Large Old Orthodox Icon – Saint Nicholas Of Myra Blessing – Tempera On Wood – Icon

Dating: Late 17th - early 18th century (Circa 1690–1740) Origin: Central Russia or Balkan Orthodox area Provenance: Private collection, Auvergne – Haute-Loire A central figure of Orthodox piety – Saint Nicholas between blessing and intercession Painted on a wooden monoxyl board, this ancient icon of Saint Nicholas belongs to an Orthodox pictorial tradition firmly rooted in the popular liturgical customs of the Slavic world. The saint is depicted in his canonical posture: dressed in the omophorion (liturgical stole marked with black crosses), holding the open Gospel in his left hand and blessing with his right hand, according to the classic gesture forming the letters of the name of Christ (IC XC). The face, treated with great austerity, presents elongated and sunken eyes, a forehead highlighted with white highlights, a tight beard and drooping lips, in an expressiveness tending towards meditation. These elements refer to a stylistic tradition that is still archaic, preserving Byzantine canons prior to the Western influences of the late 18th century. The Slavonic text painted in the book is part of the liturgical tradition of Russian or Balkan Orthodoxy. It is difficult to read but seems to correspond to a formula taken from the Gospels; we can still distinguish a few letters such as “Господь” (Gospod, “The Lord”), possibly from Saint Luke or Saint John, frequently used in representations of Saint Nicholas. The bright red-orange background, the absence of a molded frame, the unscalloped board, as well as the deep wear of the gesso and the dark patina of the wood, allow us to situate this piece between the end of the 17th century and the first third of the 18th, in a rural or monastic context, far from the great centralized iconographic schools. Description • Detail: Slavonic writing partially legible • Condition: Beautiful original condition, many old wears, visible gaps, without modern restoration Dimensions • Height: 67.5 cm • Width: 44 cm ALL DELIVERIES ARE MADE BY DHL EXPRESS ONLY.