospel of Luke: he tells that the Archangel Gabriel appeared in the house of Mary and told her that she would give birth to the Son of God from the Holy Spirit  OK. 1:26-38.. In fine arts different centuries Mary and the Archangel were depicted in different poses, interiors and uses various symbols. And this is not even the main thing - what is more important is how the feelings of the characters depicted changed over time in the paintings. Early Christian artists wanted to show the greatness of Mary; in medieval and Renaissance painting, the Virgin personifies humility and purity, and in the art of the Late Renaissance and Baroque, she experiences surprise and fear. Archangel Gabriel, who in the 12th-14th centuries almost stood still before Mary, later quickly flies into her house. Using the example of ten works, we find out how the perception of this subject has changed in art over the course of fifteen centuries.

Mosaic on the triumphal arch at Santa Maria Maggiore (5th century)

At the turn of the 420-430s, the Archbishop of Constantinople Nestorius taught that “only flesh can be born from the flesh” and the Son of Mary is only a man in whom the Word of God is embodied, but not God himself. In 431, the Third Ecumenical Council was held in Ephesus, declaring that Mary was the Mother of God and declaring the teachings of Nestorius to be heresy. Mary was revered before, but her cult became especially strong after the resolution of the council. Next year, work begins in Rome on the mosaics of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the first city basilicas dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The scene of the Annunciation decorates triumphal arch, and it was important for its authors to show the greatness of Mary. The Virgin is dressed like a noble girl, wears a tiara, earrings and a necklace, and is surrounded by a retinue of angels. The spindle she holds in her hands hints at Mary’s chosenness. The apocryphal Proto-Gospel of James, written in the 2nd century, says that seven girls from the family of King David (it was among his descendants that the Messiah would appear) were chosen to work on the veil of the Temple. Among them was Maria. To decide who should spin what, lots were cast. Mary received purple and crimson - the most valuable fabrics. She took her work home, where the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her.

Annunciation at the Well (second half of the 12th century)

Theologians who wrote about the Annunciation often speculated about how Mary felt at that moment, and only a few were interested in the experiences of the Archangel Gabriel. Among the latter is the monk Jacob Kokkinovathsky, who lived in the 12th century, and author of six homilies.  Homilia- a sermon with an explanation of the passages of Holy Scripture read. about the life of the Virgin Mary. Gabriel was pretty frightened by the task entrusted to him. At first he entered Mary's house unseen and was struck by her virtue - so much so that he could not find the right words. Deciding that he would scare her less on the street than at home, Gabriel decided to wait for Maria to go get water and tell her the news at the well (alas, this did not help and Maria was still scared).

The meeting at the well is illustrated by one of the manuscript miniatures. Mary stands with her back to Gabriel. Hearing his voice, she turns her head, raising one hand in fear and holding the jug with the other. This scene is often found in Byzantine and Old Russian art, in paintings dedicated to the Annunciation.

“Ustyug Annunciation” (1130-40s)

Creator of the “Ustyug Annunciation”  The traditional name of the icon is erroneous: in the 18th century it was believed that it was brought to Moscow from Ustyug, but in fact the icon was painted in Novgorod. I used rare iconography for this plot. The Archangel and the Virgin Mary stand opposite each other. With her head bowed, Mary listens to Gabriel. At first glance, there is nothing unusual in such a composition, however, if you look closely, you can discern an image of the Infant God on Mary’s chest. This image directly suggests that it is with the Annunciation that the earthly life Christ and it is at this moment that he becomes human in order to then perish. His impending death is symbolized by his clothing: he is wearing a loincloth, like on the Crucifixion. Jesus is depicted as a youth: this iconography  It is called “Emmanuel” according to the prophecy of Isaiah that the son of the Virgin would be named Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” (Isa. 7:14) reminded that the origin of Christ was originally divine, in contrast to the teachings of Nestorius.

