Icon - Large triptych (Skladen) depicting Saint Nicholas and scenes from his life. - Wood

Large triptych (skladen) with representations of Saint Nicholas and scenes from his life. Russia, late 19th century – early 20th century

Material/Technique: Tempera on wooden panels, gold ground, original metal hinges.

Condition: Signs of age and use, old restorations as well as isolated losses (mainly along the outer edges, corners and at the wing joints), which do not affect readability and the deep spiritual expressiveness of the Gesamtkunstwerk.

Dimensions (open): 71 x 43 cm.

The central panel shows a solemn and majestic bust portrait of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Svjatoy Nikolay Chudotvorets) before a radiant gold ground symbolizing divine light and eternity. The Saint, depicted with the piercing gaze and finely worked beard characteristic of the fine Russian late tsarist style, raises the right hand in a blessing gesture and holds an opened Gospel in the left hand. He wears the episcopal omophorion, adorned with contrasting geometric crosses. The representation is flanked by two nimbus medallions: on the left Christ hands him the holy book, on the right the Theotokos presents the pallium (a stole), sealing his rightful dignity as Bishop of Myra. The lower cartouche bears the name inscription in Church Slavonic script.

Side wings (Hagiography / Vita scenes):

The two fold-out side wings are divided into two registers each and illustrate in fine graphical execution the traditional key scenes from the Saint’s Vita:

* Left wing: The upper and lower fields show his early calling, his theological instruction, and his solemn priestly ordination.

* Right wing: The upper register shows Nicholas receiving ecclesiastical honors. The lower register portrays one of his most famous miracles – the Miracle of the Stratelates (the rescue of the three innocently condemned to death), in which the Saint intervenes at the last moment and stops the executioner’s sword.

Each scene is overarched by a precisely black‑ink calligraphed, Church Slavonic explanation.

This type of folding wooden triptychs is traditionally called a skladen in Russia and served as both private devotional altar and the central heart of the home icon corner (the so-called “Beautiful Corner”). Works of this monumental scale (over 70 cm wide when opened) are exceedingly rare on the art market, as most surviving skladens are smaller travel or military icons. The detail richness of the architectural elements in the Vita scenes and the masterful execution of the inscriptions testify to the high level of Russian workshops of the late 19th century, which rigorously continued the Orthodox Byzantine canons.