“There is the Rublev Trinity, therefore there is God,” Fr. Pavel Florenski. Why is this image so large that it itself becomes proof of the existence of God? Personality type “Leonard” – philosopher, theologian, poet, scientist, engineer – p. Pavel Florensky gave one of the first explanations, having discovered the principle of “reverse perspective” – the main technique and artistic method of Old Russian icon painting.
Surprisingly, Old Russian icon painting began to be recognized as the greatest cultural peak only towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. And after Prince Yevgeny Trubetskoy’s “Three Essays on the Russian Icon”, written in 1915 in response to an exhibition of Old Russian painting, he has never ceased to be in the spotlight of the public. This, according to Trubetskoy, “speculation in colors” turned out to be relevant forever.
“The most perfect of all the works of Old Russian painting known to us so far,” called Rublyov’s “Trinity” Igor Grabar, under whose leadership the restoration work was carried out, returning the Rublyov icon proper from under centuries-old layers: their composition, colors, meaning.
Let’s not forget how Sergei Shchukin brought Matisse to Russia, diverting his attention from the Persian miniature and redirecting it to the ancient Russian icon. So, the European avant-garde was inspired by Russian patrons both financially (through the purchase of paintings) and “ideologically” (if we mean mainly aesthetic ideas).
“There was nothing better and even the same in Byzantium,” commented the philosopher Grigory Pomerants, who considered the Old Testament composition “Trinity” one of the last flashes of Hellenic artistic genius, commented on the “Savior” and the “Trinity” from Rublev. And since there was no language barrier for “color speculation”, Russian icon painting was not inferior to Greek. And in two icons Rublev – “Savior” and “Trinity” – surpassed her.
And, finally, even if generational censorship and class tastes are included, in the second half of the 20th century, Andrei Tarkovsky rediscovered Rublev’s “Trinity” for us. And not only a scrupulous artistic recreation of the inner world of a Christian, a monk and a painter, but also a striking -super close-up- looking at the great icon. Once again, he showed us this “blue that is not equal to anything in the world”, as Fr. Pavel Florenski said. Fragments of Rublev’s “Trinity” at the end of Tarkovsky’s film are also a masterpiece of artistic explanation.
Art critic Lev Lifshits believed that in the Tretyakov Gallery you could pray in front of Rublev’s “Trinity”. And that he himself saw more than once even those who were on their knees. Thanks to him for his loyalty, but I guess the hall keepers weren’t so forgiving anymore. Therefore, the “Trinity” of the great Rublyov in the temple is a homecoming. Although the conversation about the fate of the icon still needs to continue.
