Creative Commons License
Icon Triptych
(Byzantium and Early Russia)
The left panel, an endemically Russian composition, depicts a church hymn entitled "In Thee Rejoiceth," in which all of creation praises the Virgin. The Virgin is shown enthroned in heaven with the infant Christ in her lap and God the Father behind her. She is surrounded by angels. Legions of saints, led by John the Baptist, offer her their praise.
The central panel depicts the Resurrection, depicted in two complementary compositions: above, Christ emerging triumphantly from the tomb, and, below, the Descent of Christ into Hell. On the sides are twelve scenes of church holidays, arranged in order of their dates: the Birth of the Virgin, the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, the Baptism of Christ, the Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the Transfiguration, the Ascension, the Holy Trinity (Gen. 18:1-15), the Dormition of the Virgin, and the Elevation of the Holy Cross.
The right panel depicts the Last Judgment. Christ, as the Ruler of All, sits in judgment on the last day, rewarding the faithful, to his right, with salvation, and the sinners, to his left, with damnation, represented here by the gaping mouth of a horrible beast.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date of acquisition unknown], by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2002-2005 | Realms of Faith: Medieval and Byzantine Art from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville. |
| 2001-2002 | Realms of Faith: Medieval and Byzantine Art from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 7/20/1959 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 10/1/1959 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 9/21/1965 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
Geographies
Russia (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 3 5/8 x W: 9 1/16 x D: 13/16 in. (9.3 x 23 x 2.1 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.1167