Beschreibung:

POST MEDIEVAL RUSSIAN ICON OF ST NICHOLAS 19th century AD A rectangular wooden icon with tempera painted scene of St. Nicholas (Николай), nimbate, facing with book in his left hand, calligraphic Cyrillic legend above two flanking miniature roundels with Mary Theotokos (Богоро́дица) and Christ (Христос); slots to the reverse with wooden mounting blocks. 862 grams, 31.5 x 26cm (12 1/2 x 10 1/4"). Fine condition, edges abraded. Provenance From the Alexandra collection, Somerset, UK; previously acquired by a Russian art collector from Sotheby's Amsterdam in 2004; formerly acquired between 1970 and 1972 by one of the largest industrialists from East Germany, who made his fortune in selling cement to Russia, and was subsequently part paid in icons and other important works of art by the Russian government. Footnotes Although Saint Nicolas is one of the most popular saints in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, there is scarcely anything historically certain about him except that he was a bishop of Myra in the fourth century. He is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, children or brewers in various cities and countries around Europe. There are many stories about him helping the poor and performing miracles, which were most likely built upon his reputation as a generous man. Saint Nicholas is a popular subject portrayed on countless Eastern Orthodox icons, particularly Russian ones. He is depicted as an Orthodox bishop, wearing the omophorion and holding a Gospel Book. Sometimes he is depicted wearing the Eastern Orthodox mitre, sometimes he is bareheaded. Iconographically, Nicholas is depicted as an elderly man with a short, full white beard and balding head. In commemoration of the miracle attributed to him by tradition at the Ecumenical Council of Nicea, he is sometimes depicted with Christ over his left shoulder holding out a Gospel Book to him and the Theotokos over his right shoulder holding the omophorion.