18th-century Russian Icon – Christ In Majesty, The Virgin Mary, And Saint John The Baptist – Deesis

Icon of Christ, Lord of the Universe, Flanked by the Virgin Mary and Saint John - Russia, late 18th century

A beautiful Russian icon painted in tempera on a wooden panel, depicting Christ in Majesty, Lord of the Universe, enthroned and blessing with his right hand.

Description

Christ, richly clothed and wearing a crown adorned with gemstones, holds in his left hand an open Gospel book bearing inscriptions in Slavonic script. His radiant halo is accompanied by the sacred abbreviations IC XC, standing for Ièsous Christos (Jesus Christ).

He is flanked by two intercessors: the Virgin Mary, to his right, and Saint John the Baptist, to his left, recognizable by his clothing and the scroll he holds. This association of Christ with the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist follows the iconographic tradition of the Deesis, here rendered in a particularly solemn form depicting Christ enthroned and crowned.

The composition is distinguished by the decorative richness of Christ’s garments, rendered in a vivid palette of red, green, and gold, as well as by the highly ornamental nature of the throne and the crown.

Tempera on wood.
Dimensions: 23.5 × 18.5 cm.

Condition:

Signs of wear, craquelure, minor flaking, and loss of paint, particularly visible at the edges, consistent with the work’s age. The antique panel also shows signs of wear on the reverse. See detailed photographs.

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