1 - The Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Weeping Marys, Saint John the Evangelist, and Saint Longinus the Centurion - 19th century

The Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Weeping Marys, Saint John the Evangelist, and Saint Longinus the Centurion - 19th century Egg tempera on panel Height x width: 52 x 42 cm As solemnly and explicitly announced by the large calligraphic inscription—rendered in elongated, gold-colored vyaz (Slavic ornamental script) along the upper margin (“The Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ”)—the composition adheres with absolute fidelity and extraordinary expressive vigor to the Orthodox liturgical canon. It is centered on the monumental, anatomically rendered figure of Christ the Savior hanging from a three-barred cross. The vertical axis is rooted in the rock of Golgotha, which opens at its base to reveal, within a dark abyss, the skull of Adam, bathed in the blood of redemption. Flanking the Savior—arranged in symmetrical groups of profound dramatic intensity—are the witnesses to the Passion. On the left stands the group of the mourning Marys, led by the Virgin Mary—supported in her grief and draped in a brownish-purple maphorion with gold trim over a blue tunic—accompanied by Mary of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. On the right appears the youthful, sorrowful figure of Saint John the Evangelist, his hands clasped in prayer and his gaze fixed upon the Master, alongside the proud, upright figure of the centurion Saint Longinus, depicted in magnificent, plumed Roman military armor, complete with a shield, a crested helmet, and the raised lance of his testimony. The background—rendered with exceptional, visionary impact—depicts the walls and the dense, turreted domes of Jerusalem, painted with microscopic, miniature-like precision. Above, at the two far corners of a sky iridescent with fiery clouds, are the anthropomorphic discs of the Sun and the Moon; both are shown with weeping faces, symbolizing the cosmos’s participation in the divine mourning. Item condition rating: **** good. The lot is in good condition, with normal wear and defects commensurate with its age and use over time.