Kaluga icon painting: on the issue of the integrity and boundaries of the artistic phenomenon

As the title implies, the article provides a general overview of the Kaluga iconography as a unique regional iconographic tradition that formed in the 2nd half of the 18th century. The primary parameters of this phenomenon are identified, including technological, iconographic, and stylistic factors. Based of archival data and historical evidence, Kaluga’ icons are defined a number of monuments executed in the technique of tempera painting in a specific stylistic manner, for the most part inheriting of artistic direction named “zhivopodobie”. The main iconographic features of the products of the Kaluga icon painters are revealed, in particular, the iconographic renderings of Christ the Almighty and the Mother of God "The Life-Giving Spring" common in Kaluga. It also provides a classification of the main stylistic lines in the Kaluga icon painting, which took shape at the end of the 18th century. The question of the chronological boundaries of the phenomenon is considered. Based on the analysis undertaken, Kaluga iconography is determined to be a full-fledged center of regional icon painting that forms part of a broader context of late iconography. On the one hand, Kaluga's iconography aligns with general trends, with its unique writing style appearing in the last quarter of the eighteenth century, overtly influenced by significant European styles, and experiencing artistic decline in the second half of the nineteenth century. On the other hand, the Kaluga iconography distinguishes itself through its singular stylistic and iconographic peculiarities, sufficient to demarcate it as a distinct artistic center.

Kaluga icon painting, history of Kaluga, Kaluga province, icon painting of modern era, regional icon painting centers, Old Believers, iconographic program, icon painting of the 19th century, identity strategies, Vetka and Starodubye