Stroganovs’ illustrated embroidery

The monuments connected with the Stroganovs occupy their special position among the works of icon-painting and, especially, those of illustrated embroidery. The said can be explained by the unique role that the clan of «eminent persons» has been playing both in the history of Russia and its artistic culture since the second half of the 16th century. The richest customers, who had refined taste, certain aesthetic views and good theological education, influenced the evolution of icon-painting and illustrated embroidery of the late 16th-early 17th century. The Stroganovs owned icon-painting studios and scriptorium while their women held workshops for embroidery where hundreds of fine, high-grade pieces were produced

It is not possible to imagine the history of Old Russian fine needle-work as a whole without the Stroganovs’ school which was leading in the 17th century and formed, to a considerable extent, evolution of this type of art at the final stage of its existence. As one of the most important fields of the Stroganovs’ activity illustrated embroidery was tied with «the Stroganovs’ painting school» – by means of the customer and designer. The term itself is a matter of discussion. That is why the present publication as having precise dates and attributions of a wide circle of monuments can be useful when studying iconpainting in the late 16th ― 17th centuries.

The most valuable source when studying the first works produced by the Stroganovs’ masters is the Cathedral Inventory Book of the late 16th century.

The «Epitaphios» (1592, State Russian Museum, Cat. 1) is the first mentioned monument in the 7th chapter of the Inventory Book. As the object, which is always necessary in the temple, the «Epitaphios» was to be donated earlier than the other ones. The iconographic scheme of composition «Entombment» goes back to the epitaphioi produced by Eupraxia Staritskaya in the middle of the 16th century. Image of «The New Testament Holy Trinity» as «The Eternal Council», with the Prepared Throne (Hetoimasia) between Sabaoh and Christ in the border-scene as the upper part of the central picture, is the special feature of the «Epitaphios». Such composition is not met among epitaphioi, either produced by Staritskaya or others including the Stroganovs’ production (not counting the «Epitaphios» from Veliky Ustyug which has repeated the masterpiece from Solvychegodsk). Besides «Icon in Four Parts» from the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, one can meet compositions «The Eternal Council» on the two icons painted in the 16th century. These are «The God Father on the Throne» (non-canonic version of «The New Testament Holy Trinity») from the Holy Trinity – St. Sergius monastery and «Zosimus and Sabbatius Solovetskye, in Their Life-Being» (1560s). The iconography of the last icon is most close to the «Epitaphios». In 1590s such type of the «New Testament Holy Trinity», without the Prepared Throne, could be met among miniatures in the «Life-Being of St. Sergius Radonezhsky». As concerning the matter of the «Epitaphios» composition, its semantic closeness to the right lower border-scene of «Icon in Four Parts» should be noted. The style of the «Epitaphios» shows the trends characteristic of the icon-painting in the 17th century, particularly among the small icons traditionally attached to the Stroganovs’ masters. Chamber subdivided composition of the «Epitaphios», with its small forms, cramped space and inconsistent rhythm, resembles the exposed frescoes on the deaconicon painted later, in 1601, by Theodor Savin and Stephen Arephyev, the masters from Moscow

The rest seven donations of Nikita Stroganov follow the «Epitaphios» in the 7th chapter of the Inventory Book. Sudarium «Deesis» (1592‒1601, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 3 ), shrouds «Assumption of Our Lady» (1592‒1601, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 2) and «Our Lady Vladimirskaya, with the Selected Saints» (1592‒1601, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 4) have been spared.

Shroud «Assumption of Our Lady» is of particular interest. We know its location in the temple – that was the «icon shroud» for «Our Lady Vladimirskaya, Near the Royal Doors» holy image. Hence, the shroud should be hung below the icon. It is a phenomenon that the subjects of the shroud and the icon differ. So the shroud cannot be considered as an ordinary adornment for the icon. The ensemble is extending symbolism of both the subjects. Two themes, Our Lady with Child and the Assumption of Our Lady, are combined in the Troparion for the Assumption Feast. The donator’s intention has been to excite a number of theological associations and mystical emotions applying not to the new iconographic versions, but to these most traditional subjects of national importance. The style of the shroud can be refered to the period in Old Russian art evolution which is being connected with the Godunovs.

