The iconography of Ancient Russia was sacred. The whole process of creativity was subject to strict canonical requirements. On the one hand, this impoverished the iconography of Ancient Russia, since the master used the already set iconography. However, at the same time, this made it possible to concentrate on the “essence of the subject of spirituality”, focusing attention on the deep penetration into the image and the process of its reconstruction using sophisticated artistic means.
Old Russian icon painting obeyed the laws not only in the image technique itself, but also in the choice of material for it. Traditionally established techniques were also used in the method of preparing the surface for an image, the composition of the soil, and the technology for preparing paints. The iconography of Ancient Rus implied a mandatory sequence of writing.
The images were written with paints, the connecting component of which was tempera (water emulsion with egg yolk). As a basis, as a rule, used wooden boards. Preparing the board for writing was quite lengthy and time-consuming. A log with a very strong inner layer was chosen. Woodworkers (drevodels) were engaged in the manufacture of boards for icons; icon painters themselves did this very rarely.
Icons of small size were written on one board. For large images used several boards connected to each other.
On the front of the board cut out the middle recess (ark). He created a kind of window. At the edges, a frame (fields) was formed.
By the nature of the fastening of the boards, the depth of the ark, the width of the fields, you can often determine the place and time of manufacture of the board. On ancient icons (11-12 centuries), the ark, as a rule, was made deep, and the fields were wide. Later boards were made with narrow margins. Starting from the 14th century, you can find icons without borders.
Levkas served as the ground. This is a mixture of alabaster or chalk with fish (sturgeon) glue. The board was smeared several times with glue (liquid and hot), then pavolok (cloth) was applied onto it, rubbing it with the palm of the hand. Levkas was applied after drying the pavoloka. The soil was applied in several layers. Its surface was carefully leveled, sometimes polished. In some cases, relief was applied.
The image was applied to the prepared soil surface. The iconography of Ancient Rus implied a phased drawing. At first, the first image was drawn with light touches of soft coal from birch branches. The second drawing, more detailed, was carried out with paint (brown or black).
Sometimes masters used “prescriptions” obtained from icons that served as samples. Thus, the image was reproduced.
Then the letter began. At the first stage, "gilding" of all necessary details was carried out, then "dolichny" writing was made (buildings, clothes, landscape were written). The image of the faces was performed at the final stage. There was a strict sequence in the work with paints.
Icons were written according to the manuals (“originals”). They contained information about the writing technology of one or another image.
It should be noted that in its internal and external organization, an icon is a very complex work of art. However, in the 19th century, icon painters were treated as second-class artists, considering the icon as a primitive. Ancient masters were accused of ignorance of the methods of creating a direct perspective and human anatomy. Along with this, the icon is the result of virtuoso technique and high image culture. The use of tempera painting required special skills that were comprehended over many years of training.
Icon painters of ancient Russia perceived writing as an act of communication with another world. This required physical and spiritual purification.
The masters of antiquity have received scarce information to our days. However, pages of historical evidence, fields and revolutions of icons, walls of temples keep the names of ancient icon painters. Among them should be called the monk Alimpiy, his contemporaries Stephen, Gaga, Sezhira, Radko. One of the most famous Trinity icons was painted by Andrei Rublev.