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"The Twelve Great Feasts and the Descent into Hell"

Antique Russian icon - Palekh School late 19th Century

Antique Russian icon 
"The Twelve Great Feasts and the Descent into Hell"

Palekh School
Late 19th Century
Egg tempera on wood, gold ground

Dimensions (cm): 53 x 43

This splendid, large Russian icon is an excellent example of the most typical production of the Palekh school, a small town northeast of Moscow that became famous for the miniaturization skills of its iconographers. The magnificent colors, warm luminosity, and exceptional precision in the depiction of detail are the characteristics that made this important artistic center specializing in icon production famous.

In addition to its considerable size, the work is striking for the number of figures that fill it, depicted with an incredible wealth of detail.

The panels that form the framework of this "Twelve Great Feasts" of the Orthodox liturgical calendar are composed in the traditional manner that depicts one of the most representative subjects of Russian iconography.

The central panel depicting the scene of Christ's descent into Hell is surrounded by twelve images that follow one another in a precise and predetermined sequence, each representing a complete and well-defined scene in the following order:

- The Birth of the Virgin
- The Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple
- The Annunciation with the Archangel Gabriel
- The Birth of Christ
- The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
- The Baptism of Jesus
- The Entry into Jerusalem, or Palm Sunday
- The Transfiguration on Mount Tabor with the Prophets Elijah and Moses and the Apostles Peter, James, and John
- The Ascension of Christ
- The Three Archangels, or the Trinity of the Old Testament
- The Veneration of the Cross
- The Dormition of the Virgin, with Christ descending to collect the soul of the Child Mary
- Finally, the central panel depicts Christ's descent into Hell.
The panel was made of cedar wood, a very hard wood that is resistant to parasites, as was the case with the Used for icons intended for the most important places of worship.

The icon is in excellent condition, unrestored or repainted.


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