The Legacy of the Palekh Icon: Interview with Oleg Dukhanin
Oleg Dukhanin is a recognized master of Palekh iconography and lacquer miniature painting and a founder of an art workshop. We interviewed him about the peculiarities of the icons created in Palekh over four centuries and their place in Russian culture. This conversation is especially valuable for our project, as Palekh icons form a significant part of Oleg Kushnirskiy’s collection. The interview took place a few days after the presentation of our catalog in Palekh, which Oleg Dukhanin also attended. His appreciation of the collection is extremely important to us.
How would you briefly characterize the art of Russian icon painting?
An icon is, first of all, a piece of spiritual art, a triumph of Orthodoxy. It symbolizes the transformation of man and our victory over passions. Today, much of Russian religious art has been lost, so we have to gather these valuables, which are especially relevant today, piece by piece.
Please tell us about the peculiarities of iconography and the symbolism of icons.
The icon’s value is not only in the image itself but also in its theological essence. An iconographer creates it as a holy picture for communication with God, and this holy picture should be unemotional. All colors and materials are deeply symbolic. For example, gold symbolizes the grace of God. Without it, the icon looks more ascetic, but with gold embellishments, it attains ultimate beauty.
One of the features of ancient icons is the absence of falling shadows, which is associated with the concept of divine light. It has no specific source because it comes from everywhere and, accordingly, does not form a shadow. For example, Simon Ushakov, a prominent 17th-century iconographer of the Armory School, created no falling shadows, even in detailed figure models. Later, however, they started to appear in the icons. This change is attributed to the spread of academic painting and the influence of Western culture. Today, many people do not pay attention to such details, as they’re not immersed in the history of iconography and Orthodoxy. However, it is important to realize that shadows are a violation of tradition.
The Resurrection—the Descent into Hell, with Church Feasts in 12 Border Scenes. First third of the nineteenth century. Palekh. The Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection.
How important was the traditional approach for Palekh masters? Did it change over time?
The Palekh icon is more than 400 years old, during which the masters have maintained ancient traditions. From the late 18th to the early 20th century, Palekh was an icon supplier to the Imperial Court; icons for different social classes were also created there. Many iconographic styles developed in Palekh at the time due to the variety of commissions.
Orientation to Western culture among the Russian elite, evident in the 18th and 19th centuries, led to the emergence of semi-academic iconography. By and large, it is an academic school, but with certain peculiarities in perspective. Palekh artists possessed advanced technical skills and could fulfill this demand of the aristocracy and wealthy class while still adhering to traditional techniques and canons.
The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the spread of printed icon production, while Palekh still kept to the hand-painting traditions. Palekh icons have always been distinguished by bright, rich colors and detailed images.
The collection presented in Kushnirskiy’s book confirms this observation, demonstrating the beauty of pure colors – lilac, emerald, and ruby. Also, the icons from his collection are fine examples of miniature painting and classic spacing that Palekh artists used in form modeling. These features of the color scheme create a special festive, solemn mood.
Why did Palekh develop a school of miniature painting?
Palekh artists mastered the art of creating miniature icons in perfection, and whole dynasties of miniature painters were formed. Works by such masters were quite expensive. Small icons with stamps that contained several subjects and feasts were in great demand, as one such icon was actually a miniature home iconostasis. Minei – annual calendars with Orthodox saints and feasts – were also popular. Thus, a single icon of miniature painting covered all important religious events. Kushnirskiy’s collection contains fine examples of such works.
What continuity exists between Palekh iconography and lacquer miniature painting?
Palekh was famous exactly as a center of icon painting, but after the 1917 revolution, it became the home of a new art form: lacquer miniature painting. This is exclusively Russian art, the origins of which lie in iconography. Whereas icon painting is the triumph of Orthodoxy, lacquer miniature painting is the triumph of the Russian spirit in the Orthodox worldview. It is as deeply symbolic as an icon and has the same nominal space.
The Palekh lacquer miniature, as well as the traditional Palekh icon, has no direct perspective and falling shadows characteristic of the academic image. This feature distinguishes it from, for example, works by Fedoskin masters. In addition, it features no time reference, hosting scenes from different times on the same plane, which also relates it to the Palekh icon.
Fragment of The Resurrection—the Descent into Hell, with the Praise to the Mother of God and Church Feasts in 16 Border Scenes. End of the eighteenth century. Palekh. The Oleg Kushnirskiy Collection.
What difficulties does Palekh art face today?
Of course, we lack young specialists who would replace the older generation, continuing the age-old Palekh traditions. This problem requires the attention of the state because Palekh is the epitome of Russian life and worldview ideology.
What do you think is the value of Oleg Kushnirskiy’s collection of icons?
As I have already said, the icon is an expression of Russian spirituality, and we need to preserve this fundamental part of our culture. If it goes away, we’ll stop perceiving the world as a divine creation and may lose the sense of divine love. This loss may turn most of humanity into wingmen, unable to choose between the light and the dark side. As long as we can choose, we must do so. That’s why studying ideological art, especially iconography, is vitally important.
Apart from the value of the icons in this collection, the very fact of interest in Russian religious art is of great importance. There are not that many surviving Palekh icons, so it is very valuable for us that the collector focused exactly on Palekh. The creation of this and similar collections, their scientific research and publication help to preserve the Palekh art traditions. The mastery of icon painting is passed, as it is called, from hand to hand, from master to pupil. Thus, it is essential to have access to the best examples created by our predecessors and see them with one’s own eyes. Kushnirskiy’s collection contains just such works and, what’s more important, makes them available for study.