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The dynasty of the Peshekhonovs

The Peshekhonovs▓ family was one of the most famous dynasties of icon-painters in Russia of XIX century. An icon signed by Peshekhonov is of great historical and art value. Unfortunately, the main part of icons created by the Peshekhonovs▓ works has been lost, and the publication of the information about the dynasty is very important for readers.

According to the archive search, there were ten icon-painters of the Pesheknhonovs▓ family. However, in the museums and cathedrals there are few works. Due to inscriptions in the icons, the researrchers managed to find that the icons were created by the forth representetives of the dynasty. There is a hope to find the Peshekhonovs▓ icons in private collections. Besides the published materials, the main sources of the information are the archive documents, icon inscriptions and the data of the parents.

Protection of Our Lady. М. Peshekhonov. St. Petersburg. 1849. 133.5 х 65.5. Parish of Protection of Our Lady in Lapeenranta, Finland. Photo: Archpriest Timophey Tunkkunen [zoom (36k)]

The Russian Historical Archive possesses documents connected with the activity of Vasily Peshekhonov as the Сourt icon-painter of the Emperor. The Family archive of the family is in the Department of Memoirs of the State Russian Museum. Some financial documents (accounts, notes in the books of depands, orders for work) were found in the archive of the New-Valaam Monastery. The icon inscriptions give extra information about the family members and masters of the works. Information from the family archive of the Peshekhonovs and the Prisovskys (USA) including the private notes of the sons Vasily and Sergey Peshekhonov completed the earlier information from the official documents. They managed to precise the life years of the icon-painters, their family state as well as names and number of children, and maiden names of the wives.

Icon-painters from the Peshekhonov family moved to Petersburg from the Tver region, from the Village Esko near Bezhetsk. Makary▓s work in the capital began on August 1827. In the archive there is his ecclesiastic plan for the old-believers.

Samson▓s sons Makary, Grigory, Aphanasy, and Ivan were icon-painters. Nowadays, only the icons signed by Makary and Ivan have been found. Ivan▓s name was found thrice. Two of the icons have been preserved in the Central Andrey Rublev Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art. The inscription in the icon ⌠Selected Saints■ is hidden under the setting. It is signed in the same large manner as the Ivan's letters: ⌠Painted on December 30, 1837 by the Tver icon-painter Ivan Peshekhonov, the son of Samson Peshekhonov■. The setting is featured with the stamp of St. Petersburg and the date ≈ 1838.

Another signed icon by Ivan Peshekhonov ⌠St.Nikolas■ (1827) is mentioned in ⌠Materials to Icon-painters▓ Dictionary XVII √ ХХ centuries■ (E. Danchenko, M. Krasilin). The icons painted by the brothers Aphanasy and Grigory Peshekhonov haven▓t been found yet.

Makary Peshekhonov (1780√1852) was a wonderful organiser of the icon-painting. His workroom was largely popular in St. Petersburg. The workroom held long systematic work of collecting of exemplums of ancient icons. In a private Finnish collection there are two exemplums of 1844 taken from the First Icons of the camping church of Ivan the Terrible. An interesting fact, icon-painters of XIX century including the Peshekhonovs, created precise copies of Byzantian and Ancient Russian icons. The sample is icon ⌠Twelve Apostles■ that has been preserved in the State Russian Museum.

According to an academician Fyodor Solntsev, Makary Peshekhonov was the only master whose manner he knew could coup with the restoration of wall painting in the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kiev. The contract to the works in the cathedral was signed for two seasons 1848√1849 but annulled soon. The restored painting got mouldy that caused the loss. Archpriest Pyotr Lebedintsev, the superior of the cathedral, gave information of five preserved paintings by Peshekhonov by the moment of completing of the restoration works in the Cathedral of St. Sophia, other paintings were restored by other masters. Nowadays, it's only one painting that could have been created by the master of the Peshekhonov works (according to stylistic features). The piece is a restoration fragment of the mosaic depicting apostle John the Theologian in the pendentive of the main cupola.

The only signed icon by Makary Peshekhonov is "The Protection of Our Lady" (1849) from a parish of Lapeenranta, Finland. It demonsrtates the high mastership of the icon-painter. In the XIX century the workroom way of icon-painting dominated and the work was divided between the masters. The authorship in the icon╛painting process should be proved by facts.

St. Apostle John the Theologian ≈ mosaic and restoration fragment to in the pendente of the main cupola of the St. Sophia Cathedral. M. Peshekhonov▓s works (?) Kiev. 1848√1849 [zoom (61k)]

High professional skills of Makary Peshekhonov, his personal part in the procedure is proved by a few sources. For example, before the contract of the restoration of frescoes of the Cathedral of St. Sophia a special exam was held for him. He was offered to restore painting of two lost pieces in the arch of the Cathedral. High quality of his work was stated by the members of the event and fixed in the documents.

The walls of the Church of Transfiguration of the New-Valaam Monastery in Finland are decorated with eight icons of saints. They were painted for the Church of All Fleshless Celestial Forces of the hermitage of All Saints of the Valaam Monastery. According to inventory lists of the monastery of 1864 and notes in the book of depends of 1850, the icons were created in the Peshekhonov works. For icons are dated of 1850 that goes back to the time when the workroom was headed by Makary Peshekhonov.

In the letter of November 17, 1852 prince Grigory Gagarin informed about last days of lives of Makary Peshekhonov and his son Alexey, who arrived in Tiflis to paint a church in Pitsunda: ⌠After the arrival of these two painters in Tiflis, I acquainted them to their chiefs of military department which assistance was necessary for their travel. Prince the Deputy was at this time in absence. Having spent three days in Tiflis, they went to Pitsunda where were engaged during two weeks in studying of building. After their departure┘ approaching to mouth Khopi, they were in the storm.After long efforts to go were lost in the waves which have absorbed a boat■.

