Description in Icons, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2004, cat. no. 45:
The Archangel Gabriel
From a Deesis tier of an iconostasis
Early 16th century, Novgorod or region of Novgorod
NMI 268

Wood: Linden (Tilia sp.), egg tempera.
Panel made of two boards with two
splines inlaid across the panel (both re -
placed); back impregnated with wax.

Inscriptions a t.: A) Paper label with
hand-written text in brown ink in
Cyrillic letters: 4538 XV / 250 r[ubley] /
[...]; B) Written on the panel in black
paint: Nal.2

PROVENANCE: Antiquariat no 4538
(”Novgoroder Schule, 15. Jahrh.”); Olof
Aschberg 1935; Gift of O. Aschberg 1952
EXHIBITIONS: Stockholm 1988, no 16
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Dahlbäck 1954, pp 202,
204; Kjellin 1956, pp 155, 158
CONSERVATION: Restored prior to entering
NM: panel reduced on left and right side,
thinned and consolidated with wax; crack
in joint mended with wooden wedge in
upper and lower edges; painting cleaned;
lower part of garment reconstructed with
artificial craquelure; outline of halo reconstructed,
background gilding removed;
NM 1954: conservation for paint-flaking,
cracks and detached pieces; 1959: severe
blistering and paint losses remedied; 1988:
conservation of borders. Crack in joint;
heavy ground and paint layer losses along
borders; crack across top left corner; gild -
ing on garment abraded.

The proportions of the figure and the
colouring, especially the red with the
white highlighting, are characteristic
of Novgorod icon painting. An inter -
esting feature of this beautiful, and for
the most part well-preserved icon, is
the plumage of the wings. The fact
that the figure faces left would suggest
that it should be identified as the
Archangel Gabriel (inscription obliterated).
This image had its place in the
Deesis tier of an iconostasis.
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