Andrew Curtin, Aleksei Petrovich Antropov as Icon Painter
Aleksei Petrovich Antropov (1716-95) stated that he could "paint icons in iconostases; has the art to paint wall and ceiling history paintings in churches" in his 1760 petition to Elizabeth to become painter to the Holy Synod. For him an icon was an object, a physical format for religious imagery but by no means the only one. Antropov was painter to the Synod from 1760 to 1795, fulfilling other requirements as well as icon painting. He worked on the icons for many churches and in his Synod role demanded special powers to supervise icon painting in Moscow.
Few of Antropov's icons remain, those that do are remarkably varied in style. An icon of 'The Visit of Empress Augusta to St Catherine' (undated) is attributed to him by the Tretiakov Gallery. The image keeps the eye moving within it, leading us from the two dark soldiers in the right-hand foreground to the Emperor Maxentius who is picked out in pale clothing. Stepping to our left into the composition he begins a motion leftwards and backwards which is continued by the gesture of the soldier behind him, through the arch and ultimately to the figures of St Catherine standing in a strong 'S' curve and the Emperor's wife going to kneel before her. The cloaks of both lie in agitated folds and give the figure of the Empress an 'S' curve mirroring that of the saint thus providing a visually interesting and mobile conclusion for the eye.
In contrast to this his 1776 icon 'The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene' allows the eye few opportunities for movement and keeps it frozen on the figures who are brought closer to the picture plane. Christ and the Magdalene are both broad, movement is not emphasised by drapery - which hangs in deliberate, straight folds. The eye is given no variation to play over save Christ's cloak which forms a colour contrast with his tunic, but having gently led the eye up in a curve it falls back down in the same straight line as his body.
Antropov's manner in the 'Magdalene' icon emphasises Christ's instruction to her to tell the apostles he had risen. It was painted as a wedding gift for Maria Fedorovna on the occasion of her marriage to Paul and thus emphasises her personal duty to spread Christianity.
A tailoring of the image's formal qualities to its content is, however, insufficient of the 'St Catherine' icon also exists in what Antropov regarded as a history painting, 'The Last Supper' altarpiece at St Andrew's, Kiev, and in his 'Peter III'. The static manner of the 'Magdalene' icon and its pair 'St Paul' appears in portraits of the type of 'Anastasia Izmailova' as well.
In all probability the 'St Catherine' icon, like 'The Last Supper' and 'Peter III', was to be viewed as part of an environment through which the eye had to travel to the image. So Antropov keeps the eye in motion over and through them to prevent an unpleasant break. The 'Magdalene' icon, like the 'Izmailova' portrait, was to be seen in isolation - it is a votive image and the portrait was for private rather than public display - and so he keeps the eye still on the image.
Antropov's icon painting was, therefore, formed by aesthetic considerations external to it, which were skilfully adapted to the subject depicted.