Based upon the background information, the work of Alexander Ivanov was particularly fascinating to me. The background information states that his “religious paintings gave impetus to the Slavophiles’ interest in Byzantine and Medieval Russian art.” I can indeed see the echos of the Byzantine style in Ivanov’s art.

Based upon my understanding of Byzantine artistic within and outside of this course, it is clear to me the a variety of icons we have been exposed to in fact epitomize it. Their focus on bright, traditionally heavenly colors is striking. Upon revisiting the Russian Icons of the third session of this class, I was awed by the how consistent and distinctive the red and gold chromatic schemes truly were. It became clear to me that these colors were repeated, over and over again, icon after icon.

These same color schemes are visible in Ivanov’s work. I noticed this to be particularaly appearent in Head of John the Baptist and Christ’s Apearence to Mary Magdeline. The surface upon which John’s head sits and the robes of Mary are both painted in an almost neon shade of orange-red, distinctive in the Byzantine icons. The incorporation of such a bold color is a bold move in a visual sense. Indeed, none of the other painters seemed to incorporate such colors into thier work with such consistancy, demonstarting a stylistic echo of Byzantine art unique to Ivanov’s work.

And despite their beauty, the background information of the third sessions states that they weren’t actually created to be physically beautiful, but rather to be spiritually moving. In a sense, they’re existence seemed to be religiously utilitarian. Its interesting then to me that Ivanov takes such an interest in the Byzantine style in his work. Of course, his religious paintings which incorporate the style may very well be made to invoke spiritual effects. But the the style is also clearly being repurposed for asthetic purposes. This is supported by the fact that it is appearent in the Ivanov’s non-religious paintings, such as Priam Asking Hector to Return Achilles’ Body.

The influence of Byzantine styles seems to go beyond painting. Indeed, though the Background information regarding the lacquer boxes states their visual style is German infleunced, but those flashing Byrantine reds in Couple in a Boat and Women and Hussar are hard to miss. This epidomizes a the constant combination and recomination of folk Russian and European traditions.