The Old Testament Trinity of Andrey Rublyov: Geometry and Philosophy

Abstract

The philosophical and theological content of a masterpiece of Old Russian icon-painting—Andrey Rublyov's Trinity is regarded in the light of its geometry. The aspects under study are the geometrical properties of the rectangle of the Trinity (which generate a sequence of circumferences related by the golden proportion) and also some of the peculiarities in the composition of the icon. The roles of the circle, the octagon and inverse perspective in the Trinity are discussed. The author establishes correspondence between the theological triad Revelation—Illumination Transformation, which makes up the fundamental content of the Trinity, and the mirror and dynamic symmetries of the icon.