Beskrivning i Icons, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2004, kat. nr. 58:
Saint Paraskeva Pyatnitsa
Second quarter of 16th century, Novgorod
NMI 246

Wood: Linden (Tilia sp.), egg tempera
on canvas. Panel made of two boards
with two splines inlaid from opposite
sides; back grounded and painted
green.

Inscriptions a t.: Paper label with
hand-written text in black ink: 4635 /350 [... ]

PROVENANCE: Antiquariat 4635 (”Rostover
Schule, 16. Jahrh.”); Olof Aschberg 1935;
Gift of O. Aschberg 1952
EXHIBITIONS: Gothenburg 1970, no 9; Helsinki
1970, no 9; Stockholm 1988, no 13
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Dahlbäck 1954, pp 195, 198;
Kjellin 1956, pp 136–137, 295; Felicetti 1972,
p 138; Lex. d. chr. Ikonographie, 1976, Bd
8, p 119; Abel 1978:1, fig. 7; Alpatov 1978,
fig. 182; Bjurström 1984, p 195; Abel 1989:1,
p 42; Abel 1989:2, pp 13, 15; Abel 1995, p 112;
Evseeva 2000, pp 180–181

CONSERVATION: Restored prior to entering
NM: crack in centre joint mended with
metal clips on top and bottom edges and
insertions of ground and retouches with
artificial craquelure; major repair of paint
layers on the saint’s neck and left hand, and
at the lower edge of the picture; mending
and reconstruction of paint layers in upper
right-hand corner; scattered repaintings
including gold on background; the cross
and scroll with text reconstructed; NM
1970: old stopping consolidated. Losses of
ground and wood in old mend of joint in
lower edge of panel; crack through upper
right-hand part of the panel; gold of background
and frame abraded; nail holes
from metal halo; panel warped

K.Onasch has discussed the complexity
of the Paraskeva figure.1Here we
are most probably dealing with the
great martyr, who has a Slavonic connection
and a feast day on 28th October,
even though she is here without
the virtually obligatory crown of martyrdom.
2 In her left hand she holds a
scroll with the opening words of the
Nicene Creed. The cross of martyrdom,
which she carries in her right
hand, is something she has in common
with her namesake, who is primarily
celebrated in Greek territory. Paraskeva
is considered the patron saint of commerce,
probably because Friday (her
name means Friday) was market day.3
This might suggest why the saint held
such a prominent position in Novgorod
and Pskov.4
The dating is supported by amongst
other things, the palaeography, with
the name of the saint in red script; the
black text of the scroll, on the other
hand, is recent.5 The icon exhibits sev -
eral of the stylistic criteria belonging to
Novgorod, but it has also been attribut -
ed by Alpatov to Rostov-Suzdal.
1 Onasch 1957, 121.
2 Cf. cat. no 53.
3 Onasch 1957, p 130.
4 Smirnova 1982, pp 237–238.
5 A. Turilov, Academy of Sciences, Moscow, on a
visit to the Museum in October 1998
[slut]