Iconography of shroud «Our Lady Vladimirskaya» goes back to the altar icon from the Cathedral of Our Lady Assumption in the Moscow Kremlin painted in the early 15th century. Its special feature is the vertical position of Christ’s left hand. Refined images of Our Lady and Child go with modest materials, colouristic poorness, primitive folklore ornamental pattern in the borders. The shroud was designed by a splendid master, who could combine lyricism and grace of a young maiden with mournful foreboding of a mother. Icons «Our Lady Petrovskaya» (about 1614, State Tretyakov Gallery) and «Our Lady of Deesis» (1630s, Museum-Flat of Paul Korin) are similar to the shroud through the type of Maria’s face and their emotional colouring.

Unusual fine point in the faces’ embroidery is characteristic of sudarium «Deesis». It bears stylistic resemblance to icon «Assistance of the Tsarine» by Nazarius Savin (1616, State Tretyakov Gallery), but the composition of the sudarium is more monumental. The image of Christ is the image of Pantocrator and Great Judge here.

The second period in the history of the Stroganovs’ embroidery is 1620‒1630s. Such break, nearly 20 years, cannot be entirely explained by the fact that no monuments have been spared. The principal reason is in the historical circumstances – the Time of Troubles when the Stroganovs invested much money to give support to the Moscow government. In 1613 a Polish detachment burst into Solvychegodsk.

Adoration of the Annunciation Cathedral started again only in 1620s. Embroidered vestments is the absolutely new type of the workshop’s production.

In 1624 the phelonion (Sergyev Posad Museum-Reserve, Cat. 6) for the Holy Trinity – St. Sergius monastery had been produced. It was donated to the cloister only in 1626 at the same time with the phelonion (State Hermitage) analogous by the composition and intended for the Solovetsky Our Saviour Transfiguration monastery. The Cherubim’s singing from the Liturgy by John Chrysostom («ИЖЕ ХЕРУВИМИ ТАЙНО ОБРАЗУЮЩЕ») is embroidered on the chest while the back is adorned with the singing of the Saturday of the Holy Week from the Liturgy by Basil the Great («ДА МОЛЧИТ ВСЯКА ПЛОТЬ ЧЕЛОВЕЧА»). These two singings are being sung during the Great Entrance. The embroidered composition is an illustration of the texts and represents the Divine Liturgy. The composition is not the sole one among the Stroganovs’ monuments. The icon from the Solvychegodsk Annunciation Cathedral (State Tretyakov Gallery) is well known. There is an image of the Great Entrance within a real interior – the fresco (1601) in the altar of the same Cathedral. In contrast to the icon, which centre is Christ the Great Prelate, the phelonion doesn’t bear this image. While the centre of not only embroidered composition, but of the vestment as a whole along with the icon, is the image of Christ. Later, in 1670s, the synthesis of embroidered images with vestments’ semantics will get its perfect elaboration in the complex of the Episcopal vestments. Comparing the phelonia with the objects produced during the first period, «of Nikita», one can see the alterations in the sewing. Coloured silk occupies the secondary position and serves only to fix metallic threads or to mark the contours. The majority of the pictures, non-flesh as a whole, were being embroidered «by fastening» with gold and silver.

In 1626 Eudoxia Nesterovna created shroud «Our Lady Vladimirskaya» (Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 7) to decorate icon «Our Lady Vladimirskaya» which had been painted by Istoma Savin in 1602. There is an inscription of donation with the names of Eudoxia Nesterovna and Matrona Ivanovna (Pushkina), her daughter-in-law, on the reverse side of the icon. The iconography of that one goes back to the famous miracle-working icon painted in the 12th century in contrast to the shroud created in the 16th century which was described in Part 1. Very many small icons of this version existed in the time of the shroud’s creation, in Solvychegodsk too. The shroud is particularly close to the central picture of the folded icon (1608, Perm Artistic Gallery). It follows phelonia from the Holy Trinity – St. Sergius and Solovetsky Our Saviour Transfiguration monasteries and becomes absolutely new work of the Stroganovs’ art. This piece connected with the monuments of the late 16th century (excluding the «Epitaphios») by small dimensions and diminutiveness of needle-work. But this diminutiveness is somewhat jewellery refinement when the materials are being selected like gems

