92 - Family of Holy Martyrs: Sophia with her daughters Faith, Hope, and Charity, flanked by Saint Theodore and the Guardian Angel - 19th century

Family of Holy Martyrs: Sophia with her daughters Faith, Hope, and Charity, flanked by Saint Theodore and the Guardian Angel - 19th century Egg tempera on panel Height x width: 32 x 25.8 cm ...a protective image for the family home, centered on the supreme Christian theological virtues and the patron saints of the family that commissioned it. The composition, set against a luminous background of original gold leaf, unfolds as a choral, hieratic assembly of sacred figures arranged across two theophanic registers. At the very center of the earthly realm stands the monumental figure of the Guardian Angel (Angel Chranitel'), depicted with large, finely feathered golden wings and encircled by an imposing, openwork, radiating halo in a Neo-Byzantine style; draped in pristine, highlighted robes, he holds a slender processional cross and acts as a protective guide for the faithful. To his left (on the viewer’s right) appears the renowned and venerated Roman hagiographic group of the Holy Martyr Sophia (Svjataja Sofija). The pious widow is portrayed full-length, wrapped in a dignified brown maphorion, holding an unrolled scroll of the Scriptures; before her, arranged in strict hierarchical order by height and age, stand her three very young martyred daughters—living personifications of the theological virtues: Faith (Vera, aged 12), dressed in an ochre-orange tunic; Hope (Nadežda, aged 10), in a greenish-blue garment; and Charity (Ljubov', aged 9), in a vibrant cinnabar-red robe. On the left side of the panel, completing this group of family protectors, stands the noble and proud figure of a warrior saint, explicitly identified by the calligraphic inscription above as the Holy Great Martyr Theodore (Svjatyj Velikomučenik Feodor). The saint is depicted wearing ornate, intricately detailed Roman-style armor embossed in gold, with a brilliant green chlamys draped over his shoulders and red footwear symbolizing his martyrdom; he holds the cross of his passion close to his chest. Dominating the scene from above and bestowing a blessing upon the entire assembly—set within a radiant, semicircular mandorla and resting upon a dense, soft bed of rounded clouds—is the theophanic figure of Christ the Almighty Savior (Gospod’ Vsedržitel’). He is depicted with his arms outstretched in a solemn gesture of universal welcome and intercession, flanked by the traditional sacred monograms “IC” and “XC.” His Excellency the Most Reverend 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. Previous restorations and minor color loss.