Monumental Icon Of Saint Michael The Archangel, 16th-century Greek From An Iconostasis

Monumental icon depicting the Archangel Saint Michael.
Date: 16th century.
Provenance: Northern Greece.
Due to its large size and format, this icon originally came from the iconostasis of a Greek church, specifically from the third register of the major saints. In Byzantine churches, the iconostasis is a wall covered with icons arranged in a precise order, separating the sanctuary from the nave (the area where the clergy sat from the rest of the congregation).

Symbolically, the iconostasis is the entrance to the divine world.
It consists of several registers, which are generally more numerous depending on the size and wealth of the church.
The third register, from which this icon comes, depicts the Intercession. Christ in Glory is surrounded by Mary, Saint John, the Archangels (including Saint Michael), the apostles and bishops (including Saint Nicholas), imploring him to save humanity.

This work is executed with great finesse in a color palette dominated by red, white, and brown, lending the composition a striking artistic contrast.
The Archangel’s expression is particularly powerful, with his immense eyes and bright red lips lending him an elegance and feminine gentleness. But his strength—as the leader of the heavenly host and the great conqueror of Satan during the Apocalypse—is emphasized by the sword he holds high and firmly in his right hand.
He wears his warrior’s garb with his red wings folded.
The wooden panel (carved from hardwood) is structurally very solid and features a wide, deep red border.
The background of the icon is embellished with silver leaf, giving it an exceptional luminosity.
The saint’s name is inscribed in the upper corners of the composition.
In very good overall condition considering the age of this work. some limited areas of repainting, visible losses and cracks.
An exceptional work of museum-quality.
Dimensions:
Height: 87 cm
Width: 49 cm
Depth: 5 cm
Despite the slight difference in dimensions between the icon presented here and the very similar one of the Archangel Saint Michael shown separately on my website Paris Antiques, it is highly probable that these two icons originally formed part of the same church iconostasis. In addition to their dimensions, their styles also vary slightly, but it was not uncommon for the creation of the numerous icons forming a large iconostasis to be entrusted to different masters.