September 5, 2026–August 15, 2027

Icons are religious images in the Greek or Russian tradition. They differ from devotional pictures in Western Christianity in several important ways. Icon painters worked in two dimensions, focusing on symbolic representations, rather than illusions of space and volume. Icon scenes are situated beyond earthly time and space, with gold representing both light and landscape. Icons’ physical characteristics are often designed for portability, reflecting the needs of everyday religious practices.

The first Russian icons were painted in the 1100s by monks in Kyiv, the capital of the vast realm of Kievan Rus. These works were based on earlier examples from Byzantium, Kyiv’s main economic partner. Constantinople (modern Istanbul), center of the Byzantine Empire, exerted cultural and linguistic dominance throughout the Mediterranean and across the Caspian Sea.

Artistic practices in Kyiv were strictly regulated until the 1650s. Some later icons show traces of Western Christian styles such as shading and modeling of faces. Traditional features such as the oklad, or sculpted metal facing, often coexisted with such techniques. Most icons were not signed by individual artists, as is the case with all the works on display here.

The exhibited works come from southwestern territories of the Russian Empire (about 1721–1917), mainly Ukraine, and played an integral role in daily life. Here these icons offer an immersive and contemplative experience for all visitors.

Featured at top right: Unknown artist (Ukraine), Christ the Redeemer (detail), 19th century. Oil and tempera with silver oklad (chased and repoussé). Private Collection.