RUSSIAN school, 1810 - Lot 329

RUSSIAN school, 1810 The Mother of God, Growth of Reason Tempera on panel, silver oklad hallmark 84, glass beads 33 x 26.5 cm Bears on the lower side the hallmark of the silversmith Erik Frisk (1784 - 1851), (Postnikova - Loseva n° 1577 ), and the hallmark of the money-changer Ivan Ivanovitch Viklyaev (active in Moscow between 1802 and 1818). Born in Sweden, silversmith Erik Frisk arrived in Saint Petersburg in 1801. He was appointed Master Goldsmith in 1805. The iconography is as unusual as it is rare in Russia. It appears to be the only example of an Orthodox icon inspired by a Catholic image. Indeed, there are many similarities with the statue of Our Lady of Loreto brought back from the Holy Land in 1291, and venerated ever since at the Holy House of Loreto (Loreto, Marche - Central Italy), and the image of the Mother of God, Growth of Reason. The symbolism is quite complex. The Virgin and Baby Jesus are swaddled in the same bell-shaped dalmatic, covered with various motifs that symbolize both glorification and sorrow. They are surrounded by cherubim and seraphim at the top and bottom. At their feet, the heavenly Jerusalem. Above them, a portal element with hanging lamps. Through the symbol of the gate, the sacrifice of the Son of God opens the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. To the right and left, four angels carry lamps, as if at the entrance to a gate. The lamps symbolize the parable of the wise virgins who went in search of the Bridegroom, carrying the oil. Oil symbolizes both the spirit and the Holy Spirit. At the bottom, the text refers to the icon's protection against murder, corrupted winds, poisonous animals... According to history, the icon of the Mother of God, Growth of Reason was painted by a monk in the 16th - 17th centuries. By dint of searching for the Truth in the Holy Books, he lost his mind. He is said to have been cured when he finished painting this icon, now preserved in the Transfiguration Cathedral in Tutaevo (Yaroslav region). Considered miraculous, it was venerated by the mentally ill. Today, it is celebrated on August 28, at the start of the new school year. Expert: René Millet - expert@rmillet.net - 01 44 51 05 90