At the top of the icon, on the clouds, we see the image of the Lord Old Denmi  Lord Old Denmi- a symbolic iconographic image of Jesus Christ or God the Father in the image of a gray-haired old man.. This image is borrowed from the Book of the Prophet Daniel: “I saw at last that thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days sat down; His robe was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool; His throne is like a flame of fire, His wheels are like blazing fire.”  Dan. 7:9. In the “Ustyug Annunciation” the Holy Spirit is also depicted: it is symbolized by a ray of light emanating from the figure of the Old Denmi.

Simone Martini. "Annunciation" (1333)

Medieval Annunciations are rarely complete without two attributes: flowers, most often lilies, standing in a vase, and a book that Mary is reading. We see these images in the late Gothic “Annunciation” Italian artist Simone Martini - the artist adds to the lily symbolizing peace olive branch, which is given to Mary by an angel. The fact that Mary knew how to read and knew the text of the Old Testament was mentioned by Saint Ambrose of Milan back in the 4th century. However, until the second half of the 9th century, this information did not overly impress the authors of iconography dedicated to Mary. The earliest depiction of the reading Virgin Mary that has survived dates back to the second half of the 9th century: it is a carving on an ivory casket, probably made in Metz. At the same time, just 120 kilometers from her, the monk Otfried of Weissenburg writes a poetic summary of the Gospel and for the first time mentions that at the moment of Gabriel’s appearance, Mary was reading psalms. Since then, Mary meets the archangel reading more and more often, and to XIII century the book becomes a permanent part of the Western European Annunciation, and the spindle departs from the Byzantine tradition. In the same 13th century, a flower appears standing between the archangel and Mary. This symbol recalled that the Annunciation took place in the spring: “Nazareth” translated from Hebrew means “flower”. Later it turns into a lily, symbolizing not only the season, but also the purity of Mary.

Robert Campin. "Annunciation" (1420-30s)

An angel enters an ordinary burgher's house of that time. Maria is absorbed in reading and does not notice him. In a ray of light there is a figurine of Christ flying through the window. Archan-gel has not yet had time to speak to the Virgin, and Kampen seems to use this pause to show the viewer the interior of the room. There are lilies on the table, a polished bronze washbasin in the corner, a book wrapped in cloth. All this hints at Mary's purity. The newly extinguished candle probably recalls the radiance that emanated from the newborn Jesus and eclipsed the candle flame. Perhaps this is Kampen’s way of emphasizing the humanity of Christ. In general, Kampen’s painting is an example of how difficult it can sometimes be to decipher Dutch painting of the 15th century by choosing a specific meaning of a particular object. For example, the bench of the Mother of God, decorated with small carved lions, can symbolize the throne of Solomon, with which Mary was compared and which was also decorated with lions, and the lions themselves - Jesus. Or maybe Kampen painted the bench only because such furniture was in fashion in those years.

Piero della Francesca. "Annunciation" (1452-1466)

Piero della Francesca. Annunciation

Piero della Francesca. Lowering of Judas Cyriacus into the wellBasilica di San Francesco, Arezzo / Wikimedia Commons

The Annunciation could be an independent plot, and part of a cycle dedicated to the Mother of God, and the first scene in the depiction of the life of Christ. In Piero della Francesca, the Annunciation unexpectedly becomes part of the story of the discovery of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Mary and the angel are placed in a classical architectural space (in Renaissance painting it replaces conventional images of buildings in Gothic and Byzantine art). The tiers of the building divide the composition into two registers: earthly, in which the angel addresses Mary, and heavenly, with the image of God the Father.

