Description in Icons, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2004, cat. no. 114:
John the Baptist and Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki in
adoration before the Trinity
Late 17th century, Yaroslavl or Moscow
NMI 269

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

Inscriptions a t.: A) Paper label with
printed and hand-written text in black
ink in Cyrillic letters: MOSGOSTORG
/ Antikvarno-Khudozhestvennyi Otdel
(Antiquarian Art Department) / 4611 /
No s / 5405 / Ioann Predtecha i Dimitrii
(John the Baptist and Dimitri) / XVII
v[ek] (17th century) / Yaroslavl / 131 x 67
[cm] ; B) Written in blue pencil in
Cyrillic letters: 200 r[ubley] / g n v

PROVENANCE: Antiquariat no 4611
(”Johannes der Täufer und Zarewitz (sic)
Demetrius, Jaroslaver Schule, 17. Jahrh.”);
Olof Aschberg 1935; Gift of O.Aschberg
1952
EXHIBITIONS: Stockholm 1988, no 38
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kjellin 1956, p 269
CONSERVATION: Restored prior to entering
NM: crack in joint mended; scattered
retouches; NM 1988: consolidation of blisters
and flaking paint, conservation of
damaged edges, cleaning. Cracks in the
upper part of the panel; losses of paint layers
and ground along the edges; yellowish
varnish; panel warped.

In addition to John the Baptist and
St Demetrius, the two martyrs Thekla
(left) and Barbara (right) are also
depicted, behind them. Below are
scenes which allude to the deaths of
the two saints: Salome with the head
of John the Baptist, and Demetrius,
transfixed with a lance. Above, be -
tween the sun and moon, are the Lord
God of Sabaoth and Christ, borne up
by seraphs, and the Dove of the Holy
Spirit. The style is characteristic of the
turn of the 17th/18th centuries, includ -
ing as it does influences of Western
European painting, e.g. in adornments,
apparel and, not least, the
architectural depictions in the lower
scene. A related icon, similar in its as -
siduous use of gold and also of a large
format, shows John the Baptist stand -
ing frontally, surrounded by scenes
from his life. This icon, from Yaroslavl,
has been dated to the end of the 17th
century.1
The Nationalmuseum icon is
a traditional family icon, the format
and exceptionally high quality of
which suggest that it was commission -
ed by a well-to-do family in Moscow or
Yaroslavl. Yaroslavl at this time being
both a commercial and a cultural
centre second only to Moscow.

1 Antonova 1963, vol. 1, p 472