On the icon of the Holy Trinity who is sitting where. Cup of Atonement. Appearance of Rublev’s “Trinity”
The image of the Holy Trinity is revered by Orthodox Christians around the world. Prayers in front of this icon can protect your life from all evil and worries.
History of the icon
The Icon of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called “Hospitality of Abraham,” was painted in the 15th century by the famous icon painter Andrei Rublev.
According to legend, the pious husband Abraham one day met three strangers near his house who did not give their names. Abraham received the travelers and offered them rest and food. During the conversation, three mysterious people told Abraham that they were messengers of the Lord, His three angels, and reported the imminent birth of their son Isaac. After the prophecy, two angels went to destroy the city of Sodom, which had provoked the wrath of the Lord, and the third angel stayed and talked with Abraham.
Where is the icon
The icon of the “Holy Trinity” is of great value. Currently, the image is in the Tretyakov Gallery.
Description of the icon
On a vertical base there are three angels closing a circle near the table. The table is set, there is a bowl on it and grape branches lie on it. Angels sit under the shade of a sacred tree and mountain, symbolizing the eternal life and love of the Lord.
The image of three angels indicates to the Orthodox the unity of the Lord in three persons and the sacred, sacred content of this number. The light, love and forgiveness contained in the image of each angel indicate the possibility of coming to the Kingdom of Heaven along one of these paths.
What does an icon help with?
They pray to the Icon of the Holy Trinity, wanting to comprehend the full power of God's grace. This image is able to protect home and family, guide a person who has gone astray onto the right path and show him all the greatness and beauty of divine creations.
They pray to the Icon of the Holy Trinity:
- to receive healing of physical and mental illnesses;
- about restoring justice and protecting from enemies;
- asking for guidance on the right path in life;
- about getting rid of melancholy and sadness.
Prayers to the icon of the Holy Trinity
“Most Holy Trinity, I humbly pray to You: just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are united into a single force that protects true faith and humility, so the power of love, faith and truth of the Lord will not leave me. May I not fall into the fiery abyss of Gehenna, may I not perish in sin and unbelief. Do not leave me, messengers of God and His fair Judgment. Amen".
“The sacred Trinity, a symbol of the generosity and power of the Lord, with its power punishing the infidels, bringing great joy to the servant of the Lord! I pray to you, do not leave me in sadness and grief, protect my belly and my spirit from all evil. Amen".
This prayer can protect you from danger and physical threat.
The Day of Remembrance of the Icon of the Holy Trinity is celebrated on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ. At this time, any prayers to the Lord have special power and can lead you to inner balance and joy. We wish you peace in your soul and strong faith in God. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and
The Trinity icon, painted by Andrei Rublev, is recognizable and known throughout the world. When talking about Russian artistic culture, many people first remember it. The exact year of creation of Andrei Rublev’s “Trinity” is not possible to establish today. The closest date is 1411 or 1425-27.
The history of the creation of the icon is based mainly on guesswork. The generally accepted version says that it was written by order of St. Nikon of Radonezh for the Trinity Cathedral. The question of the date of painting remains open; it is unknown for the construction of which building the icon was ready: for a wooden church in 1411? To the stone structure of 1425-27? Sources that have survived to the present day are not able to answer the question.
This icon painter’s board quickly became a model for all subsequent creators of images of the Holy Trinity. By 1551, the Stoglavy Cathedral declared that all future images must comply with it. And in 1575, Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered it to be decorated with a gold frame. Subsequently, other kings also changed the frames, and the icon itself was updated in accordance with the ideas of the artists of those times. The restoration of the original appearance of the work began only in 1904.
Description of the icon
Brief description of the “Trinity” icon by Andrei Rublev: three angels personifying the trinity of God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) are sitting around a table. The expressions on their faces reflect serene resignation, their heads slightly bowed. In the peculiar circle that they form, there is a filled bowl.