The laconic composition is almost devoid of details, so the rope hanging from the beam by the window attracts attention. On the one hand, this symbol recalls the instruments of passion  Instruments of Passion- instruments of the martyrdom of Jesus Christ., on the other hand, with the help of this image, Della Francesca connects the Annunciation with the scene of the torture of Judas Cyriacus, which is depicted in the upper register. According to apocryphal legend, in the 4th century the Roman Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, who introduced Christianity state religion in the Roman Empire, initiated excavations in Jerusalem to find the cross on which Jesus was crucified. The Jews refused to help Helen in her search, and then she ordered one of them, Judas, to be put in a dried up well. A few days later, Judas began to beg for his release and promised to help him find the cross. Rescued from the well, he prayed to God - and saw the place where the cross was: so he believed in Christ. However, the devil appeared to him and accused him of betraying him, unlike Judas Iscariot. The rope on the beam reminds us of Iscariot and the rope with which he hanged himself. The empty loop, which was not useful to the believing and saved Judas Cyriacus, indicates the salvation that follows the coming of Jesus into the world.

Annunciation with Unicorn (1480-1500)

The Middle Ages talked about many fantastic beasts and attributed amazing traits to real animals. Theologians found parallels between the descriptions of some animals and events from the life of Jesus: for example, the sacrifice, Eucharist and resurrection were symbolized by a pelican feeding its chicks with its own blood, and a lion, which was born dead and came to life on the third day from the breath of a lioness. Another symbol of Christ was the unicorn, which could only be caught immaculate virgin. In the 15th-16th centuries, the plot of hunting a unicorn became popular - especially in Germany. Corresponding illustrations appear in manuscripts and engravings, on altars, tapestries and tableware.

Mary, depicted on the wing of the altar, sits in the garden. Gabriel drives the unicorn towards her. The Archangel is accompanied by four dogs, symbolizing the virtues: truth, mercy, peace and justice. Images of unicorn hunts often turned into naive enumerations of what the Virgin Mary symbolizes: a locked garden, an enclosed well  A locked garden and a locked well- images of the bride from the Song of Songs, which in the Middle Ages was considered a prototype of Mary., burning bush  Burning bush- a bush on Mount Sinai from which God spoke to Moses. The burning but not burnt bush symbolized the purity of Mary., fleece of Gideon  According to the Old Testament, Gideon, one of the judges of Israel, was convinced that the Lord had chosen him when the fleece he left overnight remained dry the next morning, although the whole earth around was wet with dew, and the next morning, on the contrary , lay wet on dry ground., closed gates  Closed Gate- an image from the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, also considered an anticipation of the Annunciation. The Lord had to pass through these gates. and Aaron's rod  Aaron's rod miraculously blossomed overnight - in this story they saw an allusion to the birth of the Savior from a virgin.. The secular nature of the scene displeased the church, and in 1545, at the Council of Trent, such images were prohibited.

Jacopo Tintoretto. "Annunciation" (1576-1581)

In most depictions of the Annunciation, Mary is calm. She is not afraid at the sight of the archangel and humbly accepts the role assigned to her. Tintoretto's Annunciation is alarming and chaotic. The picture is painted in dark colors, Gabriel bursts into the house, accompanied by a whirlwind of putti  Putto(lat. putus - “ a little boy") - winged boy.; the dove, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, swoops down sharply, and Mary recoils in fear. There are no flowers or garden here, and the house resembles ruins: twigs of straw are coming out of the chair, boards and Joseph’s carpenter’s tools are carelessly piled behind the door. Behind the chair we see an old manger. To increase the tension, Tintoretto uses sharp perspective and a strange angle: the viewer seems to be looking at everything that is happening from above. The dynamic composition, jerky movements and contrasting lighting anticipate the painting of the Baroque era, which preferred intense, dynamic, emotional scenes to the restrained Annunciations of previous centuries.

Alexander Ivanov. "Annunciation" (1850)

Archangel Gabriel was sent from heaven to earth to inform Mary of her destiny. Belonging of Mary and Gabriel to different worlds the artist emphasizes by depicting them on different scales. The Archangel is not just taller than Mary - their figures are incommensurate with each other. At the same time, they are combined compositionally: the angel’s hand falls into the circle of radiance emanating from Mary.

