Lot number 1866 - Auction 156
SEHR SELTENE UND FEINE IKONE MIT DER AUSTRAGUNG DES HEILIGEN KREUZES

A VERY FINE AND RARE ICON SHOWING THE PROCESSION OF THE HOLY CROSS Russian, Palekh, late 18th century Tempera on wood panel with kovcheg. The background made of gold. Depicted meticulously, with decorative details, with an abundance of colours and gold highlights. Minor areas of retouching to the borders. 39.7 x 34.1 cm. This icon depicts a rarely represented subject in Orthodox iconography: the solemn procession of the relic of the True Cross in Constantinople. Each year on the eve of August 1, the venerated relic was carried from the imperial chapel to Hagia Sophia and subsequently through the streets of the city in order to bless its quarters and ward off disease. At the center of the composition stands a cross-shaped fountain above which an angel hovers, blessing the water. From here the healing water flows downward and divides into two streams. Numerous figures-sick people, pilgrims, and supplicants-approach the water in hope of healing. The image thus combines a liturgical event with the theme of miraculous healing. The icon is characterized by its lively arrangement of figures and the detailed depiction of architecture and landscape. Its warm palette and narrative richness are typical of Russian icons of the late eighteenth century, which combine traditional Byzantine models with a more expressive and popular pictorial language.