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Portraiture Traditions at Optina Pustyn’: Recent Discoveries
https://doi.org/10.51236/2618-7140-2025-8-2-65-79
Abstract
Museum collections across Russia have brought to light a group of portraits executed by Hieroschemamonk Gabriel (Spassky) of Optina Pustyn’ in the mid-nineteenth century. The creation of these works constitutes one of the most significant episodes in the development of a rare and little-studied phenomenon: lifetime portraiture – executed, in certain cases, from life – of eminent representatives of monasticism. The authorship of the Optina painter can be established on the basis of his signatures on the reverse of the canvases, the provenance of the works, painterly manner, and material evidence. It is also possible that certain images were produced in the monastery workshop by collaborators of Father Gabriel. A portrait of Saint Leo (Nagolkin), discovered in a private collection, may be attributed to Gabriel (Spassky) on the grounds of its iconography and painterly execution. It is evident that some portraits by this master served as models for engravings and lithographs. Several graphic works have been identified that further augment the iconography of Starets Leo.
About the Author
Ya. E. Zelenina
State Historical Museum; Sergey Andriaka Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Zelenina Yana Ernestovna, Ph. D. in Art History Senior Researcher, Department of Old Russian Painting; Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Socio-Economic Disciplines
1 Red Square, Moscow, 109012; 15 Akademika Vargi Street, Moscow, 117133
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Review
For citations:
Zelenina Ya.E. Portraiture Traditions at Optina Pustyn’: Recent Discoveries. Secreta Artis. 2025;8(2):65-79. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.51236/2618-7140-2025-8-2-65-79
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