“Saturation of Five Thousand with Five Loaves”composition by Hryhoriy Popov

 (in commemoration of the 970th anniversary of the first Chronicle of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra)

Dear friends!

Current release of the “Artistic Heritage” section continues the story about the artworks that beautify the interior of the Church of Sts. Antony and Theodosius of Pechersk (Refectory). Today we will talk about composition “Saturation of Five Thousand with Five Loaves” created by Hryhoriy Popov.

It is a large-scale scene that one can observe on the southern wall of the Church. The work has both semantic and a decorative role in the perception of the interior of the temple. To realise his project, Popov faced a challenging task. The painting required high level of professional drawing, masterful composition, subtle color combinations. In other words, all skills that the painter achieved while studying at the Imperial Academy of Arts.

The most interesting element of the picture is the hands of people and the way the artist painted them. These are hands of those who kneel, lie on the ground, and wait patiently for bread. These are also hands that have already taken the bread and carefully pinch small pieces off it. Besides, these are mothers’ hands that give bread to their children. Apart from that, you can see the hands of the Apostle that gives the bread and hands of the elder who take it. Old people stretch out their weak palms to the Apostle to take the bread.

Another expressive element of the drawing is the drapery of clothes and fabrics. The artist distributs them on the grass in the form of picturesque spots. However, the function of these unfolded colored draperies is not only decorative. The author’s task was to create a colorful accent and direct the viewer’s attention in the direction parallel to the Gospel text. (According to the Gospel, the God gave command to his disciples to make people, which have gathered in the waken landscape, comfortrable on the grass, before feeding them).

The gamma of colors in the composition “Saturation of Five Thousand with Five Loaves“ seems to be carefully thought out. Color spots look well coordinated and quite natural. Open pink and cold blue color shades that have become a “commonplace” in the flow of academic ecclesiastical painting, are absent here. The combination of red and blue colors that Popov liked most of all, varies, becoming either thicker and richer, or thinner and more transparent.

The text was prepared by Olena Pitateleva, the senior research worker
Research Division for the study of the artistic heritage of the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve

Caption to the illustration:
1. Hryhoriy Popov “Saturation of Five Thousand with Five Loanes” Painting of the Church of Sts. Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk. Early 20th century