Description in Icons, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2004, cat. no. 70:
The Transfiguration
Middle of 16th century, Central Russia
NMI 265

Wood: Linden (Tilia sp.), egg tempera
on canvas. Panel made of four boards
with two new splines inlaid from
opposite sides with the old ones mounted
on top; back painted brown.

Inscriptions a t.: Paper labels: 1.Ink
stamp with faded text and hand-written
in black ink: 10; 2.Printed and
hand-written in brown ink and pencil
in Cyrillic letters: [MOS]GOSTORG /
[Antikvar]no-Khudozhestvennyi Otdel
(Antiquarian Art Division) / Preobrazhenie
/ XVI v[ek] (Transfiguration
/16th century) / Moskovskaya shkola
(Moscow school) / 94 x 69 / D- 407 / 350
r[ubley] s’’ ’’

PROVENANCE: Historical Museum, Moscow;
Antiquariat no D/407 (”Moskauer
Schule, Anfang 16. Jahrh., Aus dem Hist.
Museum in Moskau”); Olof Aschberg 1935;
Gift of O. Aschberg 1952
EXHIBITIONS: Stockholm 1973, no 62;
Stockholm 1974, no 39
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kjellin 1956, pp 188, 201;
Reuterswärd 1973, p 70, fig. 12; Abel 1978:1,
fig. 21
CONSERVATION: Restored prior to entering
NM: cracks in joints mended with new
wood, dovetails and dowels in top and bottom
edges, large insertions of ground along
joints; retouches mainly on background
and borders; NM 1973: consolidation of
paint layer; 1976: large cracks in joints
mended, new splines, blisters consolidated,
retouching and varnishing; 1979: treatment
of panel; consolidation of paint layers;
retouches. Signs of blistering; paint layer
and ground losses along the edges; nails
and nail holes from metal cover on background;
panel warped

The inspiring, beautifully drawn faces
are unmistakably 16th century. The
traditional iconography and the high
quality could suggest Rostov or
Pereslavl-Zalesski.
This icon may have been included
in an iconostasis, either as a place icon
or possibly in the Festival tier.
[slut]