Foreigners about portrait images in Muscovy, their appearance and existence

Abstract

The article considers the testimonies of foreigners about various aspects of the use of portrait images in Russia at the end of the 15^th–17^th centuries. The beginning of their existence was noted in the grand ducal environment and is associated with the organization of political marriages. Muscovy’s contacts with European countries, especially since the middle of the 16th century, contributed to the strengthening of travelers’ interest in the personality of the tsar. For that reason, individual sketches and literary portraits of Russian monarchs appear. In a number of cases, there is a desire for representation through their images of the Moscow Kingdom, and sometimes personal merits. Since the 17^th century, according to foreigners, pictures with the image of the tsar and medals with his image have become a kind of award badge. The works also reflected the question of the relationship between icon painting and secular painting, the possibility of using the artistic achievements of painters in icon painting, which at that time caused categorical disagreement of the Russian Church. At the same time, the authors noted the coexistence in one environment, for example, in retail shops or the residence of the patriarch, of icons and portrait images, including church hierarchs, painted from nature. Since the end of the 17^th century, foreigners have noted the widespread use of secular painting, including portraits, in the homes of the nobility and government officials. Foreigners were most often represented by European diplomats and members of trading companies, who were guided in their assessments by criteria that meet the familiar environment of their countries and correspond to ideas about the portrait, its role and artistic merits. In general, their information and assessments provide a sense of the dynamics of attitude change in the use of portrait images in Russia during the Late Middle Ages and, ultimately, readiness to assimilate European values.