12 - Saint Sophia, the Divine Wisdom of God (Novgorod variant) - XIX century

Saint Sophia, the Divine Wisdom of God (Novgorod variant) - XIX century Egg tempera and gold leaf on panel Height x width: 96 x 71 cm This refined panel painting, executed in egg tempera and gold leaf, constitutes a splendid and theologically dense testimony of Central Russian Orthodox sacred art, datable to the second half of the 19th century. The work depicts the complex allegorical composition of Saint Sophia, the Divine Wisdom of God (in Russian: *Sofija Premudrost' Božija*), interpreted in its celebrated Novgorod iconographic variant. The painting fits fully within the cultural milieu of the Old Believers (Staroobrjadcy) or the great Russian centers of excellence tied to the scholarly reinterpretation of archaic medieval models. The characteristic mixed-line format with a lobed upper arch echoes the typology of icons intended to embellish the upper tiers of domestic iconostases, or to serve as the central panel for a rich private altar. The crisp chromatic application, the judicious use of highlights, and the miniaturist finesse with which the faces and paper scrolls are inscribed attest to the high skill of a workshop with a solid theological and technical training. The complex iconography develops vertically along the median geometric axis, structuring itself through three concentric spheres that bring the metaphysical, christological, and human planes into visual communication. At the center of the composition, seated upon a finely carved high imperial throne with her feet resting on a spherical cushion atop a pedestal, stands the winged and royal figure of Saint Sophia, Divine Wisdom, personification of God's creative energy. Consistently with the Novgorod tradition, the figure is shown with her face, hands, and large wings entirely tinted in a brilliant cinnabar red, a symbolic hue expressing the fire of divine light, the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual zeal that breaks into the earthly world. Flanking her are the two supreme figures of Christian intercession arranged in the traditional Deesis attitude: to the left, the Mother of God (who in this variant holds a light blue medallion with Christ Emmanuel), and to the right, Saint John the Baptist, the Forerunner, caught in the act of displaying a scroll with the prophetic text. At their feet stand four chosen prophets and patron saints, arranged in symmetrical pairs standing on the outer sides of the platform. Immediately above the throne of Wisdom opens the second heavenly sphere, occupied by the Savior Jesus Christ blessing, enclosed within a radiant circular mandorla that exalts His divine nature and serves as a direct link and theological bridge between the Wisdom of the lower register and the summit of the panel. The upper crowning of the icon indeed hosts the representation of God the Father (the Ancient of Days), surrounded by a glory of red and blue Cherubim and Seraphim. H.E. Most Rev. Francisco-Javier Lozano Sebastián, Titular Archbishop of Penafiel and Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus. Item condition grading: **** good.The lot is in a good state of preservation with the normal wear and defects commensurate with its age and use over time. Restorations and color losses.