**First Time At Auction**

Eastern Europe, Russia, ca. late 18th to early 19th century CE. Finely painted in egg tempera on gesso and linen atop wood, an icon depicting the miracle-working St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the most widely revered saint in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Believed to possess special powers to protect the faithful, this archetypal Bishop and Saint is dressed in sumptuous episcopal vestments amidst a creamy-white backdrop, with a cross-adorned omophorion, holding the holy Gospel in his left hand while offering benediction with his right. Size: 9" W x 11.5" H (22.9 cm x 29.2 cm).

Nicholas, a Greek bishop of Myra, Anatolia in the 4th century and one of the most beloved saints of the church, who served as an intercessor, performing miracles of healing and rescue, has an interesting history. A strong opponent of the heretical bishop Arius at the Council of Nicaea, Nicholas, after slapping Arius in the face, was denied his holy insignia and tossed in jail. However, Christ and the Virgin appeared to him and gave him back his freedom and his episcopal office. Here shown with a serious countenance, a high furrowed forehead, concentrating eyes framed by arched brows, and a short, gray beard, Saint Nicholas is portrayed as a staunch champion of the Christian faith, a defender against heresy, and a healer.

Icons (icon means "image" in Greek) are sacred objects within the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition. Found in homes as well as churches, these painted images depict holy persons and saints as well as illustrate scenes from the Scriptures. Icons are not worshiped, but are instead venerated for their ability to focus the power of an individual's prayer to God. As such they are truly "windows into heaven."

Provenance: ex-Francis & Lilly Robicsek collection, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

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#119494

Losses to background details and areas of the interior image, with several small obverse perforations. Two small areas of warping. Abrasions, chips, and fading to pigmentation commensurate with age. Areas of craquelure. One mounting slat on verso missing.