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The Masterpieces from World Museums in the Hermitage
series
Two Italian Icons of the 13th Century
29 May, 2002 - 28 September, 2002
On 29 May, 2002, the World Museum Masterpieces at the Hermitage program
presented in room No. 207 of the Greater Hermitage an exhibition of two
anonymous Italian icons of the 13th century, Virgin with Child and St.
Nicholas with scenes of his life, from San Verano Church in Peccioli,
Italy. These works, created in Pisa, are excellent examples, the first,
of the so-called Hodegetria type (Virgin with Child), the second, of a
''laudatory'' icon (St. Nicholas with scenes from his life).
Virgin with Child is the oldest type of Hodegetria (The Leader of the
Way), popular during ducento (13th century, when Byzantine influence was
predominant in the art of Apennine Peninsula). Its prototype was an image,
venerated since the 6th century, which is ascribed by a popular legend
to St. Luke the Evangelist. The Child half reclines in the Theotokos'
embrace, making a gesture of blessing with His right hand, while holding
a closed scroll in His left hand. The icon's meaning is the coming to
the world of the Heavenly King and Judge and veneration of the royal child.
The Virgin's figure clothed in red is majestic and immovable against a
glimmering golden ground (symbol of the noetic cosmos). This color symbolizes
both passion and imperial purple, because Mary is the Heavenly Queen.
Her face is especially expressive, big eyes looking straight at the beholder.
The author of Virgin with Child is not known. Creator's name very rarely
occur in ducento works when the master's individuality (the great achievement
of the forthcoming Renaissance) was not recognized. Iconographers followed
the will of God, rather than their clients.
The second icon was probably painted by a Pisan master working in the
second half of the 13th century when this school flourished.
St. Nicholas of Myra in Lycia (or of Bari) is one of the most popular
Christian saints. His icon showed in the exhibition follows the canon
of ''laudatory'' images where a saint was depicted in the center (most
often, full-height) with scenes from his life around him. Nicholas stands
on an elevation in his episcopal vestment against a golden ground. Unlike
Eastern tradition which depicted him bare-headed with a book and cloth
in his hands, here he has characteristic Western elements like the miter
on his head and crosier in his hand as symbols of his episcopal dignity.
Crosses on the chasuble are replaced with eagles in circles. The saint's
figure and face are very conventional, his big eyes are emphasized. The
artist was much freer in the life scenes where he was less bound by iconographic
conventions and added vivid details to the narration.
The iconographer's task was to make his work comprehensible to beholders
who were mostly illiterate, that is why life scenes became some sort of
a book with pictures.
Esthetics of Byzantine painting which found a fertile soil in the 13th
century Italy had its strictures. Despite the artist's efforts to combine
human figures with architecture and notwithstanding individuality and
vividness of some details, the depicted world remains fantastic and unreal.
It does not have a particular source of light, being filled with the glimmering
golden ground; nothing obeys the laws of material world, lines are arbitrary
and bodies are weightless.
The Hermitage has very few Italian icons of this period; this adds to
the appeal of the two works showed in the exhibition.
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Virgin with Child
13th century
Larger view
St. Nicholas with scenes of his life
13th century
Larger view
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