Ivanov's Annunciation is unexpectedly monumental - especially considering that it is watercolor on paper. At the end of the 1840s, the artist conceived a series of paintings on biblical subjects, and this watercolor sketch was supposed to subsequently become a fresco (but it never did). At this time, Ivanov was reading the book of the German theologian David Strauss, “The Life of Jesus.” Strauss believed that gospel miracles were mythologized legends, often based on Old Testament stories, and drew parallels between Old and New Testament stories. That is why Ivanov was going to write next to the scene of the Annunciation the appearance of the Trinity to Abraham.

Bill Viola. "Cheer" (1995)

Turning to eternal subjects, modern artists often think about their place in the history of art. Modern American artist Bill Viola, in his video work, quotes not the gospel story at all, but the painting “The Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth,” painted in 1529 by the Italian artist Jacopo Pontormo. We are talking here, however, not about the Annunciation itself, but about the plot that follows it - the meeting of Mary with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Having learned from Gabriel that her elderly relative Elizabeth is also pregnant, Mary goes to her. Elizabeth immediately understands that Mary will give birth to the Son of God, and thus becomes the first person to know about the coming birth of Jesus.

Early Netherlandish Painting.

Biblical themes in fine art.

Garden of Eden. Noah's Ark.

A special language of image in Christian art of the Middle Ages.

Iconography.

One of the most difficult topics to teach is certainly a biblical theme. This is due to the fact that teachers themselves can tell little about the Bible and cannot always explain to students how to complete this or that task. As a result of studying this topic, in fine arts lessons, children should get acquainted with special language images "in Christian art of the Middle Ages, with paintings on Bible themes in art Western Europe and Russia, with the art of Russian icon painting and perform practical work on biblical topics.

Unlike the world teacher artistic culture, a fine arts teacher cannot limit himself in a lesson to just an interesting show and story, but must teach the child to create an independent composition on the proposed topic. Biblical themes can be difficult and boring for modern children, as they do not understand the plot of the picture well. In order not to waste class time on conversation, some teachers take the simplest path (as it seems to them), asking children to draw an icon, believing that any student can cope with such a “simple!” task.

An icon is not an illustration of the Bible; an icon is an image painted according to canons (rules), which the icon painter must obey. Illustration is the artist’s view of the events described in the Bible, his independent choice of plot, composition, and his own view of how the characters look. In icon painting, the subjects are limited, the composition and appearance of the characters are strictly regulated. By asking children to paint an icon as an illustration of the Bible, the teacher is not following the general education school curriculum. By the way, even in Sunday schools at churches and in Orthodox gymnasiums during fine arts lessons, children do not paint faces on icons, since they do not yet have enough skill for this. Moreover, we must not forget that in secondary school Children study not only from Orthodox, but also from Muslim and non-believing families, and an icon is a prayer, only written in the language of colors. Inviting children to paint an icon is the same as offering to learn or compose a prayer in a literature lesson.

The teacher can interest children in the world of biblical paintings and help them understand the language of icons by talking about the symbolic language of icon painting, introducing them to the work of an icon painter and giving them the opportunity to try themselves in the role of an experienced master “flag-bearer”, creating their own composition for a given plot, or in the role of a novice student in a squad icon painters.

Beginning icon painters depicted the details of the icon: hills, trees, architecture and animals, using “copybooks” (an outline drawing made on paper in one or two colors (black and red-brown). Without the help of a teacher, only a few will be able to cope with practical work, and The teacher’s task is to make sure that every child in a fine arts lesson can feel like a real artist, capable of creating paintings on complex themes. To illustrate the Bible, the easiest way is to choose scenes not from the New Testament, but from the Old Testament, and to create a composition using ones already familiar to the children. landscape genre. Landscape can form the basis of paintings.

“The Creation of the World”, “The Garden of Eden with the Tree of Life”, “The Flood” and “The Flight of the Israelites from Egypt through the Red Sea”.