One of the most beautiful Stroganovs’ pieces is shroud «The Annunciation of Our Lady» (the first third of the 17th century, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 5) from the Solvychegodsk Annunciation Cathedral created in 1620s. The native Holy Feast of the Cathedral is shown following the traditional Stroganovs’ version – «The Annunciation by Ustyug», with the «cave». One can see the designer’s work in the process of the shroud’s creation as well as in the other embroideries produced in the time of Eudoxia Nesterovna and, earlier, in the time of Nikita. The details of the drawing are being precisely reproduced by the embroideresses. It may be, the designer was one of the metropolitan masters, who followed the Stroganovs’ trend in painting. But it is necessary to note the style’s evolution in comparison with the Stroganovs’ monuments created in the late 16th century. Being still monumental the figures are becoming longer and more graceful.

Two exhibits from the Perm Artistic Gallery can be attribute a to the workshop of Eudoxia Nesterovna. They are communion veil «The Crucifixion» (the first third of the 17th century, Perm State Artistic Gallery, Cat. 9) and shroud «Our Lady Hodegetria» (the first quarter of the 17th century, Perm State Artistic Gallery, Cat. 10)

The «Epitaphios» from Veliky Ustyug (1620‒1630, Veliky Ustyug Museum Reserve, Cat. 8) is a monument of the transitional period, when the new technical methods were being elaborated in the workshop, and can be dated from the end of 1610s-the beginning of 1630s.

Gold and silver threads are of greater importance in this period. The said is a distinctive feature of the «Epitaphios» and, to an even greater degree, of some other works described in Part 2. The embroidered surface is considered as metallic area tinted with coloured silk threads of fixations. Silk is still used to mark details of objects, to draw contours and numerous folds of vestments which precisely reproduce the work of a designer whose part is of great importance. That is why one can consider the embroidered objects of the period within the bounds of icon-painting.

Such important feature of the workshop’s activity as its expansion in the time of Eudoxia Nesterovna should be noticed. The production started being donated beyond Solvychegodsk.

It is possible to suppose that Tatiana Dmitrievna (Zhedrinskaya), the wife of Andrey Semionovich, headed the workshop. Anna Vasilievna (nee Volkonskaya), who was married to Dmitry, followed her mother-in-law. She died in 1649. This event designated the boundary of the period.

Small amount of embroideries produced in this period has survived.

The cloaks, embroidered objects, which are close to monumental painting, have not been considered yet. Cloak «St. Abraham Rostovsky» (1642‒1649, Museum-Reserve «The Rostov Kremlin», Cat. 14) attributed by us is one of the most important monuments produced in the Stroganovs’ workshops.

St. Abraham’s image was created in conformity with the Canon and tradition stated in the manual for icon-painters. When comparing the portrayal of St. Abraham in the cloak with the other ones produced in the 16th‒17th centuries one can reveal peculiarity of the embroidered image of the Saint, who was shown as a builder and a preacher, a man at the height of his physical and spiritual strength. Technique of needle-work, modelling of the face and colouristic gamut of the used silk threads are typical for the Stroganovs’ illustrated embroidery in 1650s. The ligature of the troparion is a masterpiece of calligraphic art. The text can be easely read. It makes splendid harmonious frame which fixes the cloak’s dimensions and gives the space for the Saint’s figure. Comparison of St. Abraham’s cloak with such dated Stroganovs’ works as cloaks of Metropolitans Job (1657) and Peter (1658), cloaks of St. Sergius Radonezhsky (1665, 1671) shows that the first of them is very simple. This circumstance does not detract from its artistic merits. We see that the Saint’s pose, the gesture of his hand and the folds of his garments are more free and plastic. The cloak was embroidered in the period when the trends of decorativeness did not prevail over colour and plasticity of an image.

This part includes two periods: the fourth (1650‒1680) and the fifth (the late 17th ― the early 18th century).

In 1650 or 1651 Dmitry Andreyevich got married to Anna Ivanovna Zlobina. Her activity is marked by the longest and most fruitful period in the history of the Stroganovs’ illustrated embroidery. Since beginning of 1650s dozens of objects have been being produced in her workshops.