The angels are dressed in simple clothes, with wings behind their backs, thin staffs in their hands, and luminous halos around their heads. The image contains not only divine wanderers. The entrance to Abraham's house is visible in the background, and the silhouette of the tree of knowledge is clearly visible. If you look more closely, you will see an analogue of Golgotha, which Jesus ascended with his cross. All images are laconic and fit into the overall composition. Looking at this work of art in more detail, it can be noted that everything here is inscribed in a circular structure, symbolizing the trinity, as well as eternity, infinity.
The combination of colors in the picture is harmonious, the shades are soft. Unfortunately, one can only guess how colorful the icon was at the time of its painting (it is known that the artist used bright colors): the colors faded over time, and restorers over the course of several hundred years adjusted the image to their own vision. The figures of angels also became more airy thin thanks to the intervention of other artists.
Interpretation of the Trinity
Rublev's Holy Trinity was written based on a biblical story from the Old Testament, according to which three angelic wanderers came to Abraham with good news: he would have a son who would become the progenitor of the entire Jewish people. But it unites not only this plot. There are many important references here to all the key biblical points. The picture embodies a lot, while remaining quite simple.
So the cup around which angels sit symbolizes the suffering of Christ- the blood that dripped from his wounds when he was crucified on the cross is collected inside. The silhouette of the tree may represent the tree of knowledge from the Garden of Eden, as well as the oak tree under which Abraham rested. And the building is a church or the entrance to Abraham's house. The mountain, located in the upper right corner, becomes a symbol of Golgotha.
Three angels are the embodiment of one God. This is indicated by a number of important symbols. It is not for nothing that they are dressed in azure robes - this symbolizes their unearthly essence. The prototype of the Father is the angel sitting in the middle. This is indicated by his royal purple robes. But since each of the wanderers has scepters of power, we can talk about a trinity.
God the Son is symbolized here by the angel sitting on the right. His head is bowed most humbly, and his hand is closest to the bowl. Even though, according to the plot of the story used by Rublev, Jesus has not yet been born, his coming is a foregone conclusion. He is ready to drink the cup of suffering for human sins. The third angel, located on the left, becomes the personification of the Holy Spirit.
The Trinity icon by Andrei Rublev is inscribed in a circular composition. Even the angels' heads are bowed, allowing the overall silhouette to seamlessly create a single circle. This has long symbolized eternity, the vicious circle of human existence, from the birth of the world to the end, which becomes a new beginning. In the context of the three angels, it is also interpreted as a symbol of the trinity of the Christian God.
Italian artists of those times also included groups of angelic beings in a circular composition for greater symbolism. But Rublev’s composition is strikingly different from the one that has become classic. The circle is appropriate here, invisible at first glance.
“Trinity” by Andrei Rublev today
The painting “Trinity” by Rublev began to be restored from all the updates made over many centuries in 1904. The frames were removed from it, they began to clear it, and restore it to its original appearance. It became clear that initially it was painted in bright colors, although today it looks different, more light, airy.
During all the transportation, the icon was damaged. Today it is kept in a special case in the Tretyakov Gallery. It is not possible to return it to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra without irreparable damage. The board with the icon is stable, although not perfect. But if you transport it, the existing damage will become more distinct, and the paint will come off faster.
Andrei Rublev, whose “Trinity” is perceived by many as the very proof of the existence of God, was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988. Posthumously he became the first canonized artist. And his greatest work continues to take the breath away, impressing art lovers no matter what their religious beliefs.
CategoryPlot
The icon was painted based on the Old Testament story “The Hospitality of Abraham.” According to the original, the forefather Abraham met three mysterious wanderers near the oak grove of Mamre, who would later be called angels. They told Abraham that in a year a son would be born to him, from whom the Jewish people would descend. Then two angels went to punish the inhabitants of Sodom, and the third angel remained with Abraham.
This plot has been interpreted differently. The idea that the single essence of the Trinitarian God - the Holy Trinity - was revealed to Abraham in the form of angels was established by the 9th-10th centuries.
