The Illuminated Eschatological Miscellany of the Russian State Library Collection: Origin and Iconographic Features

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of an illuminated Old Believer miscellany of the first third of the 19th century, held in the collection of the Russian State Library (RSL, Moscow). This manuscript is a vivid example of the late handwritten tradition in the field of eschatological literature. The manuscript’s decoration is distinguished by a high level of professional execution, the narrative quality of its illustrative series, visual accuracy of story presentation, and, at the same time, the artist’s creative approach to drawing miniatures. The Miscellany includes two works: The Commented Apocalypse and The Tale of Palladius the Monk, which together form a cohesive representation of the great biblical panorama of Christ’s Second Coming and the Last Judgment. An iconographic analysis of the miniatures allows them to be attributed to the Fila­ret-Chudovo pictorial redaction of the Russian illuminated Apocalypse. However, the manuscript demonstrates considerable freedom in the interpretation of imagery, manifested in the use of elements from early Modern Western European engraving, as well as the inclusion of original authorial motifs — specific elements of the artist’s own vision of the scenes or their interpretations. The miniaturist actively employed features of the Baroque style (expressiveness, drama, multi-figured compositions, theatrical poses, etc.) and a pictorial manner close to icon painting. Based on a comparative ana­lysis with Ural icon painting (dynasties of the Nevyansk masters, the Bogatyrevs and Chernobrovins) and studying of owners’ notes, a hypothesis is put forward regarding the Ural origin of the manuscript. The technique of executing the miniatures indicates costly commissioned work, likely by an experienced icon painter, as evidenced by the precise layering of the color palette, tonal shading, meticulous rendering of compositional details, and the utmost realism in presenting the illustrative material. The Miscellany is a genuine masterpiece of book manuscript art, which organically combined Old Russian iconographic canon, Western influences, and regional artistic traditions.