Icon - Crucifixion of Christ - Wood - four-part icon






Holds broad knowledge of religious icons with six years of collecting experience.
€240 | ||
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€220 | ||
€200 | ||
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Description from the seller
Russian four-part icon with the Crucifixion of Christ and patron saints – circa 1800
Origin: Russia
Date: Circa 1800, late 18th / early 19th century
Technique: Tempera on wooden panel
Dimensions: 35 × 29 cm
A remarkable Russian Orthodox icon with a richly detailed, multi-part composition centered on the Crucifixion of Christ. The composition is divided into four main fields depicting important saints and protective figures from the Russian Orthodox tradition.
At the center, Christ is shown on the cross, flanked by the grieving figures of the Mother of God and John the Evangelist. Above the cross appears God the Father, seated amid clouds.
The four surrounding scenes depict:
Top left: The Mother of God of Kazan (Kazanskaya Bogomater), with the Christ Child. This highly venerated Marian icon is regarded as one of the most important protective images in Russian Orthodoxy.
Top right: Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker, depicted in episcopal vestments, blessing and holding the Book of the Gospels.
Bottom left: The Archangel Michael, as the heavenly commander, seated on a fiery red winged horse. He carries a trumpet and other attributes referring to the Apocalypse and the Last Judgment.
Bottom right: Saint George the Dragon-Slayer, depicted as an armored horseman on a white horse, fighting the dragon with his lance. The scene symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.
The icon is distinguished by its bold use of color, including vermilion red, deep blue, ochre yellow, and dark earth tones. The stylized figures, characteristic facial expressions, and traditional iconography are in keeping with Russian folk icon painting.
Such composite icons were made for private devotion and domestic use. By bringing together several venerated saints and miracle-working images on a single panel, the icon served as a versatile religious protective object.
Condition and provenance: The icon shows signs of age and use, including craquelure, localized paint loss, and wear to the painted surface. On the reverse is an older German-language documentation card describing the image as a Vierbilder-Ikone (four-image icon), dated to around 1800. According to this documentation, the icon was sold on 27 November 1969 at the Lempertz auction house in Cologne, as lot 360 of the 505th auction. A restoration note dated 25 January 1975 in Recklinghausen is also present.
Seller's Story
Russian four-part icon with the Crucifixion of Christ and patron saints – circa 1800
Origin: Russia
Date: Circa 1800, late 18th / early 19th century
Technique: Tempera on wooden panel
Dimensions: 35 × 29 cm
A remarkable Russian Orthodox icon with a richly detailed, multi-part composition centered on the Crucifixion of Christ. The composition is divided into four main fields depicting important saints and protective figures from the Russian Orthodox tradition.
At the center, Christ is shown on the cross, flanked by the grieving figures of the Mother of God and John the Evangelist. Above the cross appears God the Father, seated amid clouds.
The four surrounding scenes depict:
Top left: The Mother of God of Kazan (Kazanskaya Bogomater), with the Christ Child. This highly venerated Marian icon is regarded as one of the most important protective images in Russian Orthodoxy.
Top right: Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker, depicted in episcopal vestments, blessing and holding the Book of the Gospels.
Bottom left: The Archangel Michael, as the heavenly commander, seated on a fiery red winged horse. He carries a trumpet and other attributes referring to the Apocalypse and the Last Judgment.
Bottom right: Saint George the Dragon-Slayer, depicted as an armored horseman on a white horse, fighting the dragon with his lance. The scene symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.
The icon is distinguished by its bold use of color, including vermilion red, deep blue, ochre yellow, and dark earth tones. The stylized figures, characteristic facial expressions, and traditional iconography are in keeping with Russian folk icon painting.
Such composite icons were made for private devotion and domestic use. By bringing together several venerated saints and miracle-working images on a single panel, the icon served as a versatile religious protective object.
Condition and provenance: The icon shows signs of age and use, including craquelure, localized paint loss, and wear to the painted surface. On the reverse is an older German-language documentation card describing the image as a Vierbilder-Ikone (four-image icon), dated to around 1800. According to this documentation, the icon was sold on 27 November 1969 at the Lempertz auction house in Cologne, as lot 360 of the 505th auction. A restoration note dated 25 January 1975 in Recklinghausen is also present.