Medieval icon painters necessarily depicted all participants in the parable. Rublev presented it in his own way. We see neither Abraham nor his wife Sarah, but only the Trinity. The angels are arranged so that the lines of their figures form a closed circle. Each has a scepter (a symbol of power) and azure robes (a sign of an unearthly essence).
Andrei Rublev with his icon
In the center is God the Father. As first among equals, he wears the signs of power: purple robes with a gold stripe over the shoulder. He is turned towards the Holy Spirit, who seems to be asking the question of who will make the atoning sacrifice. At the same time, he blesses the cup, bringing two fingers to it. The Holy Spirit, responding to God the Father, points to God the Son. The latter humbly accepts his fate. His green cape (himatium) speaks of dual nature (human and divine).
Rublev depicted an Old Testament plot with a distortion of the canon
The Trinity sits at a table on which a bowl with the head of a calf is a symbol of the suffering of Christ, which he will go through to atone for the sins of mankind. This bowl is the semantic center of the icon.
The background shows a house (the chambers of Abraham), a tree (in Rublev’s interpretation, the tree of life that God planted in Eden) and a mountain (a prototype of Golgotha, which Jesus is destined to ascend).
Context
Who ordered “Trinity” for Rublev? There is no exact answer. The version that most researchers agree with today says that the icon was made in praise of Sergius of Radonezh by order of his student and successor, Abbot Nikon. He invited the team of Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny to complete the decoration of the newly built Trinity Cathedral. Icon painters had to paint the temple with frescoes and also create a multi-tiered iconostasis. The question of when exactly this could have happened remains open.
It is noteworthy that neither the life of Sergius nor the life of Nikon says a word about the “Holy Trinity.” It was first mentioned in the resolution of the Stoglavy Council (1551), where it was recognized as corresponding to church canons. Since 1575, the icon occupied the main place in the “local” row of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Then it was repeatedly overlaid with gold.
"Zyryan Trinity"
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Russian icon painting was “discovered” as an art. The icons began to be removed from their frames, which covered them almost completely, and also cleared of drying oil and varnish, on top of which Russian icon painters painted a new image, usually matching the plot, but in accordance with the new aesthetic requirements imposed by the time. Such renovation of icons could lead to changes in the sizes and proportions of the figures, their poses, and other details.
Over the past 100 years, the “Holy Trinity” had to be restored more than once
By that time, the “Holy Trinity” was not revered by believers: it did not heal, did not perform miracles, and did not stream myrrh. But when it was “discovered,” everyone was amazed by the beauty of the author’s layer. Instead of dark, “smoky” tones and restrained, harsh brown-red colors, viewers saw bright sunny colors, immediately reminiscent of Italian frescoes and icons of the 14th - first half of the 15th centuries. Rublev did not know the monuments of Italian art, and therefore could not borrow anything from them. Its main source was Byzantine painting of the Palaiologan era.
Immediately after the discovery of the “Holy Trinity,” problems began with its preservation. Over the past 100 years it has been restored several times.
The fate of the artist
Deeds of days gone by, legends of deep antiquity. Pushkin's stanzas are perhaps the best summary for the biography of Andrei Rublev. However, we don’t even know what his name was. He took monastic vows under the name Andrei, but what his name was in the world - this mystery is shrouded in darkness. The same goes for last names. It is likely that Rublev is a nickname based on his father’s occupation.
It is also unknown where and when he was born, what his origin was, and how he began to study icon painting. And what is most mysterious is how he managed to create a masterpiece that rivals works of world art in beauty.
Frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir
The first mention of Rublev in the chronicle appeared in 1405. The document states that Theophanes the Greek, Prokhor the Elder and the monk Andrei Rublev painted the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. This suggests that by this time Rublev was an experienced craftsman who could be entrusted with such important work. Just 3 years later, Rublev, according to the chronicle, was painting with Daniil Cherny in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. This time Rublev has assistants and students. In the 1420s, together with Daniil Cherny, he supervised the work in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. These paintings have not survived.