Since the 1830s the workshop and house of Peshekhonov family in Petersburg was placed at the Ligovsky canal opposite the Kuznechny lane, in the house of Galchenkov, 73, the building hasn▓t been preserved. On the first floor there were room of owners of the workshop and their family, and in the ground floor there was icon╛painting workshop. There were rooms for masters, and warehouses, two kitchens, a dining room and a bedroom for icon╛painting school pupils (data are revealed by K. Ozerov).

In 1878 icon-painter Ivan Peshekhonov (probably, son of Grigory Peshekhonov) submitted the application addressed to Emperor Alexander II about getting of the diploma of the rank of the free artist or his ranking to the Court of His Imperial Majesty. The application was refused. He wrote, that, being engaged in icon-painting, he brought works of the applied art to emperor Nikolay I, Alexander II and all the members of imperial family. For icons of saints he was awarded a diamond ring, golden watch, and the money prise. The government of the Imperial Academy of arts informed that to receive the diploma to the rank of free artist probably after the passage of all training course and of all put examinations.

According to the analysis of correspondence, icon-painters Ivan and Vasily Peshekhonov were cousins, they worked in Petersburg at the same time and got a success at the imperial court that was proved by the wards given by the members of the imperial family.

It is important to note, that at least up to the middle of XIX century the Peshekhonovs were well-known old-believe family. It was proved by family correspondence, autobiographical notes of the pupil of the works V. Maksimov, N. Leskov, and also the publication of old believe monasteries near the Irguiza river (the Saratov region). There it was informed that the icons for one of the temples (1787) ⌠were painted in Tver by icon-painter Ivan Peshekhonov who was respected by dissenters■. Adherence of Peshekhonov to believe old promoted his reference to old Russian samples and preservation of old Russian traditions of the letter because in the old believe environment is better and longer was held in remembrance ancient Russian culture. At the same time, Makary Peshekhonov and sons regularly visited exhibitions of the Academy of arts and knew all novelties of an art life.

After death of the father the icon-painting works were headed by Vasily Peshekhonov. In 1856 according to the decree of the Emperor Vasily Peshehonov got the title of the icon-painter of His Imperial Majesty and the sanction to use the State Emblem of Russia on the signboard. According to the position of 1848 approved by the Emperor Nikolay I, use of the State Emblem of Russia on signboards and production was a sign of the highest quality of production. This right was given by the minister of the Imperial Court. In the second half of XIX √ the beginning of the XX century the title of the court supplier and the right of use of the State Emblem became the prevailing form of a recognition of merits in commercial and industrial spheres and overshadowed other forms of encouragement.

Just after the beginning of reign of Emperor Alexander II, in 1856╛1857 the minister of the Imperial Court Vladimir Adlerberg turned to ⌠case of the request of different masters and manufacturers for the permission to use a rank of court masters, manufacturers and suppliers and to have in a signboard the State Emblem of Russia. As well as an inscription: ⌠the Privileged master of the Court of His Imperial Majesty■.

Reception of a title of the⌠Icon-painter of His Imperial Majesty■ was preceded with long work of Peshekhonov the imperial family. Important to note that Vasily painted icons for all newborn babies of imperial family for more than ten years up to getting the title the icon painter of His Imperial Majesty.

Condition of reception of a title was execution of icon-painting works for the needs of the imperial court not less than 8╛10 years, manufacture of works by a person petitioning for assignment of the title and as well as serviceable, diligent execution of orders under rather low quotations. As it is clear from the set forth above documents, for reception of the title of the icon painter of Its Imperial Majesty the Highest sanction was asked, and it was appropriated only personally to owners of trading and industrial institutions, instead of firms. The rank of the Icon painter of Its Imperial Majesty, as well as the supplier of the Highest Court, was not given by right of succession. From Vasily Peshekhonov▓s 24 children nobody has inherited a trade of the icon painter, therefore they had no right to apply for the rank.

Contemporaries talk about the Peshekhonov workshop with greater respectt. For example, St. Nikolay the Japanese who visited the workshop of Vasily Peshekhonov in 1880 paid attention to his personal and professional qualities in his diaries, names him ⌠wise old man■ and got a decision to order an iconostasis for a rebuilt cathedral in Tokyo at V. Peshekhonov, in spite of high prices. The iconostasis createed by Peshekhonov burned down during an earthquake in Tokyo in 1923.

The Peshekhonovs▓ icons were highly appreciated by contemporaries. In archival documents the icons can be easily idetifined by their high cost. In the Book of income and charges of the Valaam monastery the Peshekhonov▓s work was the most expensive. For example, six icons for holy doors for the Peter and Paul church of the Valaam monastery (1872) were estimated at 108 roubles, while other day work (for example, cutting or civil works) were paid for 35 copecks a day. The monastery ordered icons for benediction of pilgrims in different regions of Russia, the prices varied from 30 copecks for an icon up to several tens roubles. And the highest prices were at the Peshekhonov works.

Deep respect to Peshekhonovs' workshop from significant and authoritative figures of the XIX century (prince Grigory Gagarin and academician Feodor Solntsev), outstanding orders for cathedrals and capital temples painting, giftings the icons painted by the Peshekhonov s' to tsar's family members and from them to other persons, a rank of the Icon-painter of His Imperial Majesty; all the facts vitness the high authority of the workshop. The works of all representatives of the Peshekhonov icon-painters dynasty have historical, cultural, art and museum value. Found artworks by Ivan Peshehonov▓s demonstrate that the sources of Peshekhonovs▓ style go back to the traditional icon-painting.