Description in Icons, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2004, cat. no. 205:
The Resurrection of Christ
Late 18th century
NMI 103

Wood: Poplar (Populus sp.), egg tempera
on canvas. Panel made of two
boards with two splines inlaid across
the panel; back painted black.

PROVENANCE: Olof Aschberg;
Gift of O.Aschberg 1933
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kjellin 1933, no 103; Kjellin
1956, pp 213, 225
CONSERVATION: Restored prior to entering
NM: scattered insertions of ground and
retouches on borders. Crack through wood
along the joint; varnish yellowed

During the 18th century the western
iconography of Christ rising out of the
grave becomes increasingly popular in
Russian icon painting, combined – as
in the present instance – with the traditional
depiction of Christ’s descent
into hell. Also present here are various
motifs that both precede and follow
the Resurrection itself. The chronol -
ogy begins in the top left-hand corner
with the Crucifixion, followed by the
Entombment and also the Angel ap -
pearing to the Myrrh-bearing Women.
The central section is occupied, in the
middle, by the Resurrection from the
Tomb and, below that, by the Descent
into Hell. A diagonally composed
company of angels, led by John the
Baptist at the top, links this story with
the depiction of Paradise and the penitent
thief, in the upper part of the
icon. In the bottom right-hand corner
we have the story of the Doubting of
Thomas. The longer texts on this icon
are paraphrases of the Gospel descriptions
of the various events. The scroll
carried by John the Baptist on the
right is inscribed: “Behold the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sins of
the world, repent ye,” which is a combination
of Joh. I:29 and Matt. III:2.
[slut]