The Portrayal of the Holy Convicts from the 5th Step of the Ladder of John Climacus in the Russian Art of the 16th Century

Research reveals that the art of Novgorod, during the archiepiscopacy of Macarius or shortly thereafter, played a pivotal role in shaping the visual representation of the Monastic Feats, a significant chapter from the 5th logos of John Climacus' Ladder. This iconographic tradition, rooted in Byzantine Empire and later adopted by Rus', depicts monks engaging in self-torture for spiritual absolution. The study analyzes surviving 16th-century examples, proposing two new attributions: one for an illuminated manuscript from Trinity Lavra's collection and another for a vita icon of John Climacus housed in the Rybinsk Museum Reserve. Both are suggested to originate from Novgorod, with the Rybinsk icon being dated earlier than previously thought, potentially linking it to an image mentioned in the inventory of Antoniev monastery in Novgorod. The findings underscore Novgorod's decisive influence on this expressive and impactful iconographic tradition within Slavic art.

Titov, G. V. (2024). The Portrayal of the Holy Convicts from the 5th Step of the Ladder of John Climacus in the Russian Art of the 16th Century. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Arts, 14(2), 309–335. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu15.2024.205