Lot 67B
Eastern Europe, Russia, ca. late 18th century CE. Expertly delineated in egg tempera, gesso, gold leaf, and varnish on linen and wood, a three-bar cross depicting Christ on the Cross, above the skull and crossbones symbolizing Golgotha (the place of the skull where Adam lies), the long side arms terminating in the figures of grieving Mary (Mother of God) on the left and John on the right; the uppermost bar depicting God the Father (the Eternal Father) upon billowing clouds, a pair of winged angels of the heavenly realm, the sun (left) and moon (right). The city of Jerusalem is depicted on the lowest bar of the cross which represents the foot rest on Christ's cross. This bar is slanted, because it is believed that, in Christ's final moments, he kicked it out of place. The right side points upward to Heaven, and the left side points downward to Hell. Size: 10.375" W x 35" H (26.4 cm x 88.9 cm)
According to scholar Alfredo Tradigo, "In Orthodox churches, a cross rises up behind the altar and crowns the highest point of the iconostasis (the 'Golgotha') as a painted crucifix flanked by Mary and John." (Icons and Saints, Getty Publications, p. 137) Christ is understood to be the new Adam and the cross symbolizes the "tree of eternal life" - Christ was put on the cross "to free man from death" to quote scholar John Chrysostom (see Tradigo, p. 137). Tradigo writes, "In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, under the Golgotha chapel, is the chapel of Adam. There one can see a split in the rock, which has, since the fourth century, been considered proof of the earthquake that the Gospel said was unleashed by Christ's death. On this spot, according to medieval legend, the skull of Adam was buried with three seeds of the tree of earthly paradise in its mouth; from these seeds would sprout the cross. "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (I Corinthians 15:22)
Provenance: private Santa Fe, New Mexico USA collection
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#124424
- Condition: The second bar of the cross (a separate piece) is somewhat loose; upper and lower bars (also separate attached pieces) are secure. Surface wear with areas of gilt and paint loss as shown. Some age cracks and nicks here and there, commensurate with age.
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