58 - Icon; 17th century????

Icon; 17th century???? “John the Baptist Holding the Chalice with the Child,” Painting on wood. Measurements: 44.5 x 37 x 3.5 cm. The work depicts Saint John the Baptist, the Forerunner, in one of the most symbolically rich iconographic representations of the Russian Orthodox tradition: the saint holds a chalice before him, within which the Child Jesus appears—an image that clearly alludes to sacrifice and the Eucharist. The Baptist is also depicted holding a scroll, a common attribute that refers to his role as a prophet and herald of Christ’s coming. The composition is characterized by the frontal pose and solemnity of the figure, which occupies virtually the entire pictorial field. The ochre, reddish, and earthy tones, together with the luminosity of the halos, create a subdued color palette of great spiritual intensity. The carefully ornamented halo stands out against the background and reinforces the sacred nature of the depiction. From a stylistic perspective, the work draws on the traditional language of Russian iconography, based on stylized figures, defined contours, restrained expressiveness, and a spiritual conception of space that departs from naturalistic perspective. The visible wear on the surface, the losses, and the accumulated patina also bear witness to its age and to the material nature of a work originally intended for devotional purposes.