Large Russian Icon "pokrov" - Tempera On Panel With Gold Ground - Late 19th Century

"Pokrov"
(The Protection of the Mother of God)
Tempera on panel with gold ground
Russia, late 19th century

Dimensions: 46 x 57 cm
Excellent condition

Large Russian icon depicting "Pokrov," or "The Protection of the Virgin," one of the most interesting and fascinating iconographic compositions due to the complexity of the scene and the number of figures depicted.
The large size of the panel allows for a spectacular arrangement of all the figures within the architectural setting.
The earliest icons depicting the “Protection of the Mother of God” date back to the mid-12th century. According to Russian tradition, during the Saracen siege of the Byzantine capital, while St. Andrew “the Fool for Christ” was praying in the Church of Blachernae, the Virgin appeared surrounded by a procession of saints. When the procession reached the dome of the church, St. Andrew turned to his disciple Epiphanius and pointed out the miraculous apparition to him. The Virgin spread a protective veil with her hands and covered all the people gathered in the church.
The icon depicts this extraordinary event as follows: Inside the “Blacherne” sanctuary in Constantinople, the Virgin is suspended on a sky-blue cloud within a radiant golden halo, wrapped in her red “maphorion” mantle. At her sides, two groups of saints face her as she holds the white veil aloft in her outstretched arms to protect the congregation. Above the Virgin are the two Archangels, and at the very top is Christ Pantocrator in a blessing pose. To her left are the four Evangelists, and to her right, the first in the row is Saint John the Baptist. In the lower register, the half-naked figure of Saint Andrew the Fool stands out, pointing out to his disciple the apparition of the Virgin as she spreads her luminous veil to protect humanity.  Next to Andrew the Fool is depicted the story of one of the greatest composers of Byzantine sacred hymns: Saint Romanos the Melodist. Tradition holds that he had an unmelodious voice until the Virgin appeared to him and bestowed upon him the gift of song; in fact, in the lower right corner, the Virgin appears at Romanos’s bedside, commanding him to swallow a miraculous musical scroll; Upon carrying out the command, the deacon received the gift of a melodious voice and genius in composition, which he would use throughout his life to praise the Virgin.
There he is at the center of the icon, standing on a platform, depicted in a magnificent, richly decorated pink deacon’s robe: he is singing his famous Christmas carol, written on the scroll he holds in his hand; listening to him in admiration on two platforms are Patriarch Macarius, giving his blessing, alongside Emperor Leo and Empress Zoe, both crowned and sumptuously dressed.

The work features particularly vivid coloring, with the figures standing out sharply against the golden background.

Despite its exceptional size, it is in excellent condition. A vertical crack has been stabilized by inserting two metal struts into the back of the panel.

Price negotiable - Customized payment options

We issue a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing the work’s period, provenance, and all its characteristics, drawn up by an antiquarian affiliated with FIMA (Italian Federation of Art Dealers).

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Shipping is tracked and insured, and the item is shipped in carefully packed, shock-resistant packaging inside a custom-made wooden crate.