Secrets of ancient painting

Over 40 Old Believer icons and the first-ever portrait of Jesus Christ — we have attended the exhibition at the National Art Museum

The exhibition Vetka Icons: The Saviour Not-Made-By-Hands, showcasing works from the Vetka Museum of Old Belief and Belarusian Traditions named after Fyodor Shklyarov, has opened at the National Art Museum in Minsk. As noted by the organisers, Minsk residents are increasingly showing interest in works from Vetka. A few years ago, the National Art Museum exhibited the ‘fire-like’ Vetka icons.

Old Believer icons made in Vetka, Belarus

First portrait of Jesus Christ

The Vetka icons are vibrant, ornate, and almost all covered with gold leaf. The theme is complemented not only with metal and bead-embroidered covers but also with copper artistic casting, handwritten books, rooshniks [Belarusian traditional embroidered towels], homespun linen, chests, and traditional headscarves — wimples — worn by women in Old Believers communities. The patterns on these headscarves are reflected in the iconographic tradition of the Vetka school.
Svetlana Kashlova, an exhibition visitor, candidly shared that she saw similarities between the exhibits and household items preserved from her ancestors who lived in Polesie [Gomel Region], such as homespun linen, headscarves, blankets, spinning wheels, and wooden crafts. “I am considering donating those items to the Vetka Museum and partially to the National Art Museum,” Svetlana Kashlova remarked.  
At the centre of attention is the image of The Saviour Not-Made-By-Hands. Staff at the Vetka Museum have been researching this topic for over 40 years, making new discoveries along the way. “The thing is, we are not just a museum but a whole research centre,” stated Yury Kotlyarov, the director of the institution. “We have been meticulously studying the southeastern region of Belarus for many years, focusing mainly on Old Belief and Belarusian traditions.”
The beauty and mystery of The Saviour Not-Made-By-Hands — the first portrait of Jesus Christ — have captivated artists for centuries. The artistic embodiment holds the secret of ancient painting. A highlight of the exhibition space is the painting The Path of Ananias Artist, whose brush created the first image of Christ. The history of the miraculous image not-made-by-hands traces back to its establishment above the gate of the city of Edessa, following the order of a healed king, and its role as the icon of the Saviour in the temple.

King, painter, and the divine image

The Saviour Not-Made-By-Hands is essentially an artistic reinterpretation of a mysterious image that few have seen. The emergence of this iconography is quite fascinating. The Saviour is especially revered by the Orthodox Church — believers pray before the icon for healing or help in difficult life situations. The history of the image is connected to King Abgarus of Edessa, who suffered from leprosy, which disfigured his entire face. The ruler had endured for many years unable to find a means of healing, until he learnt about Jesus. Having heard stories of His miracles, the king sent a letter via a messenger, painter Ananias, who was commanded to capture the divine image of the Son of God — although the king wished to see Jesus in Edessa, his faith was so great that he agreed to pray even to His image. However, such a bright light emanated from Christ’s face that the artist could not bear to look at it. Jesus then asked for water, washed His face and wiped it with a cloth, thus imprinting His image upon it. This is how the icon received the name ‘Not-Made-By-Hands’. With the help of the cloth, King Abgarus was healed, though not completely. One of the 70 apostles — Thaddeus — cured him of that horrible affliction. He baptised the king, and subsequently the entire city. In gratitude, King Abgarus placed the cloth in a niche of the city gates instead of pagan idols.

Exhibition Vetka Icons: The Saviour Not-Made-By-Hands at the National Art Museum, Minsk

The image of the Saviour on the cloth was further developed significantly in Vetka and was placed on home iconostases in local Old Believer churches. The exhibition’s concept was devised by Galina Nechayeva, Deputy Director at the Vetka Museum, an art historian, and Honoured Worker of Arts of Belarus, who explained the various versions behind the image’s origins,

“According to one version, as Christ was walking to Golgotha, a woman approached Him and used her cloth to wipe the bloody sweat which left an imprint. This ancient patterned cloth is tacitly present in the depiction of all Saviours Not-Made-By-Hands created in Vetka. In general, through the sacred works of the museum, one can trace the rich heritage of Novgorod, Pskov, Yaroslavl, and Moscow traditions within the Vetka school of icon painting.”

The exhibition will run until October 27th. Make sure to see it!


By Yelena Basikirskaya