In 1988, Rublev was canonized as a saint.
In general, very little of Rublev’s legacy has reached us. The fingers of one hand are enough to count the works that today researchers confidently attribute to Rublev: something has not been preserved, and someone’s authorship has been revised, alas, not in favor of the icon painter.
12 biblical symbols encrypted in Andrei Rublev's "Trinity"
Improvisation is a risky business: they can even be accused of heresy. However, “Trinity” is a vivid example of a violation of church canons. Instead of the traditional multi-figure scene of a meal in Abraham's house, Andrei Rublev depicted a conversation between three angels about how to save the world. Now the icon is considered a masterpiece, and its author canonized
1
BOWL. This is the center of the composition - a symbol of the suffering of Christ, to which he will go to atone for the sins of mankind (the blood of Jesus crucified on the cross will be collected in the chalice). The contours of the figures of the side angels also form the outline of the bowl.
2 HEAD OF TAURUS. Symbol of the sacrifice of God the Son.
3 GOD THE FATHER. According to the German art critic Ludolf Müller, “The Father, as the “beginning and cause of everything,” as the first among equals, bears the signs of power: in addition to the central position, this is the purple color of his clothes and a gold stripe over his right shoulder.” Tilting his head towards the left angel, the Holy Spirit, God the Father seems to be asking the question that the prophet Isaiah heard in his revelation: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us [to make an atoning sacrifice]?” At the same time, he brings two fingers to the cup, folded in a sign of blessing.
4 AZURE CLOTHES. A symbol of the unearthly essence of God the Father (as well as the other persons of the Trinity).
5 SCEPTER. A symbol of power (everyone sitting at the table has it).
6 TREE. In traditional iconography, this was the Oak of Mamre, under which Abraham rested. In Rublev, the oak tree turns into the tree of life, which God planted in Eden.
7 GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. In response to God the Father’s question, the Holy Spirit directs his gaze and raises his right hand towards the angel sitting opposite, that is, towards God the Son. It is both a gesture of blessing and a gesture of command. As Metropolitan Hilarion wrote in his Confession of Faith (11th century), the Holy Spirit wants the Son to follow the path of suffering, and at the same time blesses this path.
8 SCARLET CLOTHES. This is an allusion to the biblical story, when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of flame.
9 BUILDING symbolizes the Christian church, called the house of the Holy Spirit.
10 GOD THE SON. His humbly lowered head and gaze directed at the sacrificial cup indicate his readiness to fulfill the assigned mission. The right hand of Christ is already raised to take the cup of suffering. “In the position of his legs,” says culturologist Vadim Lankin, “one can notice a hint of the dynamics of standing up: the cloak is gathered together, and its lower edge rises slightly, tucks up, revealing readiness to stand up and go out into the world.”
11 GREEN HIMATIA(a cape over a tunic) - a symbol of the earthly world where Christ will descend. The combination of azure and green in the clothes of God the Son symbolizes his dual nature: divine and human.
12 MOUNTAIN. This is a symbol of the redemption of the fallen world, a prototype of Golgotha, which Jesus is destined to ascend.
In the Old Testament there is a story about how the forefather Abraham received the Lord. In the midday heat, ninety-nine-year-old Abraham sat near his tent under the greenery of the Mamre oak grove. Suddenly he saw three travelers, whom he quickly recognized as the Almighty and two angels. The owner invited the wanderers to rest and refresh themselves. The servants washed the guests' feet, and Abraham's wife Sarah baked bread. The owner of the house himself chose the best calf and ordered it to be slaughtered. At the meal, the Lord predicted to Abraham that in a year he would have a son, from whom the Jewish people would come - “great and strong.”
