114 - Russian Icon Depicting Saint John the Evangelist - Late 19th Century

Russian Icon Depicting Saint John the Evangelist - Late 19th Century Tempera on panel Diameter: 21 cm A small icon on a circular wooden panel depicting Saint John the Evangelist, one of the Twelve Apostles, author of the Fourth Gospel, and a central figure in the Eastern Christian tradition.The saint is depicted in half-length, with his head gently bowed and a contemplative gaze, following an iconographic style that emphasizes his meditative nature and the profound theological inspiration traditionally associated with him. His right hand rests on his chest in a gesture of contemplation, while his left hand holds the Book of the Gospels, symbolizing both his evangelical mission and the revelation of the Divine Word.The Evangelist is depicted as an elderly man with a broad forehead, a long white beard, and thinning hair, in accordance with the traditional Byzantine and Russian iconographic model. He wears a green tunic partially covered by a voluminous red mantle, whose drapery is rendered through delicate highlights that impart plasticity and depth without departing from the strict visual language of Orthodox icon painting.The background is entirely covered with gold leaf, while the halo is finely embellished with elaborate punched and engraved concentric ornamentation composed of delicate radiating lines and rows of small impressed circles—a decorative style characteristic of the finest Russian works from the second half of the nineteenth century. A broad gilded border frames the composition, enhancing the monumentality of the figure despite the icon’s modest dimensions. Between the second half of the nineteenth century and the early decades of the twentieth century, the principal workshops of Central Russia—particularly those in Moscow, Mstëra, Palekh, and Kholuy, produced numerous small-format icons distinguished by a refined balance between the revival of the seventeenth-century Moscow School tradition and a more naturalistic, academically influenced pictorial language developed during the Imperial period.The icon is currently housed in a hexagonal wooden display frame lined with red velvet, likely manufactured during the 20th century for devotional or exhibition purposes. Item condition rating: **** good. The lot is in good condition, with normal wear and defects commensurate with its age and use over time. The painted surface is in good overall condition, exhibiting natural craquelure in the ground and paint layers consistent with the work’s age. Minor surface abrasions and modest localized wear are visible along the edge of the panel and within the gilded border, without affecting the legibility of the image. The gilding retains much of its original brilliance, and the wooden panel appears structurally stable.