#russianiconcollection

Kazan was once home to a distinct school of iconography, which brought up many talented icon painters. The featured work is a fantastic example of the style typical for the iconographers belonging to the Kazan school. Distinctive dark tones imbue Saint Nicholas icon with solemn seriousness and profound privacy. Unfortunately, the master’s name was long lost to time. The piece is now held in the collection of the Petko Zadgorski Art Gallery of Burgas in Bulgaria.

The antique icon of the Resurrection that you can see in the featured image is a good example of the influence of Western European art on Russian iconography. The icon itself was painted by an anonymous master from the Russian North (Vologda region) in the 18th century, while its silver oklad was made much later in St. Petersburg in the 19th century. The work is considered a wonderful example of the late Baroque style of Eastern Orthodox iconography. Learn more about it on our blog.

According to the Orthodox Christian faith, every Christian has a guardian angel whose job is to protect a person spiritually and help them gain in knowledge. The best thing is that it is not necessary to know the name of your spiritual guide. There are “thousands upon thousands” angels, and we know only a small number of them. The featured 19th-century icon shows a general image of an angel, which everyone can use to pray with for guidance, help, and protection.

https://russianicon.com/st-basil-icon-features-and-history/

The multi-national auction house Heritage Auctions will sell a series of antique Russian icons at its upcoming auction on December 9. The authentic pieces come from the collection of the American actor Eugene Iglesias and include images of Christ the Pantocrator, St. Nicholas, and Madonna and Child, among others. You can take a look at some of the highlights and learn more about the upcoming auction on our blog. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions

Did you know that Archangel Michael is the only angel mentioned by name in all three religions simultaneously? You can find him in Judaism (Torah), Islam (Qu’ran), and Christianity (Bible). Even though there are some formal differences between the various versions of the sacred figure, Michael is generally associated with a particularly strong spiritual entity whose aim is to protect people, provide nourishment for bodies and souls, and advocate for Jews. The featured image shows the Russian icon of Archangel Michael painted by an anonymous artist in the 19th century.

The hand-painted icon of the Iconostasis is a treasured piece of antique religious art, replicating the real iconostasis of the Moscow Kremlin’s Dormition Cathedral. Unlike early forms of this icon type, which consisted of only 3-4 tiers and were much lower, the given piece is comparably tall and includes six tiers. Each row features different historical events, prophecies, saints, Great Feasts, symbolic objects, and more. Russian Icon Collection is excited to own such an exceptional icon in our collection. Get to know more about it in our latest blog post.

The featured antique icon of the Resurrection represents the Baroque style in Russian iconography. The shapes of heavily built figures, expressive colors, and natural motifs on a silver oklad are some of the visible traits of the movement. The icon was painted in Central Russia in the middle of the 18th century when Baroque started falling behind under the pressure of the Classical era. In some sense, this invaluable part of our collection is the remnant of the past glory. Find out more about its composition and the secrets of its oklad in our latest blog post.