Lot 92B
Russia, ca. mid-19th century CE. An exceptionally large and beautifully composed Russian Orthodox icon painted in egg tempera and gold leaf on wood, depicting Christ making the sign of the blessing with his right hand and holding an open Gospel book in his left, donning traditional red and blue robes and a gilt halo, with a raised border or kovcheg. Black cyrillic text may be seen to Christ's left and right, in a beautiful calligraphic style that is somewhat difficult to decipher. Sometimes this type of image is referred to as the Christ as Pantokrator icon - Pantocrator being the Greek translation of the Hebrew El Shaddai which literally translates as "all powerful" and is oftentimes more generally translated as "ruler of all" or "sustainer of all." This said, strictly speaking, Pantokrator icons feature a closed book. Here, as Jesus is shown holding an open book, it is technically a Christ the Teacher icon. Nevertheless, many still refer to this type of icon as an image of Christ the Pantocrator. Notice that the hand gesture is quite exaggerated and unnatural. This is because Christ is forming the symbols for I, C, and X - the letters that spell Christ's monogram IC XC - with his right hand. The painting style demonstrates an emphasis on elegant line and a charming flatness of the figure, both indicative of a Byzantine influence on the artist. Back slats indicate that this piece dates prior to the 1880s. A fine example! Size: 21.25" L x 18.875" W (54 cm x 47.9 cm)
Provenance: Ex- Estate of M. Reiniger, Chicago, IL
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#111526
- Condition: Expected surface wear with areas of abrasion, minor losses to wood and paint loss.
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