Antique Russian Icon of Saint Nikita the Great Martyr, 19th century, 31x26 cm
Antique Russian icon depicting Saint Nikita the Great Martyr, from Moscow and datable to the 19th century. The religious Orthodox icon measures 31.4 x 26.8 cm and is executed in egg tempera on wood with levkas. Saint Nikita was venerated as a warrior-martyr in the Byzantine world and in Russia; according to tradition he was of Gothic origin, converted to Christianity and suffered martyrdom in 370. Between the 15th and 16th centuries an apocryphal account of his martyrdom spread in Russia, reinfo...
Info and features
Antique Russian icon depicting Saint Nikita the Great Martyr, from Moscow and datable to the 19th century. The religious Orthodox icon measures 31.4 x 26.8 cm and is executed in egg tempera on wood with levkas. Saint Nikita was venerated as a warrior-martyr in the Byzantine world and in Russia; according to tradition he was of Gothic origin, converted to Christianity and suffered martyrdom in 370. Between the 15th and 16th centuries an apocryphal account of his martyrdom spread in Russia, reinforcing his role as a protector against demonic forces and prompting his frequent depiction in a victorious stance. The central field shows Saint Nikita in armor, cloaked in a cinnabar-red mantle; in his right hand he holds the cross of martyrdom while in his left he bears a warrior's shield, attributes that unite his military and spiritual dimensions. The elongated proportions, the movement of the cloak and the richness of the garments and armor recall Byzantine iconographic models of the 14th–15th centuries, later reinterpreted by the Russian pictorial tradition. The religious icon is delivered with an expert appraisal and a velvet presentation box, which complete its documentation and presentation.
Origin: Moscow, Russia. Period: 19th century. Technique: egg tempera. Materials: wood and levkas. Measurements: 31.4 x 26.8 cm. Subject: Saint Nikita the Great Martyr. Accompaniment: expert appraisal and velvet box.