The Assumption of Our Lady (Dionysius)

The icon was painted for the iconostasis of the cathedral of the monastery , founded in 1414 by the Rev. Pavel Obnorsky near Vologda . One of the four surviving icons related to the "northern period" of the work of Dionysius ^[1] . The remaining surviving icons of the iconostasis are “ Savior in power ” and “ Crucifixion ” (State Tretyakov Gallery), “ Assurance of Thomas ” ( State Russian Museum ). Based on the inscription carved on the back of “The Savior is in power”, the creation of the entire iconostasis dates back to 1500:

In le [that] ZI (7008 - 1500) written diisus and celebrants and prophets of Denisiev’s writing.

- The inscription on the back of the icon "Savior in power" ^[2]

Thus, according to the inscription, in 1500, Dionysius painted deesis, festive and prophetic icons for the old, wooden Trinity Cathedral. Actually, the inscription does not mention “Assumption”, however, despite the attrition and loss of painting, a stylistic similarity between all four icons can be traced, which allows researchers to confidently attribute authorship to Dionysius ^{[2] [3]} .

As the paleographer M.V.Schepkina determined in 1949, the inscription on the back of the icon "Savior in power" was made in the 1530s. It is possible that the carved inscription repeats another, made a little higher with black paint, which at present can only be read in part. According to art historian I. A. Kochetkov , it is not possible to date carved inscriptions according to paleographic features, at least up to a decade, as carvers performed them according to their own patterns ^[2] .

The stone Trinity Cathedral of the monastery was built in 1505-1516 by Vasily III ; it has not survived to this day. Most likely the iconostasis was created for the old wooden cathedral ^{[4] [5]} . After the monastery was closed, the Assumption, the Savior in Forces, and the Crucifixion were transferred to the Gryazovets Museum. August 8, 1924 "Crucifixion" and "Assumption" entered the Vologda Museum ^{[2] [6]} .

The icon "Assumption of the Mother of God", made by Dionysius, refers to the "cloud" version of the iconography of the Assumption, where the apostles flock above the bed of the Mother of God. It is known in Byzantium, and through it in Russia from the 9th-12th centuries. In the 13th century, the “cloudy” iconographic type was supplemented by the Ascension scene at the top of the composition. The scene goes back to the apocrypha attributed to Joseph of Arimathea . Sometimes the Ascension was supplemented by the transmission by the Virgin of the belt to the Apostle Thomas . A similar composition can be seen on the frescoes of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin in the Svyatogorsky monastery ( Pskov ). Since the end of the 13th century, fresco cycles have spread in the Balkans , expanding about the Assumption of the Mother of God, which included new scenes and characters. So, it was in the Balkan monumental paintings “The Assumption of the Mother of God” that an episode appeared from the “Transfer of the Body of the Mother of God to the Sepulcher” that punished Autonius trying to turn the bed over ^[6] .

“Cloudy” haul was widely spread in Russia from the second half of the 15th century. A model for such icons at that time was probably the temple icon of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin . It was written for the consecration of the cathedral in 1479. The case of plots in the icon of Dionysius and the icon from the Assumption Cathedral is identical, and the artistic interpretation of individual episodes is close. However, in the compositional construction of Dionysius there are serious differences. The space is shallow, there is no consistent change of plans, as in the Moscow "Assumption". In the absence of vast free areas of the background, one does not feel that the icon is full of characters - this is achieved by the balance of the composition and the scale of the entire work ^[7] .

At the top of the icon is the Ascension of the Mother of God in glory and white robes, surrounded by apostles who are sent to Jerusalem from those places where they preached the teachings of Christ. The Virgin’s robe is white, symbolizing purity, perhaps a reference to the text of John the Evangelist “The Word to the Assumption of the Virgin”, which refers to the “indescribable light” from the soul ascended to heaven. One of the earliest (perhaps the first) appearance of this iconographic feature was noted by researchers in the icon of Dionysius from the Assumption Cathedral of the Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery , dated 1485. This image has not been preserved, but its copy is known, executed in 1591 ^{[7] [3]} .

In the center, near the death bed of the Mother of God, are depicted apostles, saints , Jerusalem's wives, and also the angelic army . The lower part of the composition is reserved for the scene with the Jew Avfony , who was punished by cutting off his hands for trying to overturn the bed. He regained them after he repented of his deed and believed in Christ ^[7] .

The coloristic solution of the icon of Dionysius consists in a harmonious combination of turquoise, cherry brown, yellow and white, cinnabar and gold. The painting layer, especially in a personal letter, was probably damaged during the fires that occurred in the Pavlo-Obnorsky monastery in 1538 and 1767 ^[7] .

• Nersesyan L. 33. Assumption of the Mother of God // Icons of Vologda XIV - XVI centuries: (catalog). - Moscow: Northern Pilgrim, 2007 .-- 823 p.
• Kochetkov I. A. The iconostasis of Dionysius from the Pavlo-Obnorsky monastery // Serve the North ...: Historical, artistic and local history collection. - Vologda, 1995 .-- S. 256 .
• Glebova A., Maimasov S., Petrova T. Ancient Russian art in the collection of the Vologda Museum-Reserve. Guide to the exposure. - M .: North Pilgrim, 2004 .-- 184 p.