19th century Egg Tempera on Wood Russian Icon Menology Saints of November

The publication of the Great Manaion Reader in the 16th century provided a host of new material for Russian icon painters as well as a standard liturgical calendar for Russian Orthodoxy. The monthly or annual menology of saints’ days and feasts became a common theme for icons that served both as objects of devotion as part of an iconostasis and as illustrations of the liturgical calendar.
This spectacular painting is an abbreviated menology of saints for the month of November. The resplendent gold background, which symbolizes the divine light of heaven, immediately focuses all attention on the work, and the play of the other shades off the gold reveals a master of mixing tempera so that color dances. The saints all face the viewer, which is unusual for an icon painting. This facing allows the artist to render the saints in detail, and the artist does not waste the opportunity. The face of each saint is distinctive and identifiable. Each pose, each hand gesture, is significant and conveys symbolic meaning. There is a bounty of detail here for the learned eye to explore.
The extensive craquelure produces a profound solemnity in the work without distorting the detail or disrupting the viewer’s experience. The magnificent frame and casing is a 20th century addition that offsets the icon wonderfully without diverting the attention of the viewer.
This piece of art will hold the attention of any viewer and makes an excellent addition to any annual menology collection or, with the proper lighting, serves as a fine standalone painting that would adorn a study handsomely.
Measurements 
38x33 cm.

Condition
Fine overall condition. One chip to the painting in the lower right quadrant.
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