Tradition in Transition: Russian Icons in the Age of the Romanovs

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A Curatorial Conundrum The Puzzle of MAG’s St. George Slaying the Dragon by Nancy Norwood Curator of European Art, MAG St. George and Russia Based on style, color, and formal characteristics, the icon St. George Slaying the Dragon entered MAG’s collection as originating in the mid-1300s from the Russian city of Novgorod. As the patron saint of Moscow and of the Russian princes, St. George played a special role in Orthodox religious practice and was a frequent subject of icon paintings. According to Christian tradition, George, who was born during the third century into a Christian family, joined the Roman army. During his travels, he came across a city that was being terrorized by a dragon. At the moment of George’s arrival, the dragon, who had already eaten all of the farm animals and had begun to consume the townspeople, was preparing to swallow the king’s daughter. With the help of Christ, George overcame the dragon and killed him with his spear, thus saving the city from ruin. He later became a saint when he was martyred by the Romans for his Christian beliefs. The most popular depiction of St. George in Russian icons represents his struggle with the dragon, a scene that also represents the victory of Good over Evil. MAG’s St. George follows the iconography prevalent among icon painters in the city of Novgorod, where the saint was particularly admired. Cloaked in a red mantle and mounted on a white horse, George stabs the dragon directly through the mouth with his spear as the dragon’s body is trampled by the horse’s hooves. A protective angel hovers near George’s head, while the hand of God reaches toward him from the upper right corner of the painting. The red color of the cloak symbolizes the blood of martyrdom; the white horse represents Divine Light. The small images of saints that appear on the left and right sides also suggest Novgorod as the place of origin, as patrons there frequently commissioned icons with saints who held special personal significance. Those saints served as protectors of both the individual patron and the icon itself. Courtesy Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. Courtesy Hillwood Museum & Gardens Washington, D.C. Courtesy State Tretyakova Gallery, Moscow. Courtesy Russian Museum, St Petersburg.
Rochester History St. George Slaying the Dragon arrived in Rochester around 1920 via the world-renowned landscape architect and Pittsford native Fletcher Steele, who acquired it during a brief sojourn in Russia immediately after World War I. Anecdotal evidence suggests that he obtained it through a Russian friend, although he did once write about the chaotic conditions at the Hermitage after the Revolution: “Anyone there now can purchase some of the greatest works of art for only 50 kopeks in real cash.” When Fletcher Steele died in 1971, the icon became, through his bequest, the property of the Rochester Historical Society. Fletcher Steele At a silent auction held for the benefit of the Society, Professor George Ford and his wife Patricia, who had made four trips to Russia and were especially entranced by medieval icons, saw the St. George and purchased it for their home. Experts on Russian art who later examined it called the icon a rare and remarkable classic example of Novgorod icon painting. At that time, the Fords felt that the icon should be safeguarded for future generations, and generously donated it to the Memorial Art Gallery. The Conundrum From the time that Fletcher Steele acquired the St. George until 1993, when an interested conservator consulted with Russian colleagues, there was no doubt that the icon was exactly what it was purported to be—medieval, of exceptional quality, and very rare. There were several repairs to the damaged board on which it was painted, including the addition of a new cradle support to the back. Cracks had been repaired, and both painting and gilding had been refreshed during the course of the icon’s long and difficult life. It was common practice to extend the life of these sacred paintings through such interventions, and many icon painters were trained in complex restoration techniques. Russians began actively collecting icons in the 1840s, and the prices for old icons reached their peak just prior to the outbreak of World War I. Then, in the 1920s, the anti-religious activities of the Soviet regime released large quantities of icons onto the international art market, and foreign private collectors and museums began to amass their own collections. Some icon painters served this emerging Western market through renewal and restoration— as well as deliberate falsification. As a result, many icons that arrived in the West during that time have become suspect and are being re-evaluated, both through iconography, style, and the use of advanced technologies.
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Tradition in Transition: Russian Icons in the Age of the Romanovs

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