4 - Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" (Vseh Skorbjaščih Radost') - 19th century

Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" (Vseh Skorbjaščih Radost') - 19th century Egg tempera on panel and gold leaf Height x width: 62.5 x 52 cm The composition unfolds as a monumental and highly dense theological narrative, centered on the role of the Virgin as the supreme mediatrix and comforter of suffering humanity. At the very heart of the scene—enclosed within a large, elliptical mandorla radiating golden light—stands the full-length figure of the Mother of God. She wears an imposing royal crown and is clad in a maphorion of warm, brownish-purple tones over a light-colored tunic, while she cradles the Divine Infant on her left arm. At her feet, dense, pyramidal crowds of the faithful are arranged into six main groups, representing various categories of the afflicted: the sick, the disabled, widows, orphans, the hungry, and pilgrims. Each group is guided and comforted by winged angelic figures—sent by the Virgin herself—who carry unfurled scrolls and flowing white ribbons inscribed with the supplications of the faithful, as well as promises of spiritual and material relief, written in Old Church Slavonic. In the upper section, presiding over and validating this celestial vision, the “New Trinity”—or the Trinity of the New Testament (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove)—appears within a circular clipeus of clouds, flanked by two angels in prayer. In the two uppermost corners, amidst thick, dark clouds, the sun and moon are depicted, symbolizing the cosmic dimension of the Virgin’s intercession. A particularly remarkable feature of this piece is found in the lower section, where two majestic angels—clad in iridescent red robes and bearing large, golden wings—support a sumptuous, entirely gilded, Rococo-style shield-shaped cartouche. As can be seen in the close-up detail, the interior of the shield contains an extremely dense, microscopic calligraphic inscription in Old Church Slavonic—a documentary and liturgical element of exceptional rarity that serves as a dedicatory prayer and a theological seal for the entire panel. In terms of ornamentation, the scene is framed by a broad, lavish border of gold leaf, intricately worked with a punch and burin to feature a dense, relief-carved motif of vegetal tendrils and floral scrolls in a Neo-Byzantine style. The painting technique reveals the hand of a highly skilled miniaturist—likely trained in the renowned artistic centers of Palekh or Mstera—as evidenced by the artist’s ability to render dozens of micro-figures with remarkable anatomical precision and dramatic expressiveness. H.E. Most Rev. Francisco-Javier Lozano Sebastián, Titular Archbishop of Penafiel and Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus. Item condition rating: **** good. The lot is in good condition, with normal wear and defects commensurate with its age and use over time. Minor color loss.