36 - Koimesis (or the passing of Mary) - Late 17th century

Koimesis (or the passing of Mary) - Late 17th century Oil-enriched tempera on wood Height x width: 41 x 30 cm this work belongs to the Orthodox iconographic tradition of the Balkan-Russian region. The composition faithfully reproduces one of the most profound and codified dogmatic images within the Byzantine tradition; it does not depict a biological, physical death, but rather a peaceful transition into the celestial realm, expressed through a powerful interplay between the corporeal and the spiritual. The Virgin lies horizontally upon a funeral bier, draped in the traditional *maphorion*, which symbolizes her earthly, mortal nature. At the very center, along a vertical axis, stands the monumental figure of the glorified Christ, enclosed within a mystical *mandorla*—an almond-shaped halo of light. In His left arm, He holds a small figure wrapped in white swaddling bands: this is the *animula*—the pure soul of Mary, newly born into eternal life. It is a theological paradox of extraordinary intensity, inverting the roles: He who, as an infant, was once nourished and swaddled by Mary, now cradles His mother’s soul to welcome her into heaven. Surrounding the bier is a gathering of mourners. In the background, behind the Apostles, appear the haloed figures of bishops and Church Fathers—traditionally identified as Dionysius the Areopagite and James, the brother of the Lord—set against a backdrop of idealized architecture characteristic of post-Byzantine painting. The inscription at the top, partially legible in Old Slavic and Cyrillic characters, confirms the cultural origin of the piece. Stylistically, the work reflects the mastery of the iconographer, who functions here as a visual theologian. Although the composition remains deeply rooted in medieval tradition—evidenced by the absence of Western geometric perspective and the two-dimensional nature of the background—the palette reveals a vibrancy characteristic of the seventeenth century. The visual contrast is dominated by the deep cinnabar red of the bier’s cover, which engages with the warm ochre and golden tones of the drapery and architectural elements.The historical and collector’s value of the painting is further enhanced by an extraordinary and rare layering of documentation, preserved intact on the reverse of the wooden panel.A circular paper stamp from the *Gouvernement du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg* (likely from the Ministry of Arts or the Luxembourg Customs) testifies to how this piece of Eastern artistic heritage entered Western diplomatic or private collecting channels. Beneath these stamps lies the original technical restoration report, dated June 1, 1982; it details a delicate conservation process that included disinfestation, the consolidation of the wooden support using wooden inserts, a controlled chemical cleaning of the paint layer with volatile solvents, and the stabilization of loose pigment. During this intervention, the dense network of surface cracks—a deep, quadrangular craquelure that serves as a true biological record and a "fingerprint" of the centuries-long aging of the gesso and tempera—was carefully preserved. Any losses in the paint layer were addressed solely through tratteggio (tonal hatching) using watercolors. Today, the work remains in an excellent state of legibility and is protected by a light final varnish, representing an exceptional opportunity for connoisseurs of early sacred art. Item condition grading: *** fair.The lot is in fair state of preservation and there are obvious signs of restoration and some missing sections along the edges.