The Twelve Feasts - Russian Icon of the 18th Century

Russian iconographer Moscow School, second half of the 18th century The twelve feasts of the Byzantine liturgical year Egg tempera on panel, 54×45 cm. The icon belongs to the type of the Dodekaortons, a cycle of the twelve major feasts of the Orthodox liturgical calendar, here arranged according to a compositional scheme of squares around a central scene of oval format. In the center stands a large Resurrection-Descent to the Underworld (Anastasis), in which Christ, radiating golden light, snatches Adam and Eve from the realm of the dead surrounded by angels and patriarchs: the scene serves as the theological axis of the entire panel, since the Resurrection is the foundation to which all other feasts refer. The twelve perimeter compartments house, reading by horizontal rows from top to bottom: the Nativity of the Virgin, the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, the Annunciation, the Nativity of Christ; the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Hypapanthe), the Baptism (Theophany), the Transfiguration, the Entrance into Jerusalem; the Dormition of the Virgin (Koimesis), Pentecost, the Ascension, and the Exaltation of the Cross. The inscriptions in ecclesiastical Russian accompanying each panel confirm that it belongs to the Moscow tradition of the second half of the 18th century, characterized by a lively palette - lacquer reds, bright golds, warm complexions - and a minute, narrative drawing derived from the Stroganov workshops. The gold foil background, the red and green borders, and the quality of the pictorial draftsmanship indicate good execution, intended for private devotion or the home church of a wealthy family.