The Trinity, After Andrei Rublev
A recent commission depicting the Trinity
“There exists the icon of the Trinity by St. Andrei Rublev; therefore God exists.”
St. Pavel Florensky
As I have mentioned in a previous post, here. The Trinity by Andrei Rublev was a door opening to Orthodoxy. I found it at a time when I was gradually being tapped on the shoulder by Christ. I was captivated by it completely, but struggled with it as an evangelical. Beauty like this can’t go unnoticed, and I gradually came to accept it. Some chap far smarter than I is able to capture the profound impact beauty can have on the soul
“…. The stream of beauty that pours into him through his eyes warms him and melts the places where the wings once grew, places that were long ago closed off with hard scabs to keep the sprouts from coming back… “
Plato, Phaedrus 251B
I think this captures well the transformation unfolding due to beauty. It is the effect of beauty’s radiance suddenly made manifest to you and you are connected to it, being moved deeply.
The Trinity is a whole image, the harmony is pulsating, and the unity is felt in that sense of awe when gazing at it. Thousands and thousands of words have sprung from this image, formulating books, essays and videos, so I need not add anymore! For an immersive read around this icon, Gabriel Bunge, The Rublev Trinity is the book to go to.
I was reading a car magazine of all things about Japanese motoring, and came across this:
‘Even in stillness
It holds the desire to move
Journey without end’
And I immediately thought of this icon.
Here is a short video that I enjoyed watching on this remarkable work:
I heard Richard Rohlin say this on some podcast I can’t remember, ‘The only honest response to a work of art, is another work of art.’ This certainly was the case upon viewing the Trinity.
This was my first attempt, it was more of a response to the harmonious qualities of the Trinity, and not so much in creating a faithful reproduction of the original, it was a way to jump into understanding the piece. I did alter it fairly significantly, not thinking that I could do a better job, certainly not! It was due to the piece of stone I had sitting around being tall and narrow. This caused for the anatomy of the angels to become elongated, whilst keeping the chalice shape that the left and right form. The elongation squished the circle that forms the Trinity, and acts as a way to compose the overall shape akin to a mandorla. Within this shape is the table composed as a circle. The hands are placed in a triangle, with its three points.
If anyone would like this piece, it is available on my website. I would also be happy to add the elements missing from the original icon, as these are quite crucial to the theology of the work.
The Next Attempt
The commissioner wanted this version of the Trinity to be more in keeping with the Rublev. So this was to goal. There are some hurdles to overcome when it comes to translating a painting to relief. Icon painting compared to natural realism has a challenge to translate to sculpture. As it has a combination of flat spans of colour and different rules when it comes to light and shadow. The remarkable quality of icon painting is how the effect of light is represented. It doesn’t always correspond to a light source, but has it’s own principles.
To highlight the comparison:
The Caravaggio painting is psychologically dramatic, employing the technique called chiaroscuro, literally meaning “light-dark”. The source of light is clear, coming from the top left, made very clear by the bold contrasts from the flesh. All this draws your attention to the finger entering into the flesh.
In the icon, it has abstraction, the light can radiate from the body, or from within the face, there are multiple sources of light not following the rules of naturalism. It makes sense to our eyes and mind in a painting. If you try to emulate this sculpturally it is quite the head scratcher. Some adaption is needed. In previous posts I have gushed over the Romanesque ( Here and Here, if you’re intrigued!) I shan’t badger on about it in this post but state that the intention with this carving was very much an attempt to blend Russian iconography with the Romanesque. Carving and the Romanesque go hand in hand. The linear quality of line is matched perfectly with the crisp edge a chisel can have on solid material. The line work allows the drapery to flow, it has a still dynamism to it much like a river.
The key element to sculpture is the effect of light and shadow. It is an emulation of 3 dimensions, particularly with relief, which is a funny hybrid of sorts. An effective way to create the illusion of a fuller 3 dimensionality whilst being on a flat surface, is high points and low points. This is what brings forth the relief outside of the canvas if you will. The background is a crucial part, as this is where the forms stems from. The increase of depth allows for a greater capturing of shadow, and making the piece more full and in a way dramatic.
This can be seen here for the marvellous Romanesque portal. Looking at this piece, we can see the depth, the shadows are cast deeply, and the impression is much bolder. This is very effective for architectural carving, as it is seen from a distance, clear definitions will be seen from the ground level.
As this carving of the Trinity is for the home, it doesn’t need bold contrasting shadows, it will be in a much more closed setting, getting right up to it to kiss. Personally I like to work with quite shallow relief, I think the less contrast gives an element of light grace to the work, as if the shadows are soft pencil marks rather than thick charcoal.
The first part of the process is finding these high and low points. The gauge tool is very good for overall shaping and establishing the forms before you get lost in the detail. The image below is currently at 4 days of work and onwards, which shows the gradual emergence of the carving.
The finished carving in oak:
I absolutely love the carving you did in stone. I appreciate the sacred geometry and the simplicity. I don’t see the fact that other elements are missing as problematic. I am fully aware that this piece references the original and those elements that appear to be missing remain due to the existence of the original. What I love about the stone piece is how you arranged the hands in the form of an equal lateral triangle with the chalice in the center.
What I also bring to this is the information given me by one of my instructors in iconography. On the original Rublev there is what appears to be a slot on the table. The theory is that when the icon was created it contained a small mirror in that slot. This was intended to transport the viewer in the material plane into awareness that they were invited into the life of the Blessed Trinity; the onlooker was invited to contemplate the Beatific Vision both in its nearness transpiring within their human heart and to come when all creatures saved and transformed by grace will participate in the Divine Life of the Trinity for Eternity.
The chalice is central bidding me take and drink of this Divine Life, here, now. There is a rich immediacy to this invitation and nothing else to distract or focus on. Your execution in stone is precisely and immediately Eucharistic. It both stand on its own while it recalls volumes based on its parentage.
Exquisite work!
I wish I had a reserve from which I could purchase this but I will pray it comes to one who will properly appreciate it.
Thank you for sharing the video on the icon of the Holy Trinity!!