- Museum number
- 1926,1115.1
- Title
- Object: The Resurrection/Descent into Hell (Anastasis or ‘Voskresenie Christovo’) surrounded by 16 Festival Scenes
- Description
-
Icon; painted; the central scene is a two-part composition which combines the Resurrection and the Anastasis. In the upper half Christ in a green mandorla stands on a tomb and extends his right hand to four angels at left who destroy the Gates of Limbo; above this: the Incredulity of Thomas, the Women at the Tomb and St Peter praying; in the upper right corner, Abraham and Enoch meet the Wise Robber in the Garden of Eden. In the lower half Christ is again depicted in a green mandorla, but this time standing on the Gates of Hell and extending his arm to Adam. On either side of him is the Procession of the Elect who are led to heaven by the Archangel Michael; by the doors of Heaven stands the Wise Robber. In the lower right corner is the Calling of the First Two Apostles. Around are arranged the following 16 scenes, clockwise from top left:
1. The Birth of the Virgin.
2. The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple.
3. The Old Testament Trinity (the angels at Mamre).
4. The Annunciation to the Virgin.
5. The Nativity of Christ.
6. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple.
7. The Baptism of Christ.
8. The Entry into Jerusalem.
9. The Transfiguration of Christ.
10. The Ascension of Christ.
11. The Dormition of the Virgin (Koimesis).
12. The Raising of Lazarus.
13. The Beheading of St John the Baptist.
14. The Crucifixion.
15. The Fiery Ascent of the Prophet Elijah.
16. The Raising of the Cross.
In the corners of the icon are the four Evangelists: John with his disciple Prochoros (upper left), Luke (upper right), Mark (lower left) and Matthew (lower right).
Inscriptions: in Church Slavonic by each scene reading clockwise from top left:
1. РОЖДЕСТВО ПРЕСВЯТЫЕ БОГОРОДИЦЫ (Birth of Holy Mother of God).
2. ВВЕДЕНИЕ ПРЕСВЯТВІЕ БОГОРОДИЦЫ (Presentation of Holy Mother of God).
3. СВЯТАЯ ТРОИЦА (Holy Trinity).
4. БЛАГОВЩЕНИЕ ПРЕСВЯТОЙ БОГОРОДИЦЕ (Annunciation to Holy Mother of God).
5. РОЖДЕСТВО ХРИСТОВО (Nativity of Christ).
6.БОГОЯВЛЕНИЕ ГОСПОДНЕ (Baptism of Our Lord).
7. ПРЕОБРАЖЕНИЕ ГОСПОДНЕ (Transfiguration of Our Lord).
8. УСПЕНИЕ ПРЕСВЯТОЙ БОГОРОДИЦЫ (Dormition of Holy Mother of God).
9. ВОЗДВИЖЕНИЕ КРЕСТА ГОСПОДНЯ (Resurrection on the Cross of Our Lord).
10. ОГНЕННОЕ ВОСXOЖДЕНИЕ СВЯТОГО ПРОРОКА ИЛИИ (Fiery Ascension of Holy Prophet Elijah).
11. РАСПЯТИЕ ГОСПОДНЕ (Crucifixion of Our Lord).
12. УСЕКНОВЕНИЕ ГЛАВЫ ИОАННА ПРЕДТЕУИ (Beheading of John the Forerunner).
13. ЛАЗАРЕВО ВОСКРЕСЕНИЕ (Raising of Lazarus).
14. ВОСКРЕСЕНИЕ ГОСПОДНЕ (Ascension of Our Lord).
15. ИХОД В ИЕРУСАЛИМ (Entry into Jerusalem).
16. СРЕТЕНИЕ ГОСПОДНЕ (Presentation of Our Lord).
Egg tempera, gesso on wood.
- Production date
- 18thC(late)-19thC(early)
- Dimensions
-
Length: 364 millimetres
-
Weight: 1707 grammes
-
Width: 292 millimetres
-
Depth: 30 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- The Gospels do not describe Christ’s Resurrection from the tomb and it was therefore not employed in medieval Orthodox iconography, the Anastasis (Descent into Hell) being substituted instead. By the 16th and 17th century, however, under Western influence, the Resurrection came to be employed in Russian Orthodox iconography. Usually Russian icons of this period combine both the Resurrection and the Descent into Hell. Similar compositions to the Museum’s icon become common in Russian icon painting in the 17th to 19th centuries. The surrounding scenes could include the Twelve Great Feasts, some of the feasts from the Mariological cycle, or other compositions such as the Fiery Ascent of Elijah. For other icons with the Anastasis see cat. nos 9, 30, 32 and 67.
Published:
Cormack 2007, 113, no. 4
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2015 15 Sep-10 Jan, USA, Norfolk, Chrysler Museum of Art, Byzantium to Russia: The origins and development of Russian icons 1200 to 1900.
2015 30 Apr- 22 Aug, USA, Clinton, Museum of Russian Icons, Byzantium to Russia: The origins and development of Russian Icons 1200 to 1900.
- Condition
- Made from a single panel with ‘kovcheg’; one inserted batten on the reverse; areas of missing gesso along the edges.
- Associated events
-
Associated Event: Old Testament Trinity
-
Associated Event: Ascension of Elijah
- Acquisition date
- 1926
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1926,1115.1
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: IC 4 (Icon Collection number)