Theophanes the Greek
(about 1337 - after 1405)

Theophanes the Greek, refers to the most important masters of the Middle Ages. His work, executed in the Byzantine Empire, did not survive. All his works are known to have been created in Russia and for Russia, where he lived for more than thirty years. He introduced Russian with the highest achievements of Byzantine spiritual culture is experienced in his time one of the last ups.

Few details Theophan found in Moscow and Novgorod chronicles, but the special value is a letter written about 1415 Moscow spiritual writer and artist Epiphanius the Wise, Archimandrite of the Savior-Afanasieva Cyril monastery. Post Epiphany is interesting because it provides a unique opportunity to make a presentation on the principles of the wizard. In his letter, he reports kept by him of the Four Gospels, illustrated Feofanom and decorated with the image of the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

Description of the drawing shows a number of details. "When he is portrayed or written, no one saw that he had ever looked at the samples, as do some of our painters who constantly stare in disbelief, looking here and there, and not so much writing inks, look at how many samples. He also seemed to hand-painted writes, and he continually walks, talks with incoming and mind ponders high and wise, sensual eyes of a reasonable reasonable sees kindness. How to him who neither spoke, could not help but marvel at his intellect, his parables " parables "and its trickiest structure."

From the message know that Theophane, "a Greek by birth, books isograph deliberate and excellent painter of painters," painted over 40 stone churches in Constantinople, Chalcedon, Galatia, Cafes (Theodosia), as well as on the Russian soil.

In the Novgorod Chronicle III first job was mentioned by Theophanes 1378 This refers to painting them Novgorod Church of the Transfiguration on Ilin-street - the only extant work of the master, which has documentary evidence to this day remains the main source for the evaluation of his art.

The frescoes of the church are preserved in fragments, so to restore the system of painting can only partially. In the dome of the temple shows a half-figure of Christ Pantocrator surrounded by the archangels and seraphim. In the drum - the images of our forefathers, including Adam, Abel, Noah, Seth, Melchizedek, Enoch, Elijah, John the Baptist. The choir in the north-west corner cell (Trinity Chapel) images are preserved better. Chapel painted with images of saints songs "Our Lady of the Sign with the Archangel Gabriel", "The Adoration of the victim," "Trinity". The manner of Theophanes bright individual, different expressive temperament, freedom and diversity in the choice of methods. Form stressed picturesque, devoid of detail, built by rich and free brush strokes. The subdued overall tone of the painting contrasts with bright lightening bleaching, like flashes of lightning illuminating the harsh inspired images of the saints. The contours delineated by powerful dynamic lines. The folds of garments devoid of detailed modeling, going wide and hard, under the sharp corners.
avaricious master palette and restrained, it is dominated by orange-brown, silvery blue, corresponding to the intense spiritual state images. "Painting Theophanes - it is a philosophical concept in paints, though the concept is quite harsh, far from the everyday optimism. Gist of it is the idea of global human sinfulness before God, as a result of which he was almost hopelessly remote from it, and can only fear and horror to expect the arrival of their uncompromising and merciless judge, whose image with extreme severity respecter of sinful humanity under the dome of the temple of Novgorod "- says the researcher Russian medieval art Vasily Bychkov.