LOT 383
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Lot 383
A LARGE RUSSIAN ICON OF THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI, CIRCA 1890. In traditional Orthodox icons, the birth of Christ, as this icon is identified by the inscription along the upper border, is depicted as a rather stark scene of the Virgin and child reclined in a cave within a hillside with no hint of the Magi or Wiseman. Yet as Tarasov points out, in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the medieval canon was finally destroyedin official icon painting, Catholic and Protestant iconographies were already openly being quoted. A clear example of this is the icon of the 'Adoration of the Magi', by the Tver painter Maksim Kultepin, where we find the concept of the Nativity that developed in 'post-Tridentine' religious art. In the Middle Ages attention was focused on conveying the unity of the Holy Family, on the quiet, unnoticed arrival of Christ in the world; by contrast, as the modern age dawned, emotional tension and subtlety were transferred to the moment when Christ is first recognized by humanity; that is to say that the scene of the Nativity is merged with that of the Adoration of the Magi. In acknowledgement of this merging, the late medieval Orthodox iconography of the Nativity disappeared under the influence of Western art; the Nativity came to be shown as the Adoration of the Magi.. The borders on the offered lot are ornately incised and gilded to simulate cloisonnE enamel. A large and impressive icon. 24.5 inches x 24.5 inches (62cm x 62cm).
Estimate:
$1,500 - 2,000
€ 1,125 - 1,500
All items are sold “AS IS” and there will be no returns based on condition. The items sold are often of considerable age and will exhibit wear, usage and damage often not listed in the catalog entry. The absence of condition remarks in the catalog entry DOES NOT mean the item is in perfect condition. Prospective buyers are in ALL CASES responsible for determining the physical condition of lots. No employee or agent of Jackson's International Auctioneers and Appraisers is authorized to make on our behalf or on that of the consignor any representation or warranty, oral or written, with respect to any property. Therefore, if a prospective bidder has not examined the property to their satisfaction before the sale, or his/her agent has not inspected the property, Jackson's recommends that they not bid on the property. All dimensions are approximate. The condition of frames is not guaranteed.