Ivan Gorbunov (XVIII-XIX) - Resurrezione di Cristo con l’Angelo al Sepolcro e le guardie

IVAN GORBUNOV

Kholuy, Vladimir Governorate
End of the 18th – early 19th century
Dimensions: 23 x 18 cm

Russia, Russian Empire – Kholuy School (Холуй), Vladimir Governorate – end of the 18th / early 19th century

“Resurrection of Christ with the Angel at the Tomb and the Guards”

Tempera on panel prepared with levkas
Documented and certified work

Historic-artistic sheet

The icon depicts the Resurrection of Christ, according to a narrative formulation of Western taste that spread into Russian icon painting between the 18th and 19th centuries.

The risen Christ dominates the upper part of the composition, suspended above the tomb, with his body partially wrapped in the shroud and a wide red mantle moved over his shoulders. In his hand he holds the cross, an attribute of victory over death.

To the left of the tomb is the seated winged Angel, while below and to the right appear the soldiers guarding the tomb, caught in the moment of upheaval caused by the miraculous event. One of the soldiers protects himself with a shield, while another is depicted lying on the ground.

The scene partially abandons the hieratic quality of ancient Byzantine tradition in favor of a more narrative and dynamic construction: movement of the figures, gestural emphasis, anatomical shortcuts, and spatial perspective evidence the assimilation of Western figurative models.

Scope and attribution

The work presents characteristics compatible with the iconographic production of Kholuy, one of the main centers of Russian iconography in the Vladimir area.

Particularly significant is the relationship with the output of the Gorbunov family, a dynasty of iconographers documented in Kholuy. Publications on the workshop recall Ivan Grigor’ev Gorbunov already in the list of Kholuy iconographers from 1752 and subsequently document several works bearing the name Ivan Gorbunov; for this reason not all works signed with that name can be automatically attributed to a single individual.

A particularly important comparison is with the Resurrection of Christ with the Twelve Great Feasts, presented by Litfund as a work by Ivan Gorbunov, Kholuy, late 18th century, bearing at the bottom right the signature “Иванъ Горбуновъ” (Ivan Gorbunov).

In the exemplar examined here there is indeed, at the bottom right, an old cursive inscription, partially damaged by abrasions, attributable to Ivan Gorbunov.

Inscriptions

Along the upper margin there are inscriptions in Cyrillic/Church-Slavic characters, now partially worn and lacunose, pertaining to the identification of the sacred scene.

Near the figure of Christ there are also recognizable abbreviations and marks typical of the Orthodox iconographic tradition.

Bottom right: a cursive inscription, apparently referring to the name of the iconographer, only partially legible in the current state.

Condition report

The work shows a conservational state heavily marked by time, yet maintaining good overall legibility of the composition.

The panel shows deformations and irregularities of the support, with particular evidence along the edges. There are cracks and fractures, some affecting both the support and the preparatory and pictorial layers.

Of particular significance is the loss in the lower left corner, where portions of the support, preparation, and paint layer are missing.

The surface shows widespread craquelure, abrasions, wear, small lifts, and numerous pinpoint and localized losses of the pictorial material. Scratches, superficial deposits, and chromatic alterations compatible with age and a long conservation history are also visible.

The upper inscriptions are partially worn and lacunose. The inscription at the bottom right is also affected by wear and losses, making definitive paleographic reading problematic.

The presence of previous conservation interventions and retouching cannot be ruled out.

*** Note on photographs

Some of the photographs accompanying this sheet were professionally produced using controlled artificial lighting, with the aid of a studio spotlight, to ensure better legibility of the work and allow a more precise observation of the painting surface, figurative details, and chromaticity.

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