Theatrum biblicum. Bibliia Piskatora 1643 goda iz sobraniia Gosudarstvennoi Tret’iakovskoi galerei (Piscator’s 1643 Bible from the State Tretyakov Gallery)
Moscow: Tret'iakovskaia galereia, 2022. Sewn pb. This is the first comprehensive scholarly publication of the Tretykov Gallery’s copy of a seminal work on Judaic and Christian imagery: Theatrum biblicum published in Amsterdam by Nicolaus Iohannes Piscator (aka Claes Janszoon Vissher). Published here is the copy belonging to Simon, archbishop of Vologda and Belozersk, and now in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery. The book, in particular its engravings, played a large role introducing to Russia styles and interpretations of biblical figures and events used by Western European artists. The Tretykov’s catalogue stems from a 2019 exhibition and international conference whose main theme was how Western European imagery of biblical episodes affected Russian church art — frescoes and icons — beginning in the second half of the seventeenth century. The catalogue publishes all the engravings often together with icons and frescoes to give a vivid example of comparative iconology. It’s a fresh approach to historiography, which in the past (esp. the Soviet period) emphasized the original achievements of Russian icon- and fresco-painters rather than their place in European religious art. The large format (9 x 13 ins.) and high quality of the reproductions convey the grandeur of the original. Entries on the engravings trace publishing history, report condition of both individual engravings and engraving series, provide bibliography, and indicate analogies and influences. 523 p., 36 cm, approx. 400 b/w amd color illus., Rus. with summary and list of illustrations in ENGLISH. Item #4429
ISBN: 9785895803110
Section headings: engraved Bibles from Western Europe; the significance of Theatrum biblicum both for icon painting and monumental art; Russian handwritten inscriptions on the engraved sheets of the album from the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery; the provenance of the Tretyakov Gallery’s copy and its owners in Russia.
Price: $164.00