by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
There were a lot of changes in Russia, both religious and political, beginning in the mid-1600s and the religious icons are one way to show the European influence on Russia.
The Cummer Museum of Art & Garden’s latest exhibit, “Tradition in Transition: Russian Icons in the Age of the Romanovs,” is a display of religious icons that were created in the years 1613-1917. Visitors can follow the icons around the room with paintings beginning in the mid-1600s through the early 1900s.
The exhibit will be at the Cummer Museum through Sept. 2.
The 45 icons are from Hillwood Museum & Gardens. Marjorie Merriweather Post, founder of the Hillwood Museum, acquired her collection of Russian icons when her husband, Joseph Davies, was the United States ambassador to the Soviet Union.
“The Soviet Union needed to sell these icons to make money for the government,” said Holly Ceris, associate curator at the Cummer. “The Russians decided to keep everything (the icons) that was made before the mid-1600s because that was the beginning of the Romanov dynasty and there was an increased relationship with Europe.
“They aimed to keep anything Russian, but sold or destroyed the ones with European influence.”
Ceris said the pieces in this exhibit are ones the Russians decided to part with because they only wanted to keep traditional works.
“It was part of their plan to sell off the ones they considered lesser quality to bring in money for the Russian government,” she said.
As visitors follow the paintings around the room, they can see the first few pieces are very traditional in that they are not very elaborate. As visitors make their way around the room, they will begin to see gold, beading and colorful stones like emeralds.
The icons were used as a way for people to pray to a religious figure. Most icons would have been found on the walls of Orthodox churches, hanging in people’s homes, or some were small enough for people to carry around with them.
“Over time, the pictures evolved and became more elaborate and they began looking much more like a European painting,” said Ceris.
As the paintings were becoming more elaborate, wealthier owners used unique oklads, which were decorative iron covers. The oklads would act like a book cover, but were made of gold or silver and decorated with pearls, diamonds and other gems.
“They (decorative oklads) were visual indicators that you were obviously above stature,” she said.
Underneath the oklad was the full painting, but the oklad didn’t show the full painting.
“The only things that remain visible were the faces and hands,” said Ceris.
One painting showed a religious figure and two angels fighting off the devil. The oklad included the heads and hands of the angels and the religious figure, but not the head and hands of the devil.
Ceris said many of the paintings and oklads were mass-produced so the poor would have a way to worship the religious figures.
Special programs that coincide with the exhibit include: exhibition tours, Family Day, Especially for Seniors Talks & Tea, Art for Two and Art Adventures on Saturdays. For information on these programs call 355-0630.