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22-Russian Icon
The Fiery Ascension of the Prophet Elijah and Related Scenes
Circa 1800
Egg tempera, gold leaf on wood panel, 12.5" x 10.5"
James and Tatiana Jackson Collection


his icon depicts the Old Testament Prophet Elijah ascending to heaven in a fiery chariot as described in 2 Kings 2:11-13. Against a gold leaf sky above, Elijah rides a fiery chariot powered by four red stallions driven by an angel of the Lord. As he departs he drops his mantle to his successor, Elisha. Like most icons of Elijah they include important events from his life. At center Elijah divides the Jordan River by striking it with his mantle. At lower left he is fed in the wilderness by an angel (I Kings 19:5-8), and at mid left he is fed by a raven by the Brook of Cherith (I Kings 17:4-6). In the upper left corner is God the Father awaiting the arrival of Elijah. On the left border is the Guardian Angel and on the right border is the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonika. Elijah was very important to the Russian peasants because he was believed to control storms and lightning. Thunder was caused by the wheels of his fiery chariot as it rolled across the cloudy skies. The exceptional quality of painting and distinctive pallet would suggest the painter of the icon was trained in Palekh. This icon also clearly illustrates the strong influence that the Stroganov School had on Palekh painters. The gold inscription along the top border identifies the subject as Ognennoe Voskhozdenie Svatuiy Iliy Proroka (The Fiery Ascension of the Holy Prophet Elijah).
 

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23 Russian Icon
Conversational
Circa 1800
Egg tempera on wood panel, 12.5" x 10.5"
James and Tatiana Jackson Collection


he “Conversational” icon depicts the appearance of Mary and Saint Nicholas to the sexton Georgiy Iurish. Soon after the appearance of the “Tikhvin” icon in 1383, the Mother of God directed Georgiy to erect a wooden cross in place of the iron cross which had been placed on the church dedicated to her at Tikhvin. On the place where Mary appeared, a chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas was erected. The chapel dedicated to Nicholas and the church dedicated to Mary were both consumed by fire. The Tikhvin icon was in the church, however, and both the icon and the cross of wood, which was made form the log on which Mary had been sitting in the vision of sexton Georgiy, were preserved intact. In this example Mary is seen on the left sitting on a tree (from which the cross would be made), Georgiy is seen upright and then prostrate, and on the right stands Saint Nicholas. In the background is the church dedicated to the Tikhvin icon. At the upper center Christ Emanuel delivers a blessing from the heavens.