Ikone - The life of the Prophet Elijah in the desert - Holz

This large-format 19th-century Russian icon focuses entirely on the Prophet Elijah as a desert hermit, set within a dramatic and spiritual wilderness. Rejecting separate side borders, the composition seamlessly incorporates key moments of his journey within the main landscape, centering on the solitary prophet sitting introspectively inside a dark cave. On the upper left, a narrative scene depicts Elijah asleep as an angel appears before him. This specific imagery illustrates the biblical account from the First Book of Kings, where a terrified and exhausted Elijah flees into the desert from Queen Jezebel and asks to die; the angel touches him and provides miraculous bread and water, granting him the supernatural strength to journey for forty days to Mount Horeb. The upper register of the icon features the spectacular fiery ascension, where Elijah is swept directly into heaven in a blazing red chariot drawn by spirited horses of flame, dropping his cloak down to his disciple Elisha to pass on his prophetic authority.

Tempera on wooden panel (hardwood, probably lime wood). Halos with traces of gold. Signs of wear, restored. Sponkis still present on the back.

Dimensions ca.: 52 x 41 x 3 cm.