Lot 69B
Russia, ca. 1850 CE. An unusual icon rendered in egg tempera, gold leaf, gesso, and varnish on wood depicting the martyred St. Christopher with the head of a dog on the far right; next to him is the Prophet Zachariah (father of John the Baptist); on the far left is the military saint and martyr Theodore Stratelates (i.e. the General), and next to him, another military saint/martyr holding a cross and dressed in armor, probably St. Cornelius the Centurion from the Book of Acts, wearing an unusual hat which may be a variation on a Roman helmet. Christ in the heavenly realm resides above, holding a Gospel in his left hand and giving a blessing with his right hand. Size: 17.25" W x 21" H (43.8 cm x 53.3 cm)
Adding to the magical iconography are those carefully delineated engaging visages, marvelously detailed vestments in rich jewel tones and sumptuous gold leaf (the gold leaf also embellishing the haloes, the Gospel, much of the background, and rays radiating from the figure of Christ), and that Byzantine-inspired style wherein the artist placed the figures close to the picture plane, rendered with an overall flatness (implying an ethereal quality), and exalted the sacred scene with liberal amounts of gold leaf.
The depiction of St. Christopher as a dog-headed warrior saint is one of the most astounding images of the Orthodox tradition, conjuring fantastical lore of werewolves and bestial entities - and let's not forget the Egyptian dog-headed god Anubis. Imagery of Christopher delineated with a dog's head is generally supported by the Orthodox Church. The backstory of the dog-headed Christopher originated in the reign of the Emperor Diocletian, when a man called Reprebus (also Rebrebus or Reprobus - meaning the "reprobate" or "scoundrel") was captured during combat with tribes living to the west of Egypt in Cyrenaica. He was purportedly enormous in size, possessed the head of a dog rather than a man, which was supposedly a chief characteristic of the Marmaritae (the name assigned to his tribe). The Byzantine visual rendering of St. Christopher as dog-headed was the result of a misinterpretation of the Latin term Cananeus (Canaanite), read as canineus meaning canine.
Icons (icon means "image" in Greek) are sacred objects within the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition. Found in homes as well as churches, these painted images depict holy persons and saints as well as illustrate scenes from the Scriptures. Icons are not worshiped, but are instead venerated for their ability to focus the power of an individual's prayer to God. As such they are truly "windows into heaven."
Provenance: private Santa Fe, New Mexico USA collection
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#124419
- Condition: Icon with surface wear, some losses, and fissures as shown. Verso shows age cracks, losses to corners, and missing back slats.
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