- Simon Ushakov
Simon (Pimen) Fyodorovich Ushakov (Russian: Симон (Пимен) Федорович Ушаков, 1626–1686) was a leading Russian
graphic art ist of the late 17th-century. Together withFyodor Zubov andFyodor Rozhnov , he is associated with the comprehensive reform of theRussian Orthodox Church undertaken byPatriarch Nikon .Biography
We know almost nothing about the early years of Simon Ushakov. His birth date is deduced from his inscription on one of the icons: "In the year 7166 painted this icon Simon Ushakov son, being 32 years of age".
At 22 he became a paid artist of the Silver Chamber, affiliated with the Armory
Prikaz . The bright, fresh colours and exquisite, curving lines of his proto-baroque icons caught the eye ofPatriarch Nikon , who introduced Simon to the tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. He became a great favourite with the royal family and was eventually (1664) assigned to theKremlin Armoury , run by an educatedboyar Bogdan Khitrovo .Ushakov had a lot of pupils and associates and even published a short treatise on icon-painting entitled [http://www.krotov.info/acts/17/krizhanich/ushakov.html "A Word to Loving-Meticulous Icon Painting"] (1664). Some of the more conservative Russian priests, such as archpriest
Avvakum , regarded his icons as "lascivious works of devil", for they were too Western for their tastes. Avvakum, in particular, alleged that Ushakov painted his "fleshly saints" after his own portly appearance.Ushakov also executed secular commissions and produced engravings for book illustrations. In other words, he was one of the first secular painters in Russia. Some of his icons, transported to Western Europe, were instrumental in fomenting interest for nascent Russian painting. He died on
June 25 ,1686 in Moscow.Works
External links and sources
* [http://www.krotov.info/acts/17/krizhanich/ushakov.html On-line text by Simon Ushakov "A Word to Loving-Meticulous Icon Painting] - in Russian
* [http://www.krotov.info/spravki/persons/17person/ushakov.html "Simon Ushakov" From Alexander Men' dictionary] - in Russian
* [http://www.istina.religare.ru/article67.html Biography of Simon Ushakov by Archimandrit Avgustin (Nikitin)] - in Russian
* [http://nesusvet.narod.ru/ico/books/grabar/grabar_6_2_02.htm Chapter on Ushakov and his school from Igor Grabar's "History of Russian Art"]
*V. N. Alexandrov, "History of Russian Art", Minsk, 2004, ISBN 985-13-1199-5
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