The first works of Anna Ivanovna bear inscriptions of donations which contain very valuable information. These are three big shrouds with the images of her husband’s patronal Saint – St. Tsarevich Demetrius. The inscriptions tell that the two shrouds (1651‒1654, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 21, 22) were embroidered for icons while the third one (1656, State Russian Museum, Cat. 23) served as processional. The inscriptions give information on the price of the materials, on the fact that Anna Ivanovna has headed the workshop since 1651. They also show her role in the objects’ creation. One can draw a conclusion on the workshop’s stuff: besides the owner, there were nuns, probably from the Solvychegodsk nunnery of the Meeting in the Temple which had been founded by the Stroganovs in 1645.

One can see successive connection of the works produced in the workshop of Anna Ivanovna with those produced earlier, in 1630‒1640s: the same technique of flesh embroidery and methods of modelling, the same golden needle work, though the part of the last was increasing. But the principally new feature of the works is their special typology of images. «Childish» proportions and faces were not connected with the earlier works. This feature was worked out by the designer of shrouds «St. Tsarevich Demetrius» and the author of the icons with the same name. He was the leading icon-painter and designer of Dmitry Andreyevich and Anna Ivanovna. Anyway, this master had decisive influence on the embroidery in 1650‒1660s. Four smaller shrouds with the image of St. Tsarevich Demetrius were also designed by him. Two of them are from the Solvychegodsk Annunciation Cathedral (beginning of 1650s, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 24, 25), the rest are from Perm (1650s, Perm State Artistic Gallery, Cat. 26, 27). Only seven shrouds «St. Tsarevich Demetrius» show five iconographic versions

The other special feature of the workshops of Anna Ivanovna is their «serial production». Besides the shrouds with St. Tsarevich Demetrius, there existed the series of shrouds with the Holy Feasts. Eleven of them have survived. They are kept in the Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum (beginning of 1650s, 1654 (№ 31), Cat. 28‒38). Inall likehood, they were created by the designer of the shrouds with St. Tsarevich Demetrius and by the same embroideresses, Veselka among them.

As it is well known, illustrativeness, aspiration for broadenning the matter of the subject when the artist tried to show several events in one composition are peculiar to figurative art in the 16th and, specially, in the 17th centuries. Such trend was realized in full measure only in the «Holy Feasts».

There were some other designers in the workshops of Anna Ivanovna. They had started working earlier, for Andrey Semionovich and Tatiana Dmitrievna, developing the traditions of the best icon-painters of the so called «Stroganovs’ school» in the first third of the 17th century. The master of epigonation «The Transfiguration, with Zosimus and Sabbatius Solovetskye» from the Solovetsky Our Saviour Transfiguration monastery (1658, State Russian Museum, Cat. 48) was one of them, while the technique of needle-work, modelling of the faces were identical to those on the shrouds. It means, the epigonation was being produced by an embroideress, who was working with the shrouds in the workshops of Anna Ivanovna.

Cloak «Peter the Metropolitan» (1659, Museum-Reserve «The Moscow Kremlin», Cat. 49) was the first object produced by the Stroganovs for the national sacred thing in the principal Cathedral of Russia. It is very difficult to compare diminutive needle-work of the epigonation with that of the monumental cloak, but the last is closer to the style of the first than to the style of large shrouds with the image of St. Tsarevich Demetrius. It is likely, the same masters were working with cloak «Job the Metropolitan» (1657, Museum-Reserve «The Moscow Kremlin», Cat. 50). After finishing work with the cloaks of the Metropolitans, they started embroidering another pair of cloaks «St. Zosimus Solovetsky» and «St. Sabbatius Solovetsky» (1660‒1661, State Russian Museum, Cat. 51‒52), which compositions and adornment are close to those of two shrouds «St. Tsarevich Demetrius» (1651‒1654, 1656), but which needlework of the faces resembles that of the cloaks in the Moscow Kremlin/

The same workshop produced two cloaks «St. Sergius Radonezhsky» (1665, 1671, Sergyev Posad Museum-Reserve, Cat. 53, 54) which are very close to each other. It is likely, their designer had seen the cloak of the Saint (1589) donated by Boris Godunov, while the outlines of the faces and the type of modelling bring the cloaks together with cloak «St. Abraham Rostovsky» described in Part 3. One can see the evolution of the Reverend Fathers’ images. St. Abraham is an energetic preacher and builder. St. Sergius (1665) is older, his monastic features are intensified, the Saint is self-absorbed, he is praying. These characteristic features will be developed in the image of 1671. The images of St. Sergius are more and more dried-up, immovable. Lengthening of the proportions and comlicated ornamental pattern of the golden embroidery fastennings on the image of 1671 are becoming the typical trend which will develop in 1670s.

