Reasons for iconographic transformation in old Russian painting of the 16th century

The article analyzes the reasons for the transformation of iconography in Old Russian painting of the 16th century. First, the authors dwell on the emergence of approaches to the study of ancient Russian icon painting, emphasizing the contribution of each of the research schools. Next, the formation of icon painting originals in Byzantium and their functional significance for icon painters is retrospectively traced. The authors emphasize that the presence of such collections could not completely exclude the possibility of manifestation of the master’s individual style; they only guided the icon painter. In ancient Russian art at the turn of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. changes occurred caused by a complex of reasons, among which feudal fragmentation and the invasion of the Mongol Tatars are indicated. The authors dwell in detail on the impact of hesychasm on the worldview of the ancient Russian people of that period, and compare the approaches to icon painting of Andrei Rublev and Dionysius. It is noted that in the work of Dionysius one can notice a departure from traditional subjects and almost always an emphasized decorativeness, which indicates the emergence of a ceremonialrepresentational principle in Russian art. The changes taking place in the visual arts lead to their discussion, which is reflected in the “Message to the Icon Painter” by Joseph Volotsky. The Conclusion emphasizes that Joseph Volotsky’s “Message to the Icon Painter” can be viewed as an attempt to preserve not only the immutability of iconographic subjects, but also the theological content of the image.