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traditions in transition: russian icons in the age of the romanovs
a review of the exhibition at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
by donald dusinberre    imartsyfartsy@gmail.com

      For nearly one hundred years, Russia has not been a place known for its religious fervor. With the rise of Lenin and Socialism in 1917 came the forced demise of organized religion throughout the country. But prior to that political upheaval (and somewhat since the fall of Communism in 1991), Russians were largely and deeply associated with the Russian Orthodox Church, a part of the larger Eastern Orthodox Church.

      From now through September 2, 2007, The Cummer will display 45 examples of religious history in Russia. The Romanovs, the Russian monarchy in power from 1613 to 1917, governed a society where Russian icons were a common yet holy sight. The examples gathered from throughout the age of the Romanovs range from peasant-owned icons, to those fit for the richest, to those guarded by the holiest. Whether they’re painted with tempera on wood or they feature an intricate gilded cover, each of the icons is a monument to God as well as a testament to the skills of the artist.

      One of the most interesting things I learned is that most of the icons made during the age of the Romanovs were unsigned and painted anonymously. Whether artists were copying an icon already in existence or creating brand-new ones, the process was considered greater than them, and so they often remained in pious anonymity.

      Also interesting and clearly evident were the differences in style. Due to an increasing Western influence, the style and technique used to create icons became less intricate and rigid as time rose through the 1800s. You can plainly see the influence in the Cummer’s display. As a result, as certain styles became unfashionable, artists crafted oklads, which embellished and covered up most of the out-of-style imagery, thereby renewing the impact of that holy image. The oklads were plates made of silver or gold, with carefully placed cutouts arranged to expose the painted faces and gestured body parts showing from beneath it.

      My favorite icon in the exhibition was Resurrection. Although many of them have identical or similar names, this one was especially ornate and amazingly crafted. Made in Palekh, Russia sometime between 1800 and 1900, its overwhelming intricacy left me in awe and I wondered how it was created so finely, especially so long ago. I could look at it for hours and get lost in the artist’s depiction of Biblical events.

      Even if you don’t subscribe to the basic principles of Christianity, there’s no denying the impact these icons can have on you. Even if you had to remove their religious context completely, the Russian icons on display at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens are glorious examples of man’s will to make something beautiful, even extraordinary.

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