Antique Russian icon Mother of God Akhtyrskaya, mid-19th century, 31.6 x 26 cm
Antique Russian icon depicting the Akhtyrskaya icon of the Mother of God, originating from southern Russia and datable to the mid‑19th century. The panel measures 31.6 x 26 cm and is executed in egg tempera on wood prepared with levkas. The prototype of this iconography is linked to the Ukrainian town of Akhtyrka (present‑day Kharkiv region) and to a reported miraculous apparition in 1739. According to the devotional account, the priest Vasily observed an image of the Mother of God shining with ...
Info and features
Antique Russian icon depicting the Akhtyrskaya icon of the Mother of God, originating from southern Russia and datable to the mid‑19th century. The panel measures 31.6 x 26 cm and is executed in egg tempera on wood prepared with levkas. The prototype of this iconography is linked to the Ukrainian town of Akhtyrka (present‑day Kharkiv region) and to a reported miraculous apparition in 1739. According to the devotional account, the priest Vasily observed an image of the Mother of God shining with an unusual light while he was working in his garden; from that event the veneration of Our Lady of Akhtyrka developed. The Mother of God Akhtyrskaya is presented in close relation to the Passion of Christ. Mary appears gathered in prayerful contemplation before the Crucifix, an arrangement that also shows evident influences from Western imagery of the Mater Dolorosa. The composition emphasizes maternal sorrow before the sacrifice of the Son: the Crucifix and any accompanying instruments of the Passion underline the bond between the Virgin and the mystery of Christ’s suffering, rendering the image particularly intense from a devotional point of view. Developed from the 18th century, this iconography represents a noteworthy encounter between the Russian Orthodox pictorial tradition and certain Western figurative models, while preserving the symbolic structure characteristic of Eastern sacred art. The religious icon is delivered with an expert's appraisal and a velvet presentation case, which complete its documentation and presentation.
Provenance: Southern Russia.
Period: mid‑19th century.
Technique: egg tempera on wood prepared with levkas.
Materials: wood, levkas.
Dimensions: 31.6 x 26 cm.
Subject: Mother of God Akhtyrskaya.
Accompaniment: expert's appraisal and velvet presentation case.