13 - Extended Deesis register (iconostasis frieze) - 19th century

Extended Deesis register (iconostasis frieze) - 19th century Egg tempera and pigments on a wooden panel Height x width: 36 x 152 cm Characteristic of Central Russian sacred painting. The work was not originally conceived as an isolated predella in the Western sense of the term, but rather as a continuous, load-bearing horizontal frieze intended to decorate the large partition wall separating the sanctuary from the nave. The technical choice of uniting the entire composition onto a single long wooden panel rather than separate vertical panels, combined with the slender silhouettes of the figures and the rhythmic flow of the richly colored garments (cinnabar reds, deep blues, and malachite greens), is characteristic of provincial or regional workshops centered around Moscow or Yaroslavl during the Late Baroque and Neoclassical periods. From a technical standpoint, the work is executed according to the most rigorous traditional Russian technique, featuring egg tempera and mineral pigments on a wooden panel prepared with levkas, the traditional gesso and animal-glue ground. The iconographic composition converges toward the central axis—the theological focal point of the entire composition—where Christ Pantocrator and Universal Judge sits enthroned, depicted in the act of blessing with His right hand and holding the open book of the Gospels with His left. Flanking Him are the two pivotal figures of intercession for humanity: the Virgin Mary on the left and Saint John the Baptist on the right, both leaning forward in a deep, symmetrical, and reverent bow. Immediately behind the central triad stands the heavenly court, represented by the archangels Michael and Gabriel—recognizable by their large feathered wings—who serve as an honor guard to the divine throne. The procession continues toward the outer edges with the college of apostles led by the holy princes Peter and Paul, followed in turn by the other evangelists. The frieze finally concludes at the two outer sides with the solemn presence of the Holy Fathers and Doctors of the Eastern Church (among whom Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, and Nicholas of Myra can be recognized), immediately identifiable thanks to their characteristic white episcopal liturgical vestments decorated with large black crosses, known as *polystavrion*. The work stands as a fundamental visual testimony to the ceaseless prayer that the heavenly and earthly Church offers to Christ for the salvation of the world. Regarding its state of preservation, the pictorial surface is entirely affected by a dense and prominent phenomenon of natural craquelure (aging crackle). This fine network of microscopic geometric fractures is due to the natural, progressive drying of the binder and the physiological thermal and hygrometric shifts undergone by the underlying wooden support over the centuries. The craquelure, which develops uniformly and coherently across both the background and the sacred figures, does not compromise the legibility of the design and, indeed, attests to the historical authenticity of the work and the absolute integrity of its original material layers, which maintain excellent cohesion with the support. 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. Restorations and areas of color loss.