Miniature Iconostasis, with Scenes from the Life of Christ

Description The central part of this three-panel painting reproduces the wooden icon screen ("iconostasis") that stands in front of the altar in Orthodox churches. Small in size and easily portable, the piece was used for personal devotions. Its imitation of monumental church decoration reminded the viewers that since God is omnipresent, prayer in private is the same as praying in church. It was probably made on Corfu, the resting place of St. Spyridon, who is portrayed on the right end of the central panel. For several centuries, this Greek island was a colony of Venice, hence the influence of Italian baroque art seen in the ornamentation of the frame.

Exhibitions

• Early Christian and Byzantine Art. Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore. 1947.
• Holy Image, Holy Space: Icons and Frescoes from Greece. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore; Center for the Fine Arts, Miami; Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland; The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. 1988-1990.

Provenance George Robinson Harding, London, [date of acquisition unknown], by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1930, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters, 1930