Russian Orthodox Icon Of Saint Nicholas The Wonderworker, Circa 1900

Russian icon “Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker”, Russia, late 19th – early 20th century. Wood panel with levkas, tempera, and rich poliment gilding featuring a fully embossed floral background and halo. Saint Nicholas is depicted half-length in elaborately decorated episcopal vestments with large gilt foliate motifs, giving a blessing with his right hand and holding an open Gospel in his left, inscribed in traditional script. In the upper corners appear Christ presenting the Gospel and the Mother of God presenting the omophorion, following the traditional iconographic scheme. The face is executed in the academic manner characteristic of the late 19th century: soft modelling, delicate shading, precise highlights, and finely detailed brushwork.

The poliment gilding is of very fine quality, with dense and carefully executed repoussé ornament. The colours remain vivid, the painting is precise and stable, and the whole composition displays strong decorative impact.

Condition: good overall condition for the period. Minor wear and small losses to the gilding along the borders, fine craquelure, and slight natural darkening of the varnish. Light superficial wear in the upper section of the halo. The face and vestments of the saint are very well preserved, with no visible overpainting or retouching. The panel is structurally sound; however, **old restorations are present on the reverse of the board**, including traces of earlier ground layers and non-structural consolidation.

A finely executed and decorative icon, representative of high-quality Russian workshop production of the late 19th century..