#holyicons

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According to the Orthodox Christian faith, every Christian has a guardian angel whose job is to protect a person spiritually and help them gain in knowledge. The best thing is that it is not necessary to know the name of your spiritual guide. There are “thousands upon thousands” angels, and we know only a small number of them. The featured 19th-century icon shows a general image of an angel, which everyone can use to pray with for guidance, help, and protection.

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The multi-national auction house Heritage Auctions will sell a series of antique Russian icons at its upcoming auction on December 9. The authentic pieces come from the collection of the American actor Eugene Iglesias and include images of Christ the Pantocrator, St. Nicholas, and Madonna and Child, among others. You can take a look at some of the highlights and learn more about the upcoming auction on our blog. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions

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Have you ever heard of Saint Menas of Egypt? He was a martyr, wonder-worker, and soldier in the Roman army, who refused to recant his Christian faith and thus lost his life. The featured 16th-century icon is devoted to this holy figure and depicts scenes from the saint’s life. His feast day is on November 24 of the Gregorian Calendar; however, those who follow the new style or Revised Julian calendar celebrate it on November 11. Nowadays, the icon is held at the Arkhangelsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts in Russia.

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The featured icon most likely belongs to the Mstera icon painting school, which is known for its highly decorative style and abundance of details in the icons. In the picture, you can see a so-called Calendar icon for November, depicting the constellation of saints arranged chronologically according to their feast days in Orthodox Christianity. Among them are Menas of Egypt, Matrona of Moscow, Philip the Apostle, and Nikon of Radonezh, among others. The holy piece dates back to the late 1700s – early 1800s, with the icon painter being unknown.

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Quadripartite icons, more commonly known as four-part icons, were a good way to combine several images on one panel. In the featured picture, you can see a classic example of such a type of holy painting. Made with egg tempera and silver on wood, it is a depiction of the Mother of God. Such a legacy was left to us by an anonymous icon painter from Chernihiv Region in the late 18th century. Nowadays, it is held at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in Eugene, Oregon.

[russianicons]

Elijah was one of the greatest miracle workers and prophets in the Bible. His name literally means “my God is the Lord.” Throughout history, Elijah played an integral role in opposing the prophets of the false god Baal on Mount Carmel, today’s Israel. Nowadays, his figure is seen as a protest against an effort to find religion and belief in a self-induced frenzy. In the featured 16th-century icon, you see Elijah mounting the chariots of Israel. It was painted in the 1570s. https://russianicon.com/the-fiery-ascent-of-the-prophet-elijah-icon/

[russianicons]

In the picture, you see the icon of Saint Anastasia of Sirmium, also known as the “Deliverer from Potions.” She was one of the seven women who were commemorated by name in the Roman Canon of the Mass, the ancient anaphora used in the Roman Rite of Mass. The Christian martyr and saint, she spent almost all her life helping the martyred and imprisoned. After she passed away, her relics were taken to Constantinople where there is a church dedicated to her legendary figure.

[russianicons]

In our collection, we have icons dedicated to a variety of notable Orthodox Russian saints, and the name of Saint Macarius holds a special place among them. The ascetic and miracle worker established, at least, four monasteries in the Nizhniy Novgorod region, with the Zheltovodsky Makaryev Convent and the Makaryev Sviyazhsk Monastery being the most notable ones. The featured hand-painted icon dates back to the 19th century and features techniques common to the traditionalist movement in religious iconography.