Andrei Rublev

**Andrei Rublev** (, ;  – ) was a Russian artist. He is thought to be one of the best medieval Russian painters of Orthodox Christian icons and frescoes. He is a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. His feast day is 29 January.

## Early life

There is little information about his life. It is not known where he was born. He probably lived in the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, near Moscow. The first mention of Rublev is in 1405. At this time, he had decorated icons and frescos for the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Moscow Kremlin.

## Career

In 1408, he probably painted the Dormition Cathedral, Vladimir. He also painted the Trinity Cathedral in the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius between 1425 and 1427. Andrei's last work was in Moscow's Andronikov Monastery. Here, he painted the frescoes of the Saviour Cathedral. He is also thought to have painted one of the miniatures in the Khitrovo Gospels.

The only work that we known Andre painted is the icon of the Trinity (c. 1410). It is based on the "Hospitality of Abraham" (which showed ). Rublev removed the figures of Abraham and Sarah from the scene. He also changed the subject of the painting to be the Mystery of the Trinity.

## Death and legacy

Rublev died at Andronikov Monastery between 1427 and 1430. Rublev's work influenced many artists including Dionisy. The Stoglavi Sobor (1551) made Rublev's style popular for church painting. Since 1959, the Andrei Rublev Museum at the Andronikov Monastery has shown his and related art.

The Russian Orthodox Church canonized Rublev as a saint in 1988. His feast day is on 29 January and/or on 4 July.

In 1966, Andrei Tarkovsky made the film _Andrei Rublev_. This movie is based on his life.

## Veneration

- 29 January – commemoration of his death anniversary (Greek Orthodox Church)
- 12/13 June – feast day, Synaxis of All of Andronikov Monastery (with Andronicus, Sabbas, Alexander, Abbots of Moscow and Daniel the Black, the icon painter)
- 4 July – main feast day from the list of "Russian saints of Moscow and Vladimir" by Nikodim (Kononov),
- 6 July – Synaxis of All Saints of Radonezh
- **Synaxis of all saints of Moscow** – movable holiday on the Sunday before 26 August (ROC)

### Sources

- _Andrei Rublev_, a 1966 film by Andrei Tarkovsky loosely based on the painter's life.
- Mikhail V. Alpatov, _Andrey Rublev_, Moscow: Iskusstvo, 1972.
- Gabriel Bunge, The Rublev Trinity, transl. Andrew Louth, St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, Crestwood, New York, 2007.
- Sergius Golubtsov, Voplosh’enie bogoslovskih idey v tvorchestve prepodobnogo Andreya Rubleva [The realization of theological ideas in creative works of Andrey Rublev]. _Bogoslovskie trudy_ 22, 20–40, 1981.
- _Troitca Andreya Rubleva_ [The Trinity of Andrey Rublev], Gerold I. Vzdornov (ed.), Moscow: Iskusstvo 1989.
- Viktor N. Lazarev, _The Russian Icon: From Its Origins to the Sixteenth Century_, Gerold I. Vzdornov (ed.). Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1997.
- Priscilla Hunt, Andrei Rublev's Old Testament Trinity Icon in Cultural Context, The Trinity-Sergius Lavr in Russian History and Culture: Readings in Russian Religious Culture, vol. 3, ed. Deacon Vladimir Tsurikov, (Jordanville, NY: Holy Trinity Seminary Press, 2006), 99-122.(See on-line at phslavic.com)
- Priscilla Hunt, Andrei Rublev's Old Testament Trinity Icon: Problems of Meaning, Intertextuality, and Transmission, Symposion: A Journal of Russian (Religious) Thought, ed. Roy Robson, 7-12 (2002–2007), 15-46 (See on-line at www.phslavic.com)
- Konrad Onasch, _Das Problem des Lichtes in der Ikonomalerei Andrej Rublevs. Zur 600–Jahrfeier des grossen russischen Malers_, vol. 28. Berlin: Berliner byzantinische Arbeiten, 1962.
- Konrad Onasch, Das Gedankenmodell des byzantisch–slawischen Kirchenbaus. In _Tausend Jahre Christentum in Russland_, Karl Christian Felmy et al. (eds.), 539–543. Go¨ ttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1988.
- Eugeny N. Trubetskoi, Russkaya ikonopis'. _Umozrenie w kraskah. Wopros o smysle vizni w drewnerusskoj religioznoj viwopisi_ [Russian icon painting. Colourful contemplation. Question of the meaning of life in early Russian religious painting], Moscow: Beliy Gorod, 2003 [1916].
- Georgij Yu. Somov, Semiotic systemity of visual artworks: Case study of The Holy Trinity by Rublev, _Semiotica_ 166 (1/4), 1-79, 2007.

## Other websites

- Andrey Rublev Official Web Site
- Rublev at the Russian Art Gallery
- Selected works by Andrei Rublev: icons, frescoes and miniatures
- "The Deesis painted by Andrey Rublev" from the Annunciation Church of the Moscow Kremlin - article by Dr. Oleg G. Uliyanov
- Historical documentation on Andrei Rublev, compiled by Robert Bird
- Venerable Andrew Rublev the Iconographer Orthodox icon and synaxarion

## Infobox (saint)

- **honorific prefix**: Saint
- **name**: Andrei Rublev
- **feast day**: 29 January, 13 June, 4 July, 6 July, 22 August
- **venerated in**: Eastern Orthodox Church
- **image**: 1961 CPA 2553.jpg
- **caption**: Rublev on 1961 anniversary stamp
- **death place**: Andronikov Monastery, Moscow
- **titles**: Venerable Father (_Prepodobne_), Monk and Iconographer
- **canonized date**: 6 June 1988
- **canonized place**: Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius
- **canonized by**: 1988 Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church,
- **attributes**: Clothed as an Orthodox monk, often shown holding an icon