Reverse perspective in icon painting: description, technique

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Every person who is at least a little connected with art knows what is reverse perspective in icon painting. But how long ago did this direction appear? It turns out that already the ancient Greeks were constantly working on the study of images on a two-dimensional plane and their interaction. Therefore, we can conclude that the knowledge or at least the ability to use the techniques of reverse perspective in icon painting has existed for a very long time.

Definition of concept

Reverse perspective in icon painting is a method in painting, in which objects far from the viewer are depicted larger. Thus, the lines in the picture, depicted in reverse perspective, do not converge on the horizon, but "inside" the viewer. Reverse perspective was used in Byzantine and ancient Russian icon painting. It is also found in Western European medieval art.

Reverse perspective in icon painting, as mentioned above, has existed for a very long time. But at the same time, references to the direct method of creating images also appeared in ancient times. That is why there is a constant competition between these two systems. The artist chooses the method of creating the icon that suits him best.

Two opinions on reverse perspective in icon painting

Florensky Pavel, a famous priest of the 20th century, believed that the use of such a system led to the fact that the viewer forgot that he was standing in front of the plane. A window of perspective lured a person into another world.

Russian icon painter Leonid Uspensky believed that reverse perspective in icon painting is a means to preserve the plane. Therefore, the viewer does not for a second forget that he is standing in front of the plane on which there is an image.

Now that we have learned two opposing opinions, a reasonable question immediately arises: “Do you need the plane to disappear or still be preserved?”

Illusion or not?

Before solving the problem, one should understand whether there is such a viewer who cannot determine that there is an image, a picture in front of him. Is there a person who, instead of a canvas or a fresco, really sees a window into another world?

The spectator's ability to forget objective reality is too overestimated, after all, he knows that it is a plane anyway.

Well, one more thing worth paying attention to: direct perspective also builds a certain world. She toodesigned to create a window into another space.

That is, the task of an artist in any system is to introduce the viewer into another world, or at least get as close as possible to this effect.

Mentioned in a parable

Leonid Uspensky finds certain motives for the emergence of a reverse perspective, namely, he speaks of a divine basis. At the same time, he refers to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, verse 14:

For narrow is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few find it.

Most likely, every person remembers the parable of the eye of a needle. About how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And it is much easier to drag a camel through the eye of a needle. That is, this story tells about an honest narrow path. This is the disclosure of the type of perspective used in icon painting.

Meaning of distortion

Leonid Uspensky says that the construction of architectural motifs in painting is directly intended to pacify the proud mind with confusion, illogicality.

Architectural motifs seem to laugh at a person striving for a logical order of things. Icon painters do not offer any order, as if saying: "Try to figure out what is important in life." This is how Ouspensky considers and presents the foundations for the emergence of reverse perspective.

Interesting fact

Irina Konstantinovna Yazykova, an art critic, studies and talks a lot about the icon. She calls the reverse way of creating an image communication perspective. Many priests agree with her. Indeed, this namemuch more accurately reflects the essence of the genre. This is due to the fact that all the rays come from the middle and converge towards the viewer.

Icons

Having received enough theory, one wants to test the reality of the reverse perspective in practice. For starters, you can watch one of the great works.

As we already know, it is necessary that the parallel lines of the borders of objects converge towards the viewer. For consideration, the icon "Sinai Savior" was chosen (pictured above). Upon closer examination, one can see that the gospel has three lines that go into depth and do not connect at one point, this already contradicts the system put forward. If you take a few more icons, you will find that there is almost no exact intersection anywhere.

That is, either the artists did not know that there are different types of perspective in icon painting, or they did not set such a task for themselves that all lines converge at one point and create harmony.

The Icon of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Parallel lines are axonometry. And the correct geometric image should be directly related to perspective. That is, parallels must be present in the icons in order for the image to be reverse or direct. Consider another example.

"The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary" is a good example. It cannot be said that this canvas was created by an inept artist, this is a wonderful icon painter. Despite this, the image also lacks reverse perspective inits precise understanding. Someone will think that since there is no one option, then there must be a direct system. But no, it can't be found on the icon either.

Looking at the foot of the objects, you can see the axonometry. If you look at the Mother of God herself, parallels again catch your eye. However, there is no single point of intersection. Why is this happening? There are two opinions:

1. The image is built from a high point of view.
2. Conversely, the drawing is built from a low point of view.

It would seem that two completely opposite opinions are combined in one canvas. This once again proves that the artists did not focus on different types of perspective in icon painting.

Combining systems

Axonometric projection presents wonderful images of cities. They are written immediately with all the fortress walls, with buildings and even with a church in the center with five domes. And if a person looks closer at the image of the city and decides to analyze what types of icon painting perspectives there are, then he will find all the systems that one can imagine.

Here there is axonometry, both direct and reverse perspective. To be sure, you need to take any image of cities in medieval art. Then try to draw all the lines with a pencil and a ruler and see how the perspective builds up there.

Reverse facial features

In an excerpt from the work of Pavel Florensky, it is noted that the body, limited by curved surfaces, is transmitted in such angles that are excludedperspective drawing rules.

The face should be depicted with temples and ears tucked forward, and it is as if flattened on a plane. That is, the icons should be with the planes of the nose turned towards the viewer and other parts of the face that are hidden in real life.

He writes that when a face is depicted with a reverse perspective, for example with a slight turn, the far plane of the nose turns towards the viewer, while the near one turns away from him. This is how Pavel Florensky describes the reverse perspective.

The only image that matches this description is the "Mask of Agamemnon". Here you can see the turned face and ears, everything is done according to the canon. But this is a mask that is flattened with time, not a planned work.

There are other monuments that match this description. For example, the work of Pablo Picasso. Moreover, Picasso deliberately looked for ways to depict different points of view and object planes as simply as possible. That is, he tried to put three-dimensional space into two-dimensional space.

And Picasso was very successful in this. For example, his search for the image of a bull. There are many of them in the provided drawing, it is clear that he was in search of the ideal shape in order to combine the frontal and side planes. The picture shows that the samples are numbered and already closer to 10–11, Picasso has some ideas on how to combine different points of view.

The bottom line is that if we assume that there is a certain object, such as a cube, and a linear perspective, then its points should convergeeverything is on the horizon. And if an artist uses such a painting technique, then the first thing that confuses him is a misunderstanding of where the horizon is.

Of course, every icon painter knows what perspective is and how to build it. But the lines of the center are changing. Because the horizon is the plane that passes through the point of view. If the artist or the viewer changes their perception, then the line also changes. And for inclined planes, the horizon line also changes for different heights.