Family icon - in a broad sense, an icon belonging to a family, inherited from generation to generation, family heirloom. This could be an image that has any iconography , for example, it can be icons that bless the parents of their children for family life, wedding icons stored as a relic.
More precisely, this term refers to a specific iconography : a “family icon” is an icon, written to order, which depicts the names of the patron saints of family members who are usually not grouped together, revered separately.
Iconography
Family icons were written in Russia to order secured names. They depicted the saints, whose names were worn by members of this family.
If the icon is written for the wedding day of the young spouses or immediately after, then it usually depicts two saints: patrons of the husband and wife.
Fedor Stratelates and the Great Martyr Agatha . Patronal icon of Tsar Fedor Alekseevich and Queen Agafya , written for the wedding.
St. Alexis the Man of God and St. Mary of Egypt . The icon is written for the marriage of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich with Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna
Saint Vladimir and Saint Barbara . Icon of the beginning of the 20th century.
On the "family" icon can be depicted many saints: the patron saints of children, spouses, their parents, their ancestors, including those who have already passed away. . Above the “family icon” can be depicted the blessing Lord Jesus Christ , the Holy Face , the Most Holy Trinity , the Mother of God : usually the “ Sign ” or “The Protection”. Sometimes they write the patrons of the family in the prayer awaiting before Jesus Christ or the Theotokos . Also, a guardian angel of a family type can be written on such an icon, it is depicted in the center of the icon, in the midst of family saints
Family Icon Godunov: Sts. Theodot of Ancyra ( direct name of Boris Godunov) , princes Boris and Gleb ( Boris Godunov ), Venerable Xenia ( Xenia Godunova ), Mary Magdalene ( Maria Godunova )
Family icon of Alexander III in memory of the miraculous rescue in case of a train crash in Borki . Saints Alexander Nevsky ( Alexander III ) , Mary Magdalene ( Maria Fedorovna ) , Nicholas the Wonderworker ( Tsarevich Nikolai (II) ) , George the Victorious ( Georgy Alexandrovich ) , Princess Olga ( Olga Alexandrovna ) , Mikhail Chernigovsky ( Mikhail Alexandrovich ), Venerable Xenia ( Ksenia Alexandrovna ) .
Family icon of the last Romanovs: the Fedorovskaya Mother of God with saints - Nicholas the Wonderworker ( Nicholas II ) , Alexandra Rimskaya ( Alexandra Fedorovna ) , Metropolitan Alexy (Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich ) and Mikhail Malein (led. Prince Mikhail Alexandrovich )
Alexander Nevsky, Constantine the Great and Mary Magdalene. 1861–1881 On the lower margin of the icon is the inscription “In memory of the liberation of the peasants from serfdom”
There is another type of "family icons": when the holy family patrons are not located in the centerpiece ( ark ) of the icon, but in its fields . Saints, written in the margins of the icon, called "poleosnymi." Together with them often write and guardian angel . In the central part of the icon have the image of Christ the Almighty or a particularly revered image of the Blessed Virgin Mary . The saints depicted in the margins turn in prayer for their wards to the central image.
Our Lady of Kazan with saints in the fields. Simon Ushakov . 1676 (?)
Theodore Icon of the Mother of God with registered vmchn. Catherine and guardian angel.
“Kazan saints with selected saints in the fields” (Saints Gury, Varsonofy, Hermogenes, Herman, the martyrs Peter and John of Kazan, Abraham of Bulgaria, Stefan of Kazan)
Also, a “family icon” can be a “ private trader ” (in other words, “ folding ”), that is, an icon consisting of several icons (parts) connected in a common composition. On one of the parts of such an icon are the patron saints , or they are depicted in stamps in the margins . Also on such an icon can be written " Deesis " or depicted any revered saints. In other "parts" of the icon can be painted images of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Savior .
Folder "Trinity" with the Virgin and St. Nicholas in the side flaps
See also
- Patronal Icon
- Measured icon
Literature
- E. S. Smirnova. "Looking at the image of ancient painters ..." The theme of honoring icons in the art of Medieval Russia. Moscow. Northern Pilgrim. 2007
- Tarasov O. Yu. “Icon and Piety” Essays on Icon Business in Imperial Russia. "Progress culture". "Tradition". Moscow. 1995
- Tsekhanskaya K.V. “Icon worship in Russian traditional culture”. Moscow: IEA RAS, 2004
- Tsekhanskaya K.V. “Icon in the Life of the Russian People” Moscow 1988
- Romanenko A.I. “Patriarchal Chambers” State Historical and Cultural Museum Reserve “Moscow Kremlin” Moscow 2001. Art-courier.