Russian school, probably Moscow or northern schools,... Lot 46

Russian school, probably Moscow or northern schools, second half of the 19th century. "The Protection of the Mother of God", or "The Virgin of Pokrov". Tempera, gold leaf on panels. Measurements: 35 x 30 cm. "The Virgin of Pokrov" is one of the iconographies typical of the Russian Orthodox Church, although it describes events that took place in Constantinople around the year 910. The story was originally taken from the biography of Andrew of Constantinople, who, together with his disciple Epiphanius, saw the Mother of God flying over the Church of St Mary of Blanquernas, covering the believers with her omophorion as a symbol of protection. On several occasions the story was modified, the last being the version of Bishop Demetrius of Rostov, composed towards the end of the 17th century, who said that among those who saw the miracle were John the Baptist, John the Apostle, Andrew of Constantinople, and King Leo the Wise. The significance of this miracle is that the Mother of God protected the city of Constantinople against the Muslim invasion. The prototype of the icon of the protection of the Mother of God, or, in Russian, Pokrov, developed around the 14th century, although it became more widespread in later centuries. There are two main types of representation of this scene. One, the older one, belongs to the Novgorod school. The other, the one in front of us, was developed in the Rostov and Suzdal school, and was finally implemented in the Moscow school. The latter typology is distinguished by the Mother of God depicted in the central register in front of the church. The omophorion, or "pokrov", with which she protects the believers, is held in her two hands, instead of being held by the two angels, as would be depicted by the Novgorod painters. In addition to the apostles, various martyrs, and Andrew of Constantinople, the lower central register, just below the Virgin, depicts a figure typical of the Rostov school, Roman the Méloda, the author of several songs dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is worth noting that on either side of the scene we see Saint Alexius of Rome, or Saint Alexius the Beggar, and the martyr Anisia of Thessaloniki. The characteristics of the auctioned lot are very peculiar, and help to determine the approximate date and even the school with great accuracy. The central figure of the Virgin is depicted with her face turned slightly to the left, whereas in the traditional version it is usually frontal. Together with the highly ornamental typography and the painted clouds, imitating archaic stylistics, it can be concluded that this is an icon painted in the workshops of the northern schools, or rather in the Muscovite workshops, both styles having many points in common. It is most likely the work of the so-called "fedoseevtsy" painters, who were Old Believers from the Russian North who settled in Moscow at the Preoobrazhenskoe Cemetery around 1771 and set up an icon-painting workshop there.