As an example, we can show illustrations of the Bible by the famous marine painter I.K. Aivazovsky. The entire third quarter of the sixth grade was devoted to the topic “Portrait,” and in the seventh grade you can create a whole gallery of portraits of biblical characters. The Bible describes events taking place in Ancient Egypt(Joseph the Beautiful, Moses) and Mesopotamia (Tower of Babel), which means that children can use the knowledge previously acquired in history and fine arts lessons. Thus, in one practical task historical and biblical themes can be combined. For illustration, you can also use the Gospel parables, showing as an example the illustrations of the “Parable of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt and Bosch, which are different in nature. Acquaintance with biblical themes must begin with a conversation. In the event that the teacher himself is poorly versed in biblical subjects, G. Doré’s engravings will help to teach the lesson, since books with his illustrations always contain brief explanations for each engraving.

Children should not be overloaded new information, therefore, during a conversation it is necessary to show such well-known plots as,

Expulsion from Paradise>, "The Flood", "The Tower of Babel", "The Annunciation", "Christmas", "Baptism", "Transfiguration", "The Raising of Lazarus, . Hieronymus Bosch. « Prodigal son» “Noon in Jerusalem”, “Crown of Thorns”, “Flagellation”, “Jesus under the weight of the Cross”, “Crucifixion”, “Descent from the Cross”.

When displaying paintings on biblical themes by Western European and Russian artists, it is necessary to show different attitude artists to the same subject. It will be easier for the children to discuss the paintings if the teacher leaves reproductions of engravings by G. Dore on the board. The paintings should be famous, such as “The Appearance of Christ to the People” by A. Ivanov, but also very emotional, like “Calvary” by N. Ge; "Annunciation", "Rocky" and "Annunciation" by Geliy Korzhev.

Such works of art will never leave children indifferent. When talking about Russian icon painting, it is necessary to explain the difference between a painting and an icon, showing reproductions of icons in parallel with reproductions of graphics and paintings. As a result of the conversation, each student should understand that a painting is an object of aesthetic pleasure, and an icon is both an object of aesthetic pleasure and an object of prayerful veneration.

Practical work on the theme “Garden of Eden”, “Noah’s Ark”. "Tower of Babel".

Before you start depicting, you need to discuss with the children the event that is chosen for illustration, and such interesting sciences as biblical history, biblical archeology, biblical geography, and biblical geology will help you talk about the Bible.

Practical work on the topic “Illustrations of the Bible” can be done using details of an iconographic landscape. The teacher explains the stages of work “step by step” on the board. To prevent children from repeating every stroke after the teacher and making their own individual composition, it is better for the teacher not to use paints for display, but to draw on the board only with chalk and water. The water dries quickly, the children have time to understand how to draw and work with strokes, but at the same time they do not copy every stroke made by the teacher from the board. The result may be interesting compositions made by novice icon painters.

Russian artist, musician and theater figure Vasily Polenov for a long time did not dare to turn to Biblical theme. Until something terrible happened: his beloved sister became seriously ill and before her death she made her brother promise that he would start “writing big picture on the long-planned topic “Christ and the Sinner”.

And he kept his word. After creating this painting, Polenov began creating a whole series of paintings called “From the Life of Christ,” to which he devotes several decades of tireless creative and spiritual search. For this, Polenov even travels through Constantinople, Athens, Smyrna, Cairo and Port Said to Jerusalem.

Henryk Semiradsky

The outstanding portrait artist Henryk Semiradsky, although he was Polish by origin, felt an organic connection with Russian culture from his youth. Perhaps this was facilitated by studying at the Kharkov gymnasium, where drawing was taught by Karl Bryullov’s student Dmitry Bezperchiy.

Semiradsky brought picturesqueness to his canvases on biblical subjects, which made them bright, memorable, and lively.

Detail: Took part in the painting of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Alexander Ivanov

"He left only the divine Raphael as his teacher. With a high inner instinct he sensed true meaning words: history painting. AND inner feeling turned his brush to Christian subjects, the highest and last degree of the high,” he wrote about famous painter Nikolay Gogol.

