Russian school, XVIII century.
"Resurrection of Christ".
Tempera, gold on panel.
Measurements: 35 x 30 cm.
The icon that occupies us, in spite of its relatively simple composition, with six scenes in its superior part that include the theme of the Passion of Christ and the Resurrection; a central space dedicated to the deesis and its inferior half dedicated to the representation of the Evangelists, is very attractive by the symbolism of the symbolic details that accompanies each one of the miniatures. Each of the upper cells represents, with marked detail, scenes from the life of Christ. The washing of the feet, the Crucifixion, the appearance of the angel to the Virgin or the Ascension of Christ to heaven are some of the images that the anonymous artist immortalizes on the panel. The main scene, which covers the entire lower half and part of the central register, represents, on the one hand, the "Spas" or Pantocrator, the Savior, a scene that can be seen in every Orthodox temple. It shows Christ blessing with his right hand and holding with his left the Gospel, which can be closed or open, as here. At his sides, the Virgin and St. John the Baptist, an iconography that, as a whole, is called Deésis. The lower half is destined to the representation of the most important Saints, with St. Peter and St. Paul. The visual characteristics of the icon help to deduce its chronological period, dating it to the 18th century. The gold leaf background, the stylized drawing that outlines each figure, the intense chromaticism and the special attention to detail of the characters are elements that remain faithful to the tradition of Orthodox icons.