One of the favorite methods of medieval icon painting – multi-rowing – is associated, to some extent, with monthly icons. He retained his importance at a later time.
In this case, an arbitrary, it would seem, connection of the depicted saints and evangelical scenes in several rows has a deep significance, its orderliness: it is most likely the memory of family holidays, name days, important dates.
Resurrection of Christ – Descent into hell flanked by the most revered in the people images of Our Lady of Kazan and St. Nicholas, bears the main semantic load. The saints and the two “scenes” in the next two series are clearly protective.
This iconographic scheme proved to be very stable in folk icon painting. Preserved icons of the XVIII-XIX centuries. testify to the connection of practical national interests with the stability of veneration of saints – protectors of peasant life.
The sketch style of the icon is close to the traditional primitives of the Russian North. Belated echoes of artistic language of the XVIII century. declare themselves in the “smiling” form of the Mother of God and bright, full of color contrasts.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)