Matrona Ivanovna, whose name had been embroidered on shroud «Our Lady Vladimirskaya» (1626) held the workshop in 1650–1660s. Her shroud «Our Lady Grebnevskaya» (1657, State Historic Museum, Cat. 61) is well known. On the occasion of the centenary of the Saint’s relics’ conveyance, cloak «Longin Koryazhemsky» (1658, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 62) recently published by us was donated to the Koryazhemsky St. Nicholas monastery by Matrona Ivanovna. Primery use of silk threads, free disposition of the figures in the central picture make the cloak different from those produced by Anna Ivanovna. It bears resemblance to the cloak of St. Abraham with outlines of the faces and general warmth of the Saints’ images.

As well as her mother-in-law, Anna Nikitichna married to Theodor Petrovich, a son of Matrona Ivanovna, was taking part in creation of new objects donations of her husband. Shroud «Our Saviour of Veronica type» has never been described (1657, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 66). Its drawing of faces, less outlined than in the works of Anna Ivanovna, makes the shroud closer to the embroidery produced by Matrona Ivanovna while the lines of the shades bear close resemblance. The type of Our Saviour’s face, with His stern look, differs from the works of both the embroideresses.

Shroud «Sts. Theodor of Sykeon and George, with Selected Saints» (middle of the 17th century, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 63) is well known, though it was dated erroneously – from 1620‒1630s. But, after we had compared the Saints in the border-scenes with the genealogical table of the family of Theodor Petrovich, the dating changed to 1658‒1663. We consider the shroud to be a work of Anna Nikitichna

The first epitaphioi from the workshop of Anna Ivanovna were donated to the Cathedrals in Vologda and Rostov in 1661‒1662 (Vologda Museum-Reserve, Cat. 71; Museum-Reserve «The Rostov Kremlin», Cat. 82). It seems that the epitaphioi were designed by the master who had been the author of the first shrouds in the workshop. The epitaphioi follow the iconographic version given by Staritskaya in her pieces, in shorten variant (without angels), and have their original stylistic merits. Dmitry Andreyevich Stroganov donated the complete sets of Eucharistic veils at the same time with the epitaphioi. Only the donation to Rostov has survived. The aer was attributed and dated from 1661 (Museum-Reserve «Moscow Kremlin», Cat. 83) by us. It is interesting that the composition of the aer goes back to the most tragical «Epitaphios» produced by Eupraxia Staritskaya in 1565.

Geography of the Stroganovs’ embroidery was in progress in the time of Dmitry Andreyevich and Anna Ivanovna. The new centre appeared on its map – Kazan. The aer and two communion veils (Museum of the Republic Tatarstan) published by us bear a relation to the same range of monuments as the donations to Rostov and Vologda.

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The Stroganovs’ saccoi with the embroidered Holy Feasts and Saints are unique pieces of Old Russian illustrated embroidery. Saccos of Rostov Metropolitan Jonah Sisoyevich (1665, Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve, Cat. 86) is well known. We have recently discovered and published the second saccos which is nearly analogical to the first one. That is the saccos of Kazan Metropolitan Laurence (1660s, Museum of the Republic Tatarstan, Cat. 95). There is one more saccos (earlier described as «saccos of St. Stephen of Perm») with the same compositions painted in tempera on canvas (nearly 1665, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 87). The images of the selected Saints in border-scenes and the style show that this saccos was created in the middle of the 17th century and served the «canon» for the embroidered ones. Comparing them we have a happy opportunity to find out the functions of the embroiresses in the process of the objects’ creation. For faces they were finishing of the features’ outlines (with certain simplification) and modellings; for the rest they were generalization of the contours and folds of the garments, as well as less detailed elaboration of the architecture. It was their function to mark details of the picture using fastennings of various colours and ornamental patterns.

