Description in Icons, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2004, cat. no. 188:
The Nine Martyr Saints of Kyzikos
Middle of 18th century, St Petersburg (?)
NMI 205

Wood: Pine (Pinus sp.), oil. Panel
made of single board with two splines
inlaid across the panel; back painted
brown.

Inscriptions a t.: Ink stamp of the
Soviet State Export Committee

PROVENANCE: Olof Aschberg;
Gift of O.Aschberg 1933
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kjellin 1933, no 205;
Kjellin 1956, p 294
CONSERVATION: Restored prior to entering
NM: retouches all over the surface. Paint
losses and abrasions; surface heavily abrad -
ed; varnish yellowed
Tradition has it that the nine martyr-
saints from the city of Kyzikos in
Asia Minor – Thaumasius, Theodotus,
Antipater, Rufus, Philemon, Theognes,
Theostichus, Artemas and Magnus
– were martyred between 286 and
299. In the Church calendar they are
all commemorated on 29th April. Here
they have been depicted carrying crosses
of martyrdom and their respective
implements of martyrdom. They are
in supplication before Christ, who is
depicted uppermost in the centre. A
cathedral is shown in the background.
The badly worn inscriptions make the
identification of the individual figures
difficult. The style is influenced by
Western European perspective.1

1 Cf. the icon with this motif mentioned in
Pokrovsky 1909, pp 116-117.
[slut]