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GREEK, CIRCA 1600
Details
THE DORMITION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD
GREEK, CIRCA 1600
The body of the Mother of God laid on a bier, her head supported by a cushion, her hands crossed on her chest, Christ appearing in a glory, receiving the soul of his Mother, the latter represented as a swaddled infant, the glory consisting of four angels depicted in grisaille, the scene attended by the apostles, saints, clerics and a female figure, the colourful composition rendered mostly with pastel colours, against a gold background
25 1/8 x 8 3/8 in. (63.75 x 22.25 cm)
The uncommon shape of this icon suggests that it was not placed on the iconostasis as part of the Dodekaorton or on the Proskynetarion. Instead, the evidence of an icon in the church of St. John Chrysostome in Chora, on the Cycladian island of Kimolos, explains the function of this panel: the despotic icon from Kimolos portrays the Hodegetria Mother of God and at its bottom, in a narrow zone, it shows the Dormition. The representation of the Dormition was at some point chopped, but currently it is displayed again with the upper part of the icon. Similarly, the icon in this lot could have formed part of a larger icon, that has subsequently been chopped.
GREEK, CIRCA 1600
The body of the Mother of God laid on a bier, her head supported by a cushion, her hands crossed on her chest, Christ appearing in a glory, receiving the soul of his Mother, the latter represented as a swaddled infant, the glory consisting of four angels depicted in grisaille, the scene attended by the apostles, saints, clerics and a female figure, the colourful composition rendered mostly with pastel colours, against a gold background
25 1/8 x 8 3/8 in. (63.75 x 22.25 cm)
The uncommon shape of this icon suggests that it was not placed on the iconostasis as part of the Dodekaorton or on the Proskynetarion. Instead, the evidence of an icon in the church of St. John Chrysostome in Chora, on the Cycladian island of Kimolos, explains the function of this panel: the despotic icon from Kimolos portrays the Hodegetria Mother of God and at its bottom, in a narrow zone, it shows the Dormition. The representation of the Dormition was at some point chopped, but currently it is displayed again with the upper part of the icon. Similarly, the icon in this lot could have formed part of a larger icon, that has subsequently been chopped.
Provenance
Purchased by the present owner from Christie's in 1994, sale FOB 6710, Lot 309
Literature
For the icon from Kimolos see: M. Acheimastou-Potamianou (Ed.), Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art, (Athens, 1986), cat.no.120
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.