Lot 137A
Eastern Europe, Greece, Ionian Islands or Mainland Workshop, ca. 1780 to 1820 CE. A finely painted Greek Orthodox hagiographic icon depicting Saint Nicholas of Myra enthroned, surrounded by vignettes illustrating episodes from his life and miracles. At the center, Saint Nicholas appears in episcopal vestments, his right hand raised in blessing and his left holding the Gospel. Christ and the Virgin flank him, offering the Gospel book and omophorion in reference to the saint's legendary reinstatement after the First Council of Nicaea. The saint wears a delicately worked crown composed of 91.44% silver, likely added soon after the icon's creation as an act of reverence. This embellishment, typical of Greek Orthodox devotional practice in the late 18th and 19th centuries, speaks to the icon's continued veneration in a church or private chapel setting. Size: 17.5" W x 22.5" H (44.4 cm x 57.2 cm); silver quality: 91.44%
Around the central image unfold narrative scenes of the saint's miraculous acts: the birth of Nicholas, his consecration as bishop, the dowry for the three maidens, the rescue of sailors at sea, the saving of the three innocents from execution, the liberation of prisoners, and the funeral or translation of his relics. These are rendered in small, lively compositions against tiled interiors and maritime settings, each inscribed in Greek. The palette of ochre, olive, and red-brown, combined with gilded details and incised gesso halos, reflects the warm tonality and hybrid Venetian influence of the Ionian and western Greek icon tradition.
The reverse reveals a typical post-Byzantine construction: two vertical pine planks with original cross-battens, later reinforced by butterfly keys and a central fill. The overall craftsmanship and narrative density indicate a provincial but skilled workshop, likely active in the Ionian Islands or western mainland Greece during the late 18th to early 19th century - a period when local ateliers continued Byzantine iconographic formulas infused with Western naturalism. This icon embodies the enduring devotion to Saint Nicholas - the protector of sailors, merchants, and children - and captures the deeply narrative spirit of Greek Orthodox art in the twilight of the Ottoman era.
Provenance: ex-private collection from The Estate of Francis and Marion Lederer, important Hollywood family, collected between 1930 and 1980.
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#199035
- Condition: Old repairs visible on verso with restoration and overpainting to break lines on front. Areas of old, inactive insect damage on verso. Some nicks and abrasions in areas as well as small chips to pigment and gesso, but, otherwise, very nice with clear imagery and rich patina. Suspension wire on verso for display.
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