Russian Icon Depicting The Mother Of God And Scenes From The Life Of Christ And The Saints – 19th Century

A Russian icon painted in tempera on a wooden panel, enhanced with a gold background, dating from the 19th century. At the center dominates the depiction of the Mother of God with the Child (Theotokos), in the style of the “Eleousa” (Mother of Tenderness), characterized by the delicate contact between their faces.

Surrounding the central figure is a complex narrative composition divided into several registers, featuring episodes from the life of Christ and figures of saints venerated in the Orthodox tradition. Among the scenes, the following stand out:

* the Entry into Jerusalem, with Christ riding a donkey and welcomed by the crowd;
* depictions of warrior saints on horseback, including Saint George and likely Saint Demetrius, engaged in the fight against evil;
* archangels and holy bishops, depicted frontally in rich liturgical vestments.

The inscriptions in Cyrillic identify the sacred figures and confirm the work’s Russian origin.

The panel features a beautiful antique patina, with luminous gilding and well-preserved colors, displaying warm and deep tones.