Inexhaustible Chalice (Russian: Неупиваемая Чаша) is a 1921 novella by Ivan Shmelyov.
It chronicles the life of a dreamy peasant-born painter Ilya Sharonov, culminating in a (completely fictional) account of him becoming the one to paint the Inexhaustible Chalice icon of the Mother of God (a real icon
venerated in the Orthodox Church).
Tropes featured in the novella:
- Artistic License – History: It's not known who painted the Inexhaustible Chalice icon in Real Life, but when it was discovered, it already depicted both the Mother of God and Christ Child. In the novella, Ilya paints only the Mother of God, and the picture of Christ is added much later.
- Artistic License – Traditional Christianity: Let's just say, among Orthodox iconographers, it's not recommended to paint icons in the height of adulterous passion (even if it's not realized physically). Ilya forgetting about it is understandable, but the archbishop who is shown Ilya's autobiography describing what was going on? Not so much.
- Beauty Equals Goodness:
- The old landlord, a depraved and vicious Serial Rapist, is fat and ugly. Ilya later gives his face to the dragon defeated by St. George.
- Anastasia is incredibly beautiful and also very kind-hearted. Ilya uses her as an inspiration and partly the model for his icon of the Virgin Mary.
- Ilya strives to give his icons as much beauty as possible.
- First Love: Ilya first falls in love with Lucesca, a quiet, petite Italian girl, but doesn't dare to confess anything to her, only making a sketch of her.
- Heel–Face Revolving Door: Sergey tries to rein himself in twice (after the end of his affair with Zoyka and later after marrying Anastasia). The first time, it lasts for a couple of weeks, the second, for a couple of years, but both times, he ends up reverting to his womanizing ways.
- In the Blood: Sergey, like his father, is extremely lustful (though in his case, he is implied to be at least somewhat more concerned about consent).
- Interclass Romance: Ilya, a peasant, falls deeply in love with Anastasia, his landlord's wife. There are some hints she reciprocates, but when he does show his feelings, she firmly rejects him.
- Look on My Works, Ye Mighty, and Despair: For all the work Sergey puts into renewing and redesigning his villa and the surrounding gardens, only a few decades laternote it has all fallen into complete disrepair and looks pathetic.
- Love at First Sight: Ilya is smitten with Anastasia from the moment he sees her close.
- No Name Given: The old landlord is only called "the landlord" or "Stud", the Embarrassing Nickname the villagers gave him. Via his son's Patronymic, it can be deciphered his name is Dmitry, but he's never called that by either the narration or the characters.
- Pet the Dog: Sergey isn't the boss (or husband) of the year, but he has his moments of genuine kindness.
- When he takes over after his father's death, he decides to teach the peasants to read and write (it's a partial success, since he hires two vastly different teachers for the task).
- When he sees Ilya's talent for painting, he sends him to study in Europe with the finest artists out there.
- He gives Ilya his freedom from serfdom, but Ilya asks to stay in Lyapunovka for a while longer (it's autumn, and he's sick); Sergey tells him he can stay for however long he wishes.
- Even though he quickly grows bored with monogamy and starts cheating on his wife, he still retains a fondness for her; when she asks for an icon of her patron saint and later for her own portrait, Sergey asks Ilya to do the job and makes sure to remind him to do his best.
- Stranger in a Familiar Land: Ilya has the misfortune of being both Fish out of Water and this trope. In Europe, he misses his homeland, and after coming back, he misses the joy of Italy.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Everyone calls Anastasia (who dies at twenty-one) a saint. Even during the 1905 revolution, when the cemetery of Lyapunovka is ransacked, her grave is left untouched.
- What Beautiful Eyes!: Ilya often waxes lyrical on Anastasia's lovely, bright blue eyes.
