Lot 69A
Eastern Europe, Russia, ca. 1800 CE. A very large icon delineated in egg tempera, gold leaf, varnish, and gesso on wood presenting a complex depiction of the Harrowing of Hell - showing at the bottom center Christ holding the Cross, resurrected and breaking down the doors of hell, holding Adam's hand with Eve kneeling in her tomb (Adam and Eve being the first progenitors), several other women kneeling before him, crowned kings (David and Solomon) and prophets from the Old Testament; to the risen Christ's left we see Jesus who has broken into the prison of Hades (weapon in his hand) and is letting the prisoners out. At the lower left corner is a monster with an open mouth representing the Jaws of Hell/Hades. See more on iconography below. A very special icon commemorating the Harrowing of Hades which is annually celebrated on Holy and Great Saturday. Size: 42.25" L x 35.25" W (107.3 cm x 89.5 cm)
Continuing our description of the very extensive iconographical program: The main central image shows a more European interpretation of the Resurrection of Christ later adopted into Russian iconography with Jesus standing above his empty tomb. To the right is a related scene showing Peter in Christs tomb, examining the empty linen wrappings. At the lower right corner is a post-Resurrection scene of Jesus appearing to the disciples who had been fishing on the Sea of Tiberias, in accordance with the Gospel of John. At the head of the line going to Paradise above is a Repentant Thief Rakh, holding a cross which will guarantee him admission should he be questioned, since Jesus himself had promised him, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise. Additional scenes from the life of Christ, including the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, are depicted above, and at the top center is God the Father dressed in white, the Son below surrounded by angels, with a white dove symbolizing the Holy Ghost below him. The four Evangelists are depicted in roundels adorning the border above.
In the Orthodox tradition, the precise moment when Christ emerges from the sepulchre is not depicted; rather, he is shown already resurrected, ripping the doors of hell from their hinges. John of Damascus offers the following textual context, "His flesh was as bait thrown into the arms of death, so that the dragon of hell, hoping to devour it, would instead vomit up those he had already devoured."
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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#124422
- Condition: Icon shows surface wear and losses to pigment and gilding commensurate with age; vertical fissures as the piece was created from several wooden boards; several old repairs. The verso shows signs of old repairs, remnants of paper and adhesive as it was probably covered with paper at one point, a few losses to wood, back slats, and wire for suspension.
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