Icon - Six saints - Wood

This is a Russian Orthodox icon of family saints (very typical in Russia between the 18th and 19th centuries). In this type of icons the patron saints of a family are shown, arranged in a row beneath Christ.

At the top you can see Christ blessing from the clouds (with the nimbus and cross and the letters IC XC), indicating that He protects the saints and the represented family.

Saints depicted (left to right)

The inscriptions are in ecclesiastical Cyrillic. They can be read fairly clearly:

Прп. Сергий – Saint Sergius (probably Sergius of Radonezh), a monk highly venerated in Russia.

Артемий – Saint Artemy / Artemius, a martyr or warrior-saint according to tradition.

Василий – Saint Basil (Vasili), probably Saint Basil the Great.

Мария – Saint Mary.

Наталия – Saint Natalia, a Christian martyr.

Иулиания / Ульяния – Saint Juliana (Uliana), a saint very popular in Russia.

What the icon means

Each figure normally corresponds to the baptismal name of the family members who commissioned the icon.

Technical characteristics

Technique: egg tempera on panel.

Background: gold or ochre with aged varnish.

School: popular Russian iconography.

Saint Basil in the center appears with the Gospel and episcopal vestments, which indicates his status as bishop and doctor of the Church.