25 - Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ Surrounded by Scenes from the Passion and Saints - Early 20th century

Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ Surrounded by Scenes from the Passion and Saints - Early 20th century Egg tempera on panel and bronze casting Height x width: 35.5 x 31 cm This painting is a characteristic example of an object intended for domestic devotion, in which sacred painting blends harmoniously with the Russian tradition of metal casting. The visual and theological focal point of the composition is a bronze, three-barred crucifix set into the wooden panel. The body of the metal cross bears a figure of the crucified Christ; above Him, on the uppermost crossbar, is the Mandylion (the Holy Face), while at the foot of the cross—nestled within a stylized rocky cavity painted on the wood—lies the skull of Adam, bathed in the blood of Redemption. Flanking the large crucifix are full-length figures of those who mourned at the foot of the Cross: on the left, the Pious Women, led by the Virgin Mary—who is draped in a red *maphorion*—and on the right, Saint John the Evangelist, shown in a gesture of profound distress, alongside the centurion Longinus, depicted in Roman military attire. In the four outer corners of the main composition, the iconographer has incorporated additional narrative and devotional scenes of remarkable detail: the two upper panels depict the Deposition from the Cross and the Entombment of Christ, while the two vertical side panels feature four intercessory saints arranged in stacked registers—including Saint Nicholas of Myra, a warrior saint, and two monastic saints. The complex interplay between the gilded, three-dimensional metal relief at the center and the two-dimensional painting surrounding it lends the work a striking, theatrical quality, marking it as an object of significant devotional and artistic value—one capable of encapsulating the entire Paschal cycle within a single, powerful visual synthesis. 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 paint loss and small restorations.