Medieval Russian Art
(Russian) Icon of Saint Nicolas,
13th - early 14th century,
tempera on wood.
Our knowledge of Russian art begins with the Scythians,
around 1000 BC. But what most people think
of as Russian art begins when the Russians convert to Christianity
around 400 AD. At this time they begin painting
in a more Roman style (that is, the Roman
style of about 400 AD). A lot of what they paint is religious pictures
called icons. Icons are mostly pictures of saints,
or of Jesus or Mary.
They are usually painted on wood.
People thought these pictures had religious
power. If you touched a picture of the saint, he or she could make
you better from a sickness, or curse your enemies. Because these pictures
were so important and powerful, people sometimes decorated them with
jewels and gold.
Russian artists continued to paint in a Byzantine
(Roman) style for almost a thousand years until the Mongols
invaded Russia in the 1200's AD. The war kept the Russians from talking
to the Byzantine artists, so they developed their own independent style
at this time.