General principles of the compositions’ placing on the Stroganovs’ saccoi go back to that on the two «saccoi of Metropolitan Photius». But, in contrast to the Greek vestments, those from Solvychegodsk show only the Paschal Circle of the Passions. Well known antropomorphism of the cross-in-square temple and architectonics of the saccos have caused the semantic community of decorations on the walls in the church and on the surface of the saccos added with the embroidered klobuk.

Shroud «Our Lady Donskaya, with the Holy Feasts and Selected Saints» (1661, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 57) was created at the same time with the epitaphioi from Rostov and Vologda. The shroud was designed by «the master of St. Tsarevich Demetrius», who, likely, had been the author of the epitaphioi’s drawings. Shrouds «Our Lady Hodegetria» (1660s, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 59) and «Our Lady Vladimirskaya» (1650‒1660s, discovered by us in the collection of the State Hermitage, Cat. 58) are similar to the first. Iconography of «Our Lady Hodegetria» is closer to that of «Our Lady of the Passions», without the angels. The type of Our Lady image resembles that on icon «Our Lady Hodegetria» by Theodor Zubov (1676, Museum-Reserve «Kolomenskoye»). These three shrouds are the series, their creation was an act of praying to decorate the most famous icons from the Solvychegodsk Annunciation Cathedral.

Judging by the amount of the produced objects there were many womenworkers in the workshop of Anna Ivanovna. Sometimes one can see signs of needle-work belonging to two embroideresses, for instance in the klobuk of Metropolitan Jonah Sisoyevich (1665, Museum-Reserve «The Rostov Kremlin», Cat. 89).

Numerous small shrouds with images of Saints, individual or group, are one of the series typical for the second half of the 17th century. Such shrouds were hung below span-type icons during the Holy Feasts. There are not many of such objects either in the Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum or in other collections (Cat. 105‒144)

We have attributed and published two gonfalons from Nizhny Novgorod: «The Transfiguration» and «St. Michael Archistrategus» (1672, Nizhny Novgorod Museum-Reserve, Cat. 119, 120). They are really unique even among the Stroganovs’ monuments. First, because of the legend connected with them; second, because of their compicated and uncommon technique of the doublesided embroidery. The legend tells that these gonfalons were accompanying Cosma Minin in 1612. But, after examination, we came to the conclusion that, likely, Grigory Dmitrievich Stroganov donated the gonfalons to the principal temples of Nizhny Novgorod, the Cathedral of Transfiguration and the Cathedral of Archangel Michael, about 1672, in connection with the foundation of the Metropolia. The style of «The Transfiguration» can be defined as «classical», while the drawing of «St. Michael Archistrategus» show some features of the new, «life-like» art.

The new centre, where we have found the Stroganovs’ works, is Vyatka (Kirov). The most important of them is a big «Epitaphios» which can be dated from the beginning of 1670s (Kirov Local Lore Museum, Cat. 147). The creators of the «Epitaphios», who followed the example of the Tsars’ «Epitaphios» from the New Monastery of Our Saviour (1647, Museum-Reserve «The Moscow Kremlin»), paid great attention to the ancient «Epitaphios» by Eupraxia Staritskaya (1561) from the Moscow Cathedral of Assumption. This way Grigory Dmitrievich wanted to make the new Cathedra of Vyatka and Velikaya Perm more authoritative. When comparing these pieces one can notice higher artistic qualities of the Stroganovs’ «Epitaphios» in contrast to the Tsars’ one. But the artistic level of the first has reduced in contrast to the earlier embroideries from the workshop of Anna Ivanovna.

Shroud «St. Alexandre Nevsky» (Sergyev Posad Museum-Reserve, Cat. 159) is one of the late monuments. We suppose, it can be dated from 1670-early 1680s.

Orarion «The Selected Saints» from Nizhny Novgorod (nearly 1675, Nizhny Novgorod Museum-Reserve, Cat. 121) is, obviously, the latest object with the image of the patronal Saint of Anna Ivanovna. Likely, it was really one of the last works produced in her workshop (we mean, it happened before her death nearly 1675 or 1680). The orarion shows the trend to elongate the figures. At the same time one can see reduction of its needle-work qualities.

