CHURCH ICON OF THE HOLY APOSTLES PETER AND PAUL. VELIKY USTYUG, RUSSIA

A monumental church icon depicting the Holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul, painted in Veliky Ustyug in the last quarter of the 18th century. The work exemplifies the late Ustyug icon-painting tradition, combining established Orthodox iconography with painterly devices that became increasingly widespread in Russian ecclesiastical art during the second half of the 18th century. The Apostles are shown full length and frontally within a solemn, symmetrically balanced composition. Saint Peter appears on the left, with short grey hair and beard, wearing a blue-toned chiton beneath an ochre-brown himation. In his right hand he holds the keys, his traditional iconographic attribute, referring to the Gospel image of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Saint Paul is represented on the right, identifiable by his high forehead and long dark beard. He wears a green chiton beneath a richly coloured cinnabar-red himation and holds a rolled scroll, symbolising his apostolic teaching and Epistles. Between the two figures stands a representation of a Christian church, forming both the visual and theological centre of the composition. This motif emphasises the traditional understanding of Peter and Paul as the foremost Apostles and spiritual pillars of the Church, uniting both figures within a coherent theological programme. The faces are rendered with pronounced chiaroscuro modelling and an evident aspiration towards volume. The softly articulated cloud-filled sky, together with the spatial treatment of the landscape, architecture and figures, reflects the influence of European and academic painting on Russian ecclesiastical art of the late 18th century. At the same time, the gilded haloes, frontal presentation of the saints and traditional system of attributes retain the canonical foundations of Orthodox iconography. The colour scheme is built upon a striking combination of deep blue, green, ochre-brown and intense cinnabar-red tones. The gilded haloes and gilt border enhance the solemn character of the work and underline its intended function within a church interior. Material: Wood panel, gesso, tempera, gilding. Dimensions: 88 × 55 cm. Condition: In good collector`s condition, consistent with the period of its creation.

Estimation:5.000€

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