103 - Tripartite icon featuring the Mother of God "Gaze of Fire," the Mother of God of the Three Hands, and interceding saints - 19th century

Tripartite icon featuring the Mother of God "Gaze of Fire," the Mother of God of the Three Hands, and interceding saints - 19th century Egg tempera on panel Height x width: 31.5 x 26.5 cm It is characterized by a luminous, entirely gold-leaf background that isolates the sacred figures within an atemporal dimension, in keeping with the canons of late 19th-century Russian devotional painting. The pictorial surface is divided horizontally into two main registers, separating the monumental Marian iconography above from a host of saints below. In the upper-left quadrant appears the rare and powerful image of the Mother of God "Gaze of Fire" (*Ognevidnaja*)—identifiable by her face, rendered in vivid, intense tones, and the scarlet *maphorion* that envelops her entirely, symbolizing divine fire and the Holy Spirit. The upper-right quadrant depicts the renowned Mother of God of the Three Hands (*Troeručica*)—associated with the miracle of Saint John of Damascus—in which a third, metallic hand is clearly visible at the lower left, while she holds the infant Jesus, who is shown in a hieratic pose, bestowing a blessing. The lower register features a solemn assembly of eight interceding saints, depicted full-length and aligned symmetrically upon a strip of green ground. Among them, one can discern royal figures wearing crowns and opulent ceremonial robes on the left; bishops and long-bearded ascetic hermits in the center; and female martyrs on the right. Many of these figures hold unrolled scrolls inscribed with liturgical prayers in Old Church Slavonic. From a strictly formal and stylistic perspective, the panel demonstrates the exceptional skill of the artisan workshops of Central Russia, which were capable of combining a rigorous adherence to ancient theological models with a level of execution so refined it approaches the quality of a miniature. The faces of the two Virgins feature soft modeling combined with well-defined, graphic contours, their large, penetrating gazes directed toward the viewer. Taken as a whole, the presence of these specific protective iconographies—alongside a host of patron saints rendered in warm shades of red, blue, and ochre—suggests that the icon was commissioned for the private devotion of a wealthy family, conceived as a powerful and elegant vessel of spiritual protection for their home. 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.