In Christianity, this plot, called “Hospitality of Abraham,” was interpreted somewhat differently: not only the Lord Yahweh (Judaism does not know a trinitarian deity) appeared to Abraham, accompanied by two companions, but the entire Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit , - and not in the form of wanderers, but in the form of angels. Therefore, Christians also call the meal in the house of Abraham the “Old Testament Trinity.”
This plot was very popular among medieval icon painters: three angels, figures of Abraham and Sarah, a set table, a servant cutting a calf - in general, an illustration of the biblical text. At the beginning of the 15th century, Andrei Rublev also turned to the topic: he was asked to paint an image for the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery (the icon is currently kept in the Tretyakov Gallery). However, something completely special came out of the brush.
Rublev abandoned the depiction of everyday details and focused on the figures of angels, personifying the three divine faces. The artist depicted them talking: the world is mired in evil, who will we send to suffer in order to atone for human sins? This question is asked by the central angel (God the Father) to the left angel (the Holy Spirit). “I will go,” answers the right angel, Christ. This is how the scene of blessing for the atoning sacrifice for the sake of people unfolds before our eyes. St. Petersburg art historian Vladimir Frolov is sure that this is how Rublev wanted to reveal the eternal law of the universe - the sacrifice of divine love. “The lack of additional details,” says the scientist, “reveals the intention and does not allow one to be distracted by the plot of the biblical event.”
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ARTIST
OK. 1360- Born in the Moscow Principality or Novgorod the Great, probably in the family of an artisan. |
The main dogma of Christianity is the doctrine of three persons of one essentially God, who are the Holy Trinity. These three hypostases contained in Him - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are not merged with each other and are inseparable. Each of them is a manifestation of one of its essences. The Holy Church teaches about the complete unity of the Trinity, which creates the world, provides for it and sanctifies it.
The table decoration also attracts attention. If in Rublev it is limited to only one bowl with the head of a calf, which is also full of symbolic meaning and directs the viewer’s thoughts to reflect on the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God, then in this case the painter emphasized the rich table setting, combined with the exquisite painting of the chairs. Such an abundance of decorativeness is not typical for an icon.
Trinity of the New Testament
The plot of the icons described above is taken from the Old Testament, which is why they are called the “Old Testament Trinity”. But one cannot ignore the frequently encountered images of the New Testament Trinity - another version of the image of the Divine Trinity. It is based on the words of Jesus Christ quoted in the Gospel of John: “I and the Father are one.” In this plot, the three Divine hypostases are represented by images of God the Father in the form of a gray-haired old man, God the Son, that is, Christ, in the form of a middle-aged man and the Holy Spirit in
Options for depicting the New Testament Trinity
This plot is known in several iconographic versions, differing mainly in the position of the figures depicted in it. The most common of them, the “Co-throne,” represents a frontal image of God the Father and God the Son, seated on thrones or clouds, and a Dove, the Holy Spirit, hovering above them.
Another well-known plot is called “Fatherland”. In it, God the Father is represented seated on a throne with a baby sitting on his lap and holding a sphere in a blue glow. Inside it is placed a symbolic image of the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove.
Disputes about the possibility of depicting God the Father
There are other iconographic versions of the New Testament Trinity, such as “The Crucifixion in the Bosom of the Father,” “The Eternal Light,” “The Sending of Christ to Earth” and a number of others. However, despite their widespread use, debates about the legality of depicting such subjects have not subsided among theologians for centuries.
Skeptics appeal to the fact that, according to the Gospel, no one has ever seen God the Father, and therefore it is impossible to depict him. In support of their opinion, they mention the Great Moscow Council of 1666-1667, the 43rd paragraph of which prohibits the image of God the Father, which at one time gave reason for the removal of many icons from use.
Their opponents also base their statements on the Gospel, citing the words of Christ: “He who has seen Me has seen My Father.” One way or another, the New Testament Trinity, despite the controversy, is firmly included in the subjects of icons revered by the Orthodox Church. By the way, all of the listed versions of the New Testament Trinity appeared in Russian art relatively late. Until the 16th century they were unknown.
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