29 - RUSSIAN SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURY

RUSSIAN SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURY THE PRESENTATION OF THE VIRGIN IN THE TEMPLE Egg tempera on wood, 40 x 33 cm. The icon depicts the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, an episode taken from the Protoevangelium of James. Mary, accompanied by her parents Joachim and Anna and a procession of young girls, advances toward the high priest who awaits her at the entrance to the sanctuary. Above the arch appears a flaming red seraph, a symbol of the divine presence. In the upper register, the Virgin is depicted in prayer while an angel brings her heavenly sustenance. The work stands out for its narrative vitality, the ornamental richness of the architecture, and the intensity of its color palette. The distinctive spatial composition, typical of the Russian iconographic tradition, allows for a simultaneous view of both interior and exterior spaces, transcending the principles of naturalistic perspective. The precious gold ground lends the composition a sacred and timeless quality, evoking the eternal present of divine reality.