Alexander Ivanov is the author of the painting “The Appearance of Christ to the People,” which cost him 20 years of real work and creative devotion. Ivanov also did watercolor sketches to the paintings of the "Temple of Humanity", but showed them to almost no one. Only after the artist's death these drawings became known. This cycle entered the history of art under the name “biblical sketches”. These sketches were published more than 100 years ago in Berlin and have not been reprinted since then.

Nikolay Ge

Ge's painting last supper“shocked Russia, just as Karl Bryullov’s “The Last Day of Pompeii” once did. The newspaper “St. Petersburg Vedomosti” reported: “The Last Supper” amazes with its originality against the general background of dry fruits of academic bearing,” and members of the Academy of Arts, on the contrary, could not for a long time make up your mind.

In "The Last Supper" Ge interprets the traditional religious plot as a tragic confrontation between a hero who sacrifices himself for the good of humanity, and his student, who forever renounces the precepts of his teacher. In Ge’s image of Judas there is nothing private, only general. Judas – collective image, Man Without a Face".

Detail: Nikolai Ge first turned to gospel stories under the influence of Alexander Ivanov

Ilya Repin

It is believed that none of the Russian artists, except Karl Bryullov, enjoyed such fame during their lifetime as Ilya Repin. Contemporaries admired the masterfully executed multi-figure genre compositions and seemingly “living” portraits.

Ilya Repin repeatedly turned to the gospel theme in his work. He even went as a pilgrim to the Holy Land to see for himself the places where Christ walked and preached. “I wrote almost nothing there - there was no time, I wanted to see more... I painted an image of the Russian church - the head of the Savior. I wanted to put my contribution to Jerusalem...” Later he said: “there is a living Bible everywhere,” “so grandiosely I felt the living God ", "God! How wonderfully you feel your insignificance to the point of non-existence."

Ivan Kramskoy

Ivan Kramskoy pondered his painting “The Resurrection of Jairus’s Daughter” for a whole decade. At the beginning of 1860, he made the first sketch, and only in 1867 did he make the first version of the painting, which did not satisfy him. To see everything that has been done in this way, Kramskoy travels around Europe with a mandatory visit best museums peace. leaves for Germany. He walks around art galleries Vienna, Antwerp and Paris, gets acquainted with new art, and later makes a trip to Crimea - to the areas of Bakhchisarai and Chufui-Kale, so similar to the Palestinian desert.

Marc Chagall

The author of the famous “Biblical Message,” Marc Chagall, loved the Bible since childhood, considering it an extraordinary source of poetry. Since he came from a Jewish family, he began to learn the basics of education quite early at the school at the synagogue. Many years later, already an adult, Chagall in his work tried to comprehend not only the Old, but also New Testament, tends to understand the figure of Christ.

Biblical stories in modern painting: from Chagall to Roitburd

The Bible, like a book of all times, often becomes a source of inspiration for writers, artists, and musicians. The relevance of the questions posed in Scripture has no spatial or temporal references. Masters have turned and continue to turn to the Bible different countries and eras. Representatives contemporary art also adopt biblical images, presenting them in a new light. Rethinking and interpreting the plots of Scripture in their own way, the authors do not always emphasize the value and significance of religion - often the works of artists deny the sacred covenants.

Sacred art, if you can call it that, is an aesthetic rethinking of biblical stories, which is embodied on canvas. In the context of postmodernism, the Bible can be called one of the most frequently cited sources.

Creativity is permeated with biblical themes Marc Chagall. The artist created a fundamental series of works, including 17 canvases in blue and emerald tones and united by biblical themes. Chagall is trying to decipher the images contained in the sacred book, looking for inspiration between the lines and transforming ideological discoveries into paintings. Chagall’s understanding of the sacredness of the issue clearly runs through the canvas. The artist escapes reality into a vivid and emotional language, inviting viewers to plunge into a multifaceted super-reality, feel a connection with God and higher powers. In addition to the “Biblical Message,” Chagall left to his descendants a series of illustrations - lithographs for the Old Testament. The images on his canvases flow into each other, ignoring spatial limitations.

Often to biblical images addressed by the Spanish genius Salvador Dali. His God was everywhere, and the artist himself was constantly in a borderline state between reality and the magical world of the subconscious. By the way, the name Salvador itself is translated as “Savior”. Famous painting“Christ of Saint John of the Cross” reflects the author’s position on the formula of the universe, in which the crucified Jesus rises above everything and is the embodiment of metaphysical beauty. “Initially I did not want to depict all the attributes of the crucifixion - nails, crown of thorns, etc. - and turn the blood into red carnations in the arms and legs, with three jasmine flowers dropped into the wound on the side. But it was only until the end that my decision was changed by the second vision ( approx. dream), perhaps due to the Spanish proverb that says: “too little Christ, too much blood.” My aesthetic ambitions are that the canvas is the opposite of all images of Christ made contemporary artists, who used an expressionist style, evoking emotions through ugliness,” Dali described the history of the creation of the painting. No less famous is his “Last Supper”. “In it (approx. work) embodies Dali's philosophical, religious and aesthetic creed. Here there is air and light, and construction, and dream, and reality, and hope, and doubt,” writes art theorist Evgenia Zavadskaya. In this work, Christ appears in three forms: God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit. Each of them is revealed to the viewer gradually - from Jesus sitting at the table through immersion in water to the torso rising in the sky.

The canvas is widely known greatest artist Russian modernity Ilya Glazunov"Return of the Prodigal Son" The deep and diverse picture draws the audience's attention to a serious issue - the return of humanity to the spiritual principle, ideals, and religious guidelines. The author starts from the biblical plot, but is not limited to it, transferring the source data to current sociocultural coordinates. Painted in 1978 for Soviet context looked defiant and revealing. That is why it is of particular interest to art critics and the public. The Prodigal Son is depicted naked to the waist, wearing only jeans. The action takes place against the backdrop of dirty everyday life - a dining table with half-drunk glasses of wine, two large pigs in the foreground, young man, from which barbed wire stretches. If we move away from specifics and speak in abstract terms, then each of us spends a lot of energy trying to escape from the essence, and then there comes a period of long and difficult return to this very essence. Another work by Glazunov, “The Raising of Lazarus,” is even more eclectic and multi-layered. Jesus is depicted against the backdrop of multi-storey buildings holding a rally with a poster “Glasnost. Perestroika" and the burning temple.

Dearest Ukrainian artist Alexander Roitburd gained popularity due to the extravagance and provocative nature of his projects. One of them is called “Roitburd vs Caravaggio”. “Biblical stories are the main thing in works of Caravaggio. Sacred stories, ancient and mythological, have always contained symbolism and hierarchy. The artist worked with archetypes, which is something we now lack in art. That's why it was interesting for me to quote Caravaggio. But naive, sincere works with mythological sacred subjects are already somewhat strange to me as an artist,” the author said in an interview. If we consider this issue from the position of postmodernism, then we can say that Roytubrd quotes a quotation, while the primary source is biblical stories. At the same time, he declares the absence of personal attachment to any religion. He builds a dialogue between cultures, rethinks and rearranges images - characters find themselves in new situations and break away from the usual source data.

In turn, one of the most dear artists Russia Konstantin Khudyakov also often resorts to quotation. Often the primary source is Holy Scripture. For example, the large-scale work “Deisis. Anticipation" - he creates his own iconostasis. The photographic precision of the image enhances the magical effect - dark tones and precisely expressed mood of the images. In “The Presence” you will find Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, the holy apostles, Alexander the Great, Nicholas II and other equally significant characters. “I used about 100 thousand fragments as a palette human faces our contemporaries,” says the artist about the creation of the work. In a conversation about the place of religious themes in his work, Khudyakov says: “I know the measure of things, I know what is good and what is bad, and I don’t want to offend anyone. I behave correctly towards the church and don’t do church things - I paint pictures on religious themes.”

Contemporary art in general is conducive to shocking, but if an artist turns to the Holy Book as a source of citation, he must be clearly aware of the limits of what is permitted.