Icon - Prophet Samuel (73 cm) - Wood

Icon of the Prophet Samuel

Russia, 19th century

Provenance: European private collection

Region: Russia (traditional workshop, Moscow area)

Period: 19th century (ca. 1850–1880)

Material: Egg tempera and oil on a wooden panel with two shponki.

Style: Russian Orthodox, prophetic iconography

Description

Important 19th-century Russian icon depicting Prophet Samuel (Пророкъ Самуи́лъ), a significant Old Testament figure in Orthodox tradition. The prophet is shown full-length, slightly frontal, holding a scroll with a hagiographic quote, characteristic of his role as a divine messenger.

The work is executed in egg tempera reinforced with oil, a technique commonly used in Russian workshops of the mid-19th century. The background features an orange ochre tone, typical of the Moscow chromatic repertoire of the period, while the prophet's tunic, richly worked in reddish and terracotta tones, displays fine highlights and delicate shading.

The inscriptions in Church Slavonic stand out.

Prok ('Profeta')

Samuel


The presence of these abbreviations and archaic forms confirms the Russian attribution. The dark contours, the golden halo in tempera, and the linear drawing of the beard and cloak highlight an aesthetic linked to the post-Byzantine tradition adapted to 19th-century Russian taste.

Condition of preservation

Visual losses in edges and upper zones.

Stable antique craquelure and a homogeneous patina.

Pictorial film worn in central areas, without significant lifting.

Solid original table made of three vertical planks with two rear shponki, without significant structural deformations.

Natural wear consistent with an icon from the mid-19th century.

Remarks

Large format icon (72.5 × 47.5 × 2.3 cm), typical of domestic chapels or secondary iconostases. The full-body prophet iconography is less common and highly valued among specialized collectors. Its size, technique, and original Cyrillic inscription make it a representative piece of 19th-century Russian sacred painting.

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