«Epitaphios» (1680, Ryazan Museum-Reserve, Cat. 160) is the latest dated monument of the Stroganovs’ embroidery. The part of a customer of embroidered objects has always been great, especially as concerning the considered «Epitaphios». Its structure and iconography differ from the other Stroganovs’ epitaphioi and goes back to the famous «Epitaphios» from Solotcha (1512). This way the will of its customer, Archbishop Joseph, has been revealed. The Stroganovs’ object is also big, with the image of «The Sobbing at the Tomb» in the centre which is surrounded by «The Holy Feasts» and the cycle of «The Passions». Archaic type of the central composition can be explained by the master’s use of the ancient prototype. But it is interesting that the late Western publications of the Bible with the illustrations or, probably, «The Illustrated Passions» (collected engravings which were compiled of the leaves taken from different publications), or, mainly, «The Bible» published by Piscator and «The Gospel» published by Natalis served as the figurative sources for the borderscenes of the «Epitaphios». That one has reflected the basic contradictions typical for the art in the transition period. Its makers were trying to unite their native classics turning attention to the ancient sacred things with the modern Western works of art. The first trend, «the ideological course», was carried out by the Church Hierarhy beginning with Partiarch Nikon while the second one (use of «German leaves») was a tribute to fashion.

The «Epitaphios» has not been the last creation of the Stroganovs’ workshops, but smalness of the principle composition along with tremendous dimensions of the object itself, sketchiness and dryness of the faces’ constructions are evidence of the Stroganovs’ embroidery school’s decline. Though the technique of the needle-work has remained rather high to be considered as one of the most principle aesthetic categories concerning the Stroganovs’ illustrated embroidery of the time.

The last quality is absent in shroud «The Holy Trinity» from the Moscow Assumption Cathedral (late 17th century, Museum-Reserve «The Moscow Kremlin», Cat. 175). It seems, its designer saw the icon of the 14th century which had already been overpainted by Tikhon Philatyev in 1700 and covered with slight setting.

There are a number of exhibits embroidered during the late period of the Stroganovs’ embroidery. They are «Epitaphios» (last quarter of the 17th century, Perm State Artistic Gallery, Cat. 166) which composition goes back to the engraved antiminsion (1678), epigonation «The Crucifixion» (late 17th century, Perm State Artistic Gallery, Cat. 167), orarion «Saint Deacons» (late 17th century, Perm State Artistic Gallery, Cat. 168) and two epitrachelia with the selected Saints (last quarter of the 17th century, Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum, Cat. 170). Retaining the basic principles of the Stroganovs’ monuments they demonstrate the new features which are characteristic only of them. Localization of these objects in Perm gives rise to the idea of their local origin. The workshops could exist both in the Stroganovs’ Oryol-Gorodok and in the Podgorny nunnery subordinated to the Pyskorsky monastery founded by the Stroganovs. The situation resembles that in Solvychegodsk where the Stroganovs’ estates and the cloisters were in the neighbourhood.

By the beginning of the 17th century the Stroganovs’ embroidery had died. Judging by the fact that there are some exhibits of the 18th century in the Solvychegodsk Historic and Artistic Museum they were created in the town. But these are the solitary objects of the secondary value. Their artistic qualities depended on the contemporary church painting’s policy rather than on the traditions of icon-painting. They could be embroidered in Moscow or Petersbourg where ribbons and crowning costumes were being produced at the court of Maria Yakovlevna Stroganova, who was a maid of honour of Cathrine I. It is known that the widow of Grigory Dmitrievich had been stringing pearls for the chasubles which were donated to the Holy Trinity – St. Sergius monastery by Impress Anna Johannovna in 1730.

The Stroganovs’ workshop was the last enterprise of such a scale. This one determined the course of the needle-work development in the 17th century when this type of handicraft was so very closely connected with the medieval ideology and family traditional relations. The last circumstance explains why icon-painting has continued its life within the frames of academic standards while illustrated embroidery, despite certain attempts to bring it to life, died in the early 18th century.