The Composition of the Upcoming Holy Fools in Tiers

Abstract

In the XVI century, Kargopol, due to its geographical location, became a major, actively developing commercial land and exchange center. It attracted hunters, fishermen, merchants, and seafarers. Artisanry, farming, and culture began to develop. Masters invited from Veliky Novgorod shared their artistic secrets, and soon Kargopol saw the construction of temples (the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ /1552–1562/ can still be seen today), with Novgorod- Kargopol style icons of local saints. “Тhe Selected Saints” icon from Kargopol has a tiered composition. Icons from many churches were brought to the capital’s workshops for restoration, which allowed their in-depth study. Today there are established connections between the scholars in the capital and those in the cities of the Russian North-West, the region whose art is known for its distinct development trends within the broader Russian art. A specific feature of the Northern Russian art tradition is the depiction of holy fools by local iconographers. Several collective expeditions were organized. For example, in the 1950s, a number of expeditions were carried out. As a result the museums of Kargopol, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Arkhangelsk, Vologda acquired new items, which gave way to new discoveries.