This second reading was the inspiration behind one of the most famous icons by the Russian icon painter Rublev: ‘The Old Testament Trinity’ (or ‘The Hospitality of Abraham’) Within the Sacred Tradition in art, the inspired icon by Rublev provides, at one level, the “three angels who visited Abraham at the oak of Mamre” (although with no sign of Abraham, or his wife Sarah serving at the table, as other icons do), but beyond that, Rublev suggests another level: a pre-figuration of the Holy Trinity, and this is why the icon is known as “The Old Testament Trinity”. that is why you have come in your servants’ direction.’ They replied, ‘Do as you say’….” Let me fetch a little bread and you shall refresh yourselves before going further. A little water shall be brought you shall wash your feet and lie down under the tree. ‘My Lord,’ he said ‘I beg you, if I find favour with you, kindly do not pass your servant by. As soon as he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, and bowed to the ground. He looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’ – which means Master…”Ĭompare this text to the one in the Old Testament (Genesis 18): ….’The Lord appeared to Abraham at the Oak of Manre while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day. Jesus said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him’. As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognize him. They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away’ she replied ‘and I don’t know where they have put him ‘. Then, still weeping, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. The inspiration for this icon comes from John’s gospel, when it describes the day of Christ’s Resurrection (John 20:11-17): …’Meantime Mary stayed outside near the tomb, weeping. Beyond this, a layer of mystical meaning is hinted at, pointing to the manifestation of the Holy Trinity in the Garden of the Resurrection, through a series of Trinitarian symbols, and visual references from the sacred tradition (such as Andrei Rublev’s icon of Old Testament Trinity). This icon can be read at two levels: a first or primary level of meaning is the depiction of a Gospel scene, where two white angels sitting at either end of the tomb reverently point to the Risen Christ. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is commonly expressed in Christian art, particularly in the Western tradition, as God the Father with a grey beard, Jesus the Son in his bosom and a dove hovering overhead.Icon 32.2cm x 23.8cm (12 1/2″ x 9 3/8″ ) Egg tempera and gilding on wooden panel prepared with gesso. Besides this figurative personification there is a complex theology that renders the Trinity in a rare iconography seen superlatively in Andrei Rublev's icon Trinity.Įl Greco's mannerist version is among the finest examples. In addition to being one of the highest achievements of Russian art, Rublev's icon - also known as "Old Testament Trinity"- portrays a profound theological meaning of the unity of Persons in the Trinity along with the spiritual nature of God's Divine Essence by depicting the Triune God as simply three angels. Many outside the Russian Orthodox tradition wonder what it is about this image that represents the Trinity. Rather than depicting the classic Father, Son and Holy Spirit breakdown as old bearded man, Jesus and the dove, Rublev's subject matter is certainly uncharacteristic of Western Trinity representations. Rublev's Trinity displays a rare arrangement of three angels symbolizing a solemn visual Trinitarian theology that conforms to the Russian Orthodox tradition. The Russian Orthodox Church never fully resolved the iconoclastic controversy until 1667.
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