Russian school, XVIII-XIX centuries. "Portable Iconostasis of five levels". Tempera, gold leaf on board.

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By Setdart Auction House

Nov 3, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-11-03 08:00:00 2021-11-03 08:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : OLD MASTERS https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters-7786
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• Lot Description
  Russian school, XVIII-XIX centuries. "Portable Iconostasis of five levels". Tempera, gold leaf on board. Measurements: 43 x 120 cm. 51 x 128 cm (frame). Iconostasis as a religious object is one of the most important phenomena of Russian medieval culture. The iconostasis of the XV-XVI century can be divided into four types according to the number of levels, or rows it has, from two to five levels. Also reaching its full development by the 16th century with five rows. There are iconostases both for public use, in churches, and for domestic use, as is the case of the present lot. In their structure they are practically the same as the ecclesiastical iconostases, undergoing slight changes that are linked, above all, to the convenience of use. The reading of any iconostasis starts from the bottom up. The lower level is called local. In the case of the lot of interest, it is imitating the structure of an ecclesiastical iconostasis, since it has a door, called "sacred", central. It lacks any functional use, but serves to respect the structure. It is decorated with six miniatures, of annunciation, and below this scene appear the miniatures of the four evangelists. On both sides of the door rest the representations of the Virgin and St. John the Baptist, archangels Michael and Gabriel, and other local saints. Unlike the fixed iconostasis, this one lacks the south and north doors, located at both ends of the iconostasis. The second row is called "the festive level". In it are located the important celebrations of the Gospel. It usually contains the images of the Crucifixion, Resurrection, Descent into Hell, The Passion of Christ, The Last Supper. In the case of this image, scenes of Marian themes can be appreciated. In the fourth row rests the level of Deésis. It is the most important level of the whole iconostasis from which its construction really begins. Deésis from the Greek means prayer. In the center of this level is always Jesus Christ, different versions are admitted. In the case of the iconostasis that concerns us, the author opts for an unusual composition. In the central register of the iconostasis, just above the fictitious door appears a triple representation of the Christ in the form of the Last Supper, and above this miniature, there is the Crucifixion and the miniature of the Deesis in a single image, unlike the traditional structure, when the Virgin, Jesus Christ and St. John the Baptist, the three protagonists of the scene, are represented in individual icons, in the form of a triptych. On the two sides of the third and fourth levels are miniatures of various saints, apostles and prophets. The iconostasis culminates with the fifth level that belongs to the antediluvian Patriarchs. They are the characters of the Old Testament, the ancestors of Christ, including the first humans, Adam, Eve and Abel. This iconostasis is a religious work of very high level, both at the compositional and chromatic level, as well as at the iconographic level.
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