Theophanes the Greek

(b c. 1335; d c. 1410). Byzantine painter, active in Russia. Only those works he produced on Russian soil have survived and he is therefore included in the history of Russian as well as Byzantine art. He is one of the few 14th-century artists in Russia about whom there is reliable documentary evidence. According to the chronicle sources he painted the church of the Transfiguration (Spaso-Preobrazheniye) at Novgorod in 1378 and three churches in the Moscow Kremlin: the Nativity of the Virgin (Rozhdestvo Bogoroditsy; 1395), the cathedral of the Archangel Michael (Arkhangel'sky; 1399) and, with ANDREY RUBLYOV and Prokhor from Gorodets, the cathedral of the Annunciation (Blagoveshchensky; 1405); none of the paintings in these Moscow churches survives. The richest source of biographical material is a 17th-century copy of excerpts from a letter (c. 1415; see Vzdornov, 1983) from the monk and hagiographer Epiphanius the Wise (Premudry; d c. 1420) to Kirill, abbot of the monastery of the Saviour (Spassky) in Tver'. He describes the activities and working methods of Theophanes while in Moscow, thus confirming the authenticity of the chronicles' information. He writes that Theophanes was of Greek origin and, before coming to Moscow, had worked in Constantinople (now Istanbul), Chalcedon, Galatia, Kaffa (now Feodosiya) in the Crimea, Novgorod and Nizhny Novgorod, and who painted over 40 stone churches. The letter relates that in addition to the three churches in the Moscow Kremlin, Theophanes painted the state treasury of Prince Vladimir Andreyevich Serpukhovsky (reg 1353-1410), in which he included an image of Moscow, and the terem, or small chambers, of Grand Prince Vasily I (1389-1425), also in the Kremlin. At the request of Epiphanius, Theophanes produced a miniature for a Gospels manuscript showing a view of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and the statue of Justinian I to the south of the cathedral. He describes Theophanes as a 'renowned wise man, an expert philosopher ... a famous book artist and the best artist among all the icon painters'.

See the Abbreviations for further details.

(c. 1340 - 1410), renowned artist and philosopher.

Theophanes the Greek began his career as an artist in the Byzantine capital, Constantinople. He worked in the media of fresco, egg tempera for panel painting (icons), and tempera for book illustration. In the 1380s he immigrated to Russia, first of all to Novgorod. An important source for his life is a letter written by Hieromonk Ephiphanius to Cyril around 1415. He states that Theophanes was an artist, a sage, and a philosopher. The stone churches he decorated with frescoes include several in Constantinople, Chalcedon, Galata, and Caffa. Altogether, he painted frescoes in over forty churches. In Russia his most important surviving frescoes are to be found in the Church of the Savior of the Transfiguration, Novgorod (1378). He worked swiftly without the use of pattern books. Nor did he mind spectators. As his fame spread, he was invited to Moscow in the 1390s. Among other projects in the 1390s, he painted a panorama fresco of Moscow (nonextant) in the stone palace of Prince Vladimir Andreevich. The most important surviving projects in Moscow are the main icons (1405) for the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral, Cathedral Square, and the Moscow Kremlin. Here he was assisted by the Elder Prokhor of Gorodets and Andrei Rublev, according to the Troica Chronicle. Another separate icon attributed to him is the Bogomater Donskaya (Virgin of the Don) and on the back, the Dormition of the Virgin, 1380s (Tretyakov Gallery). A very expressive early fifteenth-century Transfiguration of Christ icon (Tretyakov Gallery) has been attributed to Theophanes as well. His figures tended to be very tall and severe, with dark faces and long, thin arms. Mystical elements in his paintings are believed to reflect the influence of Hesychasm. Theophanes was truly one of the greatest of the early Russian icon painters.

Bibliography

Cheremeteff, Maria. (1990). "The Transformation of the Russian Sanctuary Barrier and the Role of Theophanes the Greek." In The Millennium: Christianity and Russia, A.D. 988 - 1988, ed. Albert Leong. Crest-wood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.

—A. DEAN MCKENZIE

For the Cretan icon painter, see Theophanes of Crete.

Transfiguration of Jesus (1408)

Theophanes the Greek (sometimes "Feofan Grek" from the Russian: Феофан Грек, Greek: Θεοφάνης; c. 1340 – c. 1410) was a Byzantine Greek artist and one of the greatest icon painters, or iconographers, of Muscovite Russia, and was noted as the teacher and mentor of the great Andrei Rublev.

Theophanes was born in the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople. In 1370 he moved to Novgorod, and in 1395 to Moscow. His style is considered unsurpassed in expression achieved by almost mono-colored painting. Some of his contemporaries observed that he appeared to be "painting with a broom", in reference to the bold, broad execution in some of his finest frescos (see St. Makarios of Egypt), which are unique in the larger Byzantine tradition. Theophanes was described by the Muscovites as "learned in philosophy", a reflection on his broad education and erudition. A hint of this might be gathered from his panel icon of the Transfiguration of Jesus, where the arresting geometry and brilliance of the figure of Christ is balanced against the ordered disarray of the earthbound Apostles, strewn about doll-like in the uncreated Light of Mount Tabor. The balance of mathematical harmony in line and shape, wed to a master's use of an earthtone palette and precious gold leaf, evokes a spirituality that is immensely powerful, and speaks to the genius of this relatively unknown painter.

Theophanes decorated in fresco the walls and ceilings of many churches including:

• the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilin Street in Novgorod (1378)
• the church of Nativity of Mary (1395) of the Moscow Kremlin together with Semen Chernij)
• Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (1399)
• the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Moscow Kremlin, in company with Andrei Rublev and Prokhor of Gorodets (1405).

He created panel icons as well. However, based on historical evidence, works attributed to Theophanes have lately become a topic of intense academic debate. Until recently, he was traditionally considered the author of famous panel icons, notably:

• Our Lady of the Don (1380?)
• Dormition of the Virgin Mary (1392)
• The Virgin Mary and John the Baptist from the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin (1405?)
• The Transfiguration (1408)

External links

• The school of Theophanos the Greek in medieval Crimea

Some Works

Frescoes

St. Makarios of Egypt

St. Daniil Stolpnik

Abel

Trinity

Panel icons - these attributions are now controversial

Our Lady of the Don (Donskaya)

Dormition of Mary (Uspenie Bogoroditsy)

The Virgin Mary, Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin

John the Baptist pair with the Virgin

